ATV Rental and Guides at the Wayne

Hello all!

Apparently there is now a place that you can rent ATVs and have a guide show you around Wayne National Forest. I went to the website but could not find prices. They will be able to provide services to Monday Creek in Nelsonville, and Pine Creek and Hanging Rock in the Ironton area. Renting one would be nice for someone who wants to ride, but either cannot afford an ATV or just doesn't want to own one.(!!!!???)

Guided tours at Wayne, I have mixed feeling about. One thing good is that it might open up the sport to people who normally wouldn't ride. Plus more riders means more income for the Wayne and surrounding businesses. But then you have a few guides showing people around and making up stuff just to try to keep the ride interesting. "This is the cave where George Washington wrote the Declaration of Independence." Yeah, ok. Ha! Plus Wayne just isn't that big. I can see out in Utah or someplace that has hundreds of miles of trails, a guide might come in handy. Maybe I've just been there enough to know my way around. Plus you've got someone you don't know running the show and setting the pace. Although I must admit that I would love to go on one of the Polaris sponsored tours out west or in Canada, where a guide is probably a good idea. Anyway my blog, my opinion.

I will probably research this further to learn more about these services.

Here are a few lines from the press release:
"Nelsonville, Ohio (April 14, 2009) – Wayne National Forest (WNF) announces that Ohio Recreational & Rentals, Ltd. has been selected to provide commercial outfitter and guide services for all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trail riding trips on Wayne’s 121-mile motorized trail system.

On April 13, 2009, the Forest issued the business a temporary outfitter-guide special use permit. The permit authorizes the business to begin renting ATVs and guiding riders on the Monday Creek, Pine Creek, and Hanging Rock ATV trail system."

Perry State Forest

Just a reminder........the trails at Perry open on Tuesday, April 1!!!!

ATV Trails in Ohio PERRY STATE FOREST

Perry State Forest is the trails system that I have ridden at the most. It has trails, but it is also wide open for riding. It is old abandoned strip mines, and there are plenty of hills and mud to play on and in. The website says there are 16 miles of trails, but since the area is wide open for riding, I would guess there is much more than that. Perry State Forest is 4,500 acres of which I would say that just less than half of that is the ATV area. Anyway, the best time to go in during the week. I've been there on a Friday morning and there was only one other person there.

New Lexington has a McDonalds, and there is (last time I was there) a gas station with a mini mart right across from the entrance to Perry.

If you are into mud, Perry is your place to ride. When it rains, there is thick, gooey mud all over. Even when it's dry, there is mud here. The state did make some changes, though, and the big mud pits may not be there anymore.

Perry is open from April 1st until November 30.

Here is the link to PERRY STATE FOREST.

Here is the link to a .pdf format map of the atv area.

Here are a few pictures. Also, if you click on the label "Perry State Forest" at the bottom, it will bring up all articles on Perry on my blog.

Wayne National Forest Ride Pictures

Having fun in the mud and on a large rock.

Wayne National Forest ATV Trails

Since this blog was made to talk mostly about ATV riding, I will talk about it.

Wayne National Forest is raising the fees on many of the recreation activities at the forest, including ATV riding. Currently it is $5.00 a day to ride and a season pass costs $25.oo, a bargain I think. The new fee, starting Jan 1, 2008, will be $12.oo a day, $45.oo for a season pass and $24.00 for a three day pass. It is currently $10.00 for a two day pass, and it will be no longer available. So I guess if you will be riding for two days, you will buy the three day pass, which will be like getting one day "free" which I imagine a lot of people won't be able to use the 3rd day anyway.

Overall, I am fine with paying to ride, as long as the money is used for upkeep of the trails and stays in the Wayne. But raising the day rate from $5 to $12? I know that it hasn't been raised for 10 years, but it probably would have been better to raise it $1 or so every other year.

Anyway, I will probably still go, since I only make it once or so a year anyway. I just hope that they use this money wisely. Last time I was there, the trails were pretty good, but a few years ago they were nothing but deep ruts full of muddy water, with some of the trails impassable even with a 4X4.

Click here for the Wayne's website for the details.