A lot of U.S. cities have recreational parks that offer camping, swimming, fishing and hiking to scenic vistas. Very few have all that and own and operate an off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail system.
Davis, OK, is one of them.
For almost 100 years, Davis has owned Turner Falls Park, 1,500 acres and one of the state’s oldest and most famous tourist attractions. Nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains of southern Oklahoma, it features a waterfall feeding two natural swimming holes and trout fishing. When a nearby, 6500-acre cattle operation called the Cross Bar Ranch went up for sale in the ‘90s, the city bought the property in order to expand its recreational offerings. In 2006, it built an OHV trail system open to ATVs and dirt bikes. Located about 6 miles west of town, the city-owned Cross Bar Ranch trail system has more than 30 miles of trails, ATV rentals and rustic campsites. Located just off Interstate 35 between Oklahoma City and Dallas, the trail system gets visitors from those major cities and from all over the country.
“Our numbers have really been increasing in the last two years,” said Billy Sandifer, manager of the park and ranch. “We have 24 RV sites and all were full last weekend (late June). And many other people come in and ride for the day. Most are bringing in ATVs, but we’re getting more and more of the side-by-sides in there all the time.
“We have two sets of trails. The blue trail is flat and easy to ride. The red trail goes up the hills, it’s tougher to ride and you cross the same creek four or five times.” The city also built a half-mile flat track for kids and beginning riders, which is popular with riders of all ages.
All riders are required to wear a helmet. Those renting ATVs must be 16 or older, ride solo, wear boots and are provided a helmet as part of the rental cost. The city charges $40 per hour with a 2-hour minimum. An all-day pass is $125. Ranch admission for those riding their own ATVs is $10 daily for adults and $5 for children.
“I don’t know of any other cities doing this,” said Sandifer. Across the country, there are cities that own land that are part of OHV trails, but few also manage the trail system. Iowa has eight ATV parks. Four are city owned but are operated by local OHV clubs through management agreements. In southern Minnesota, the city of Houston is in the planning process of building and operating an OHV park that will accommodate ATVs, dirt bikes and 4WD trucks.
“It definitely is less common for a city to own and run a park, but more are coming on-line every day,” said Karen Umphress, NOHVCC IT and Project Manager.
The Cross Bar Ranch trail system is open year-round. It was partially funded by the federal Recreational Trails Program. The RTP provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. It is an assistance program of the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
For more information on the Cross Bar Ranch, local accommodations and attractions, visit: http://www.davisok.org/arbuckle_attractions/Cross_Bar_Ranch/.
