Rush Off Road

By Chris Erwin

Last week we covered the subject of how to doll up your ATV. This week I would like to cover a good place very close to home to get out and enjoy riding it.

I have written about ATV parks in other articles, but this week I had the pleasure to meet E.B. Lowman owner of Rush Off Road an ATV park located just outside of town off of Rt.3. It’s about 10 minutes from town.

I also met Carole Sexton, Lowman’s right-hand woman, who helps run the park. After a few minutes of hearing about the park, I decided to do some riding. This gave me a chance to try out the four-wheeler I had been working on and to learn more about the park firsthand.

Lowman told me they are about a 100 miles of trails in the 7,000-acre park. They are categorized on a map as easy, medium and hard. They are a few things you need to know if you what to use the park.

To begin with, you need to have a helmet. For safety and insurance requirements you must wear one.

You must also fill out a registration form that includes a “ride at your own risk” waiver. Once this is done, you are issued a ride sticker that must be on your ATV to enter the park. There are three ways to join the park. You can purchase a daily, weekly, or a season pass. If you join weekly or yearly, you don’t need to do the paper work each time you visit.

There is also a list of 27 rules, which riders are given once they join the park. Most of them are common sense, but you still need to read them. Bikes and regular ATVs can only carry one rider — there is no riding double. Only ATVs designed for passengers such as a side-by-side can carry passengers. Riders also need to bring something to put their trash in. The policy here is “Pack it in, Pack it out.” Explosives, alcohol, illegal drugs and glass containers are also prohibited.

I’m not going to go over all the rules, I just wanted to hit the high points so riders will be prepared when they arrive at the park.

After I did the paper work and got a sticker, I unloaded our ATVs and headed to the trailheads. I was provided a map with all the trails, which were numbered on both the map and on the trails. I noticed that as we intersected other trails, a post with the trail numbers was in plain sight and easy to read without stopping.

Every kind of terrain is here, from easy riding to mud and hill climbing. There is something for every level of difficulty and with over 7,000 acres to explore; you can ride to your heart’s content.

I rode a couple of hours, and didn’t even scratch the surface of what was there to ride. I plan to go back and make a full day of it. I want to explore the outer edge trails.

After five days of rain, you might think it was way too muddy to ride; however, my grandson Aaron and I didn’t have a bit of problem climbing any of the trails we rode. If you think you are interested in visiting the park I would suggest visiting their website www.rushoffroad.com to look at everything they have to offer.

If you practice safety, this can be a great place for family fun. I found E.B. and Carole to be friendly and helpful. It may be cold, but dress for the weather and get outside!