Trail and Travel

ARIZONA

Driving through Pennsylvania’s Northumberland County is much like other areas of the Eastern U.S where you find the best off-road parks. There are many back roads, sleepy towns, and rolling hills to explore, but this road leads to adventure, or more accurately, the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area just outside of Shamokin, Pa. We were on our way to one of the newest and largest parks in the country for a ride with Team FCR.

Tall Pines ATV Park near Andover, New York is the newest area for Northeastern riders looking for a family friendly trail riding adventure. It’s a little like a trip to your grandparents’ farm, a weekend camping trip, and a good ol’ mud bog and riding adventure, all in one place!

Our weekend visit to Windrock Park, just outside of Oliver Springs, TN, began on a warm, sunny day with anticipation of an exciting time ahead. It was the kind of day great for trail riding. Rain from the night before would make the trails dust-free and maybe even a little muddy in spots. The scent of the wet leaves and wild flowers was all around us as we rode to the park office, camp sites and cabins, and towards the trail head.

Almost every rider loves to explore new trails and get up close and personal with Mother Nature. Sometimes though, it’s just about the rush. The thrill of making it to the top of a huge hill, flying over a jump, or conquering a watery mud pit where others have failed always delivers a shot of adrenaline to the spine. We’ve all been there, and once tasted, you’ll never get over the addiction. As we said, sometimes it’s about the rush. Recently we found a new riding area capable of delivering those thrills but also much more. Its name, appropriately: RUSH OFF-ROAD.

We’re often asked about great places to ride. There are thousands of miles of trails, forest, dunes, and desert to explore. With summer here, it's time to gather up your family and gear, load up the trailer, and set out for a little off-road vacation. We've picked out a few of our favorite places, and by no means is our list complete, but regardless of where you live, there is a riding area near you. Go make a memory!

A sure sign of summer is the kickoff of annual festivals celebrating everything from fowl, at the Wayne, Nebraska chicken show “Cluck Dynasty,” to cow chips at the “Tournament of Chips” parade and cow chip throwing festival in Wisconsin. Difficult as it may be, I’m pretty sure we’ll miss those two bastions of high-jinx and hilarity, but there are plenty of ride festivals to help us soldier on. Ride festivals are a chance to spend time with friends, to make new friends, and to experience great trails across the country. Here’s our list of some of the best. See you there!

When astronaut Buzz Aldrin stepped down from his Lunar lander and turned to face the stark, vast beauty of the moon, his first words were, “Magnificent desolation.” I’ve often thought of those words when comprehending the enormous open spaces of the western desert. It’s a world not unlike the surface of the moon or some distant planet, where the views go on forever, and both the sun during the day, then a billion stars at night hold supreme, unchallenged domain over the rocks, valleys, and mountains.

A sure sign that we’ve found a great riding area is when we consider moving there. The list of those areas is short, with places like Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Oregon and Utah, Colorado’s Western Plateau, and now Maine.  Maine has almost 8000 miles of trails, thanks to cooperation with state and local officials, gracious land owners, and the tireless work of active clubs.