Indiana Riding Area: Badlands Offroad Park
Riding for OHVs of all types - Jeeps, ATVs, dirtbikes, pickups, snowmobiles, mountain bikes
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• May 2000 •
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For those of you that don't realize it,let me be the one to inform you,not all the states in the USA have "10 million acre Sand boxes known as "DUNES". As a matter of fact,many states don't have ANY legal public funded riding lands at all!! I believe that the state of Indiana is one of those states without legal, public funded riding land.
It's in States like these where ATVers and Off-Roaders of all kinds rely on personal individuals and private enterprises to supply us with legal riding areas such as Off road parks, race tracks, etc. I was recently introduced to one of these privatly owned Off Road parks called the "BadLands" when a friend of mine called me up and asked me if I would be interested in going ATVing. I said "where?" He tells me of this place about 3 hours south of Chicago. More specifically its located at 3968 North Xaviar Road in Attica Indiana. I said "Lets Go". We went riding the next day and when we arrived I was very impressed that someone could put together an Off Road park like that and open it to the public. The Badlands offer a very nice mix of riding and it did satisfy my itch to ride for the day. I would recommend a trip to the Badlands to anyone that's within a 250-300 mile drive of the park. I liked it so much that I said, "I need to meet the owners." We found the owners Troy and Lisa Myers and I introduced myself. Here's their story.... |
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Interview with Owners,Troy and Lisa Myers
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Off-Road.com....Why an Off Road park ? What makes someone want to operate an Off Road Park? Troy & Lisa..I have been riding since I was 3 yrs old. It was a natural evolution. After all those years of riding with NO legal riding areas nearby,when we found the property the BadLands now occupies, it felt like the right thing to do. Off-Road.com....How do you start a park like this and make it all come together? How long did it take to make it a reality ? Troy & Lisa.. It takes money. Banks laugh at you when trying to borrow money for a project like this so you need to find investors. People willing to put up some money. Once you find the money, then the lawyers start getting involved. They sit down and hammer out all the details. We first approached the land owners back in 1993 and finally closed the deal in 1995 Off-Road.com....What types of vehicles do you allow in the park? Troy & Lisa....We allow ATVs,Dirt bikes, Jeeps, short wheel-based vehicles, snowmobiles in the winter,and recently we started accepting mountain and BMX bicycles. Off-Road.com.... What kind of problems and oppositions did you have to overcome to make this Off-Road park come together? Troy & Lisa.. In the beginning we had many obstacles to and hurdles to overcome. Zoning was an issue and Local approval was not very high. Off-Road.com.... If a group of people wanted to do a weekend of riding are there any campgrounds nearby ? Troy & Lisa....There are motels in all directions,a Bed & Breakfast,and A campground all within an 18 mile radius of the park. Off-Road.com.... If I wanted to ride on a less crowded day , when would that be ? Troy & Lisa....Weekdays ,Monday thru thursday, are our slowest days. If you like riding without a lot of people,those are the best days to come. Off-Road.com.... What types of riding does the park have to offer? Troy & Lisa.. The park offers a wide varity of riding. We feel we offer one of the best mixes of off-roading available. It ranges from trails and woods to sand and rocks,with some nice hill climbs and a little moto-cross action thrown in. Off-Road.com.... How large is the park? Troy & Lisa.. As of March 6th we have almost 700 acres of land with countless miles of trails. Off-Road.com.... What are your hours of operation, fees? Troy & Lisa....Hours are 9:00-6:00 through March and hours are extended as it stay light longer throughout the summer. Fees are $15.00 a day per unit or $20.00 for a 2 day pass. We also offer a limited number of yearly memberships for $200.00 a year. We do also require that all trucks and ATVs have Flags (Flags are available at the park). We require everyone to wear helmets, some sort of boot (NO tennis shoes), and to follow all rules posted as you enter the park. We want to be known as a SAFE off-road park for the whole family so we ask everyone to think, be safe, and have FUN !!!! We also invite you to visit the snack bar while you're here. We offer burgers and dogs along with fries and drinks. Off-Road.com....What are your busiest times of the year ? Troy & Lisa....Spring and fall are our busiest time. In the spring it seems like everyone is just itching to get out and enjoy the nice weather and in the fall everyone want to get in that last ride before weather turns cold and the snow falls .
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| Off-Road.com....Do you offer any repair services ? Troy & Lisa....We do have a welder on the grounds and can do some minor repairs. We also have some ATV and Dirt Bike ,and 4 wheel drive parts and Accesories in stock. | |
| So now with our cameras in hand, and us mounted upon our trusty 4 wheeled steeds,this is what we experienced on our return visit to the park. | |
| The day is Easter Sunday and the park is having an Easter egg hunt. We are anxious to get started to see what goodies are hidden along the trails. As we begin our trek across the almost 700 acres of ATVin' heaven,we begin to spot Easter eggs along the way. We decide it best to leave the little suprise filled packeges for the little ones to find . What a site it is to see the smiles of the little ones as they find the litle treasures. | As we made our way through the park we stopped on occasion to snap some pics and take some video. As the day got later We also decided that we would need to take advantage of the "On Premise" Snack Bar. When your hungry.........everything on the menu looks good. |
| Smiles came across our faces as we looked over the park and we saw the treasures it had in store for the "BIG BOYS". With almost 700 acres of land to cover,packed with endless sandy hill climbs,some bowls to play in, an mx style track to race your buds on,and a wooded section to cruise through , we knew we had a full day riding in store. | Well , enough of me jabbering. Check out the park yourself through these pics and videos. |
ENJOY !!
Click on any image for larger views
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Thanks to Troy and Lisa for letting us Drop in and ride awhile.
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