Rockport Off Road Park
Rockport, Illinois
Website: www.rorp.com
About: Tom and Debbie Wombles are the park managers of the Rockport Off Road Park, which has been open since 2003. Tom is also the founder of the Two Rivers Jeep Club, which calls this park home. The park holds such events as the RRock Rockcrawl Challenge, the National Off-Road Shop Team Challenge, 4x4 Blast events, and the SheRock competition for women rockcrawlers which is held to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The park also provides scheduled, guided four-wheel-drive runs at beginner through advanced levels.
Acreage: 1,600 and growing
Number of Trails: 40+
Restroom Facilities: Yes
Camping Facilities: No
Admission: $20 per day per vehicle and two passengers. Each additional passenger is $5 per day. Children under age 14 are free.
Shiloh Ridge Off-Road Park
Alto, Texas
Website: www.shilohridge.com
About: The park has been open since 1998 and run by the same family that has owned the property for over 50 years. Since opening, the land has been developed into a great place for four-wheeling and ATV riding. With over a dozen events planned for 2006, it's no wonder Shiloh Ridge is gaining in popularity quickly. A few of the popular obstacles are The Bottom, Rock Garden, and The Hills. Each poses its own unique level of difficulty and terrain challenges all suited for the more advanced driver.
Acreage: 1,200
Number of Trails: 50+
Restroom Facilities: Yes, with showers
Camping Facilities: Yes, with water, $10 per night; full hookups, $15 per night
Admission: $10 per vehicle, $5 per person over 12, under 12 free; special rates for certain park-sponsored events
Superlift Off-Road Vehicle Park
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Website: www.orvpark.com
About: For over two decades, Hot Springs has been a favorite destination for four-wheelers. During the late '70s, enthusiasts starting wheeling in the backcountry roads and throughout the multitude of logging roads and powerline right-of-ways. Over the years, this trail system grew into the present-day off-road park. In 1999, the landowners closed access to this area and put the property up for sale. This didn't sit well with enthusiasts, so in 2001 they grouped together with local conservationists and led an effort to purchase the property with the intent of keeping the trails open and preserving the land's beauty. This acreage contains the majority of the original trail system, including famous obstacles like Concrete Hill, Quicksand Hill, and the Ravine. New trails and obstacles, with varying degrees of difficulty, are continuously being built on every type of terrain imaginable - hillclimbs, mud pits, rock gardens, and water crossings. All trails are mapped and posted with difficulty ratings so visitors will always know their location in the park and what they can expect terrain-wise.
Acreage: 1,400
Number of Trails: 75+
Restroom Facilities: Yes
Camping Facilities: Yes
Admission: $25 per day per vehicle with up to four passengers. Park memberships are also available.