I've been riding in the dirt now for nearly 50 years. Up to just a few short years ago, my entire life has been spent riding on two wheels or covering two wheeled competition events as a moto journalist.
Most recently however our family has discovered the fun and adventure in OHV or UTV/ATV riding, especially in what I call "destination riding." It takes me back to my childhood where you could just open the garage door and go. The days where you could spend a day riding and actually go somewhere. Can anybody else relate?
Last year we joined and got involved with the Central Mountains ATV Association and I'm so glad we did. I became aware of this group due to my event coverage work in the motorcycle and ATV industry and I knew they were making great strides in helping open up riding areas in the state of Pennsylvania and we wanted to learn more about that.
It was there that we did our first "destination riding" in many years and we were hooked instantly.
Our first big journey with the group took place New Year’s Eve of 2018 when we covered 90 miles in 3 degree F weather to ring in the new year. We departed the Quiet Oaks Campground in Clinton County at 7 p.m., stopped for dinner at Debs Cross Fork Inn and ended up riding in three different Pennsylvania counties before we returned to our rental cabin to thaw out by midnight. What a blast, literally.
Last Labor Day weekend we wanted to introduce more of our family to the experience, so we invited our daughter and her son along. Our grandson celebrated his 7th birthday with his first side-by-side ride in the great outdoors of Potter County, PA, that is also known as God’s Country.
Our destination ride wasn't as long that weekend as it has been on some others. No. 1, we were introducing a young seven-year-old to his first off road experience, and No. 2, he knew there were gifts waiting for him back at the cabin.
From our location at the Potter County Family Campground we could have picked a few different destinations to travel to but as I mentioned on this day we were out for a short trip. We loaded up our Yamaha Wolverine X4 and headed for Lyman Run State Park.
There are more than 40 miles of trails between the campground and the state park where you and your family could spend the day doing any number of great family outdoor activities. The park offers swimming from a sandy beach, canoe rentals, fishing, hiking, a snack bar and, here’s the best part, it's accessible from any number of locations from around a tri county area in your OHV vehicle.
As I mentioned we could have chosen many directions that weekend to ride. We could have headed north towards Genesee and the New York state line or we could have headed east and enjoyed a great dinner at any number of good restaurants in Tioga County or we could have headed further south from Lyman Lake towards Cross Forks in Clinton County.
As a matter of fact, with the fiscal codes that Governor Wolf has recently signed by spring of 2020 we’ll have a connector trail in Renovo, PA, that connects the Bloody Skillet to the Whiskey Springs State Trail system and by spring of 2024 law dictates that the DCNR and Penn DOT need to work together to have legal trails from Clinton County the whole way to the New York state line. Even now many townships upstate are opening their areas to OHV riding to help bolster their economies which is great news for us.
As these different groups work together, our trail system continues to grow. At this printing we have very close to 700 miles of legal riding in central to upstate PA and within the next five years that mileage will double.
As you can see the fun is endless here and there is nothing like getting your family out in nature to leave the hustles and bustles of daily living behind. Please subscribe to our blog or our newsletter at www.brappmag.com if you'd like to learn more and keep up with the many Outdoorz adventures that we plan to embark on. You can also check out the North Central ATV Initiative at: http://cmatva.org/nv/index.php/ncpa-initiative for more info and detailed riding maps.
After we arrived home from our trip, I asked a young man who celebrated his 7th birthday in the Pennsylvania wilds what his favorite part of the weekend was. I was expecting this gift or that, maybe the Foxes Pizza we found in Galeton or the new friends he played tag with from the cabin next door.
Nope, it was none of that. He simply said, “Riding the side-by-side pap.”
The CMATVA is a 1700-plus member not-for-profit association which is always looking for new members interested in all the fun and excitement our club has to offer. We are a group dedicated to helping provide and protect riding areas in our state and beyond. We ride twice a month every month and we would love to have you join us. Come ride with us and never ride alone again.
Our Mission Statement
1) Abide by federal, state, local laws and ordinances.
2) Promote a fraternal spirit among All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) riders and other outdoor enthusiasts.
3) Promote the development and enhancement of ATV riding trails for the benefit of all ATV riders.
4) Help development of tourism in Pennsylvania wilds by developing programs and working with both the community and state leaders.
5) Defend ATVers against discriminatory legislation, regulations and unfair taxation by working with legislators.
6) Provide a medium for the exchange of information and ideas among ATV enthusiasts.
7) Provide sources of ATV training and education for both young and old enthusiasts as well as the general public.
8) Promote and support the preservation and protection of our natural resources through responsible ATV riding.
9) Make donations to and support local area causes/charities as deemed appropriate.
10) Operate as a non-profit organization with no portion of the net profits benefiting any individual member.
For more information visit www.cmatva.org.
