While I encourage everyone to get involved with dirt biking, it is extremely important to have places in mind where you are able to ride the bike. Spending a good amount of money on a dirt bike, gear, and other equipment only to realize the areas you were planning to ride at are not legal is a huge bummer, so let’s start brainstorming...
In my neck of the woods we have a fabulous trail system open most of the year to ATVs, however it is illegal to ride a dirt bike on this trail system. Silly rules like this are prevalent throughout the country and figuring out where you can go riding can take some research.
If you know friends and family or have access to locals who are consistently out dirt biking, speaking with them is the fastest way to learn about potential riding areas. Unfortunately, this isn’t always an option and since I’ve moved around a fair amount I’ve come up with a few good internet sources to help beginner riders out.
My number one go-to resource for finding public riding areas and information pertaining to that area is Rider Planet. Rider Planet is a compilation of riding area information compiled by dirt riders across the country. The Rider Planet database is comprehensive and categorized state by state in alphabetical order.
Once you select a riding area, all sorts of information is revealed including a nice description of the area, the cost to ride (if any), amenities at the facility, directions on how to get there, any pertinent rules and regulations, links to the official track website, a weather forecast, and occasionally actual video footage of the facility.
Simply Click Here to check out Rider Planet’s awesome database of riding areas.
If you know friends and family or have access to locals who are consistently out dirt biking, speaking with them is the fastest way to learn about potential riding areas. Unfortunately, this isn’t always an option and since I’ve moved around a fair amount I’ve come up with a few good internet sources to help beginner riders out.
My number one go-to resource for finding public riding areas and information pertaining to that area is Rider Planet. Rider Planet is a compilation of riding area information compiled by dirt riders across the country. The Rider Planet database is comprehensive and categorized state by state in alphabetical order.
Once you select a riding area, all sorts of information is revealed including a nice description of the area, the cost to ride (if any), amenities at the facility, directions on how to get there, any pertinent rules and regulations, links to the official track website, a weather forecast, and occasionally actual video footage of the facility.
Simply Click Here to check out Rider Planet’s awesome database of riding areas.
My second favorite option for finding public land to ride on is to do a Google search for rules and regulations on a particular state’s off-road riding opportunities. I’ve had fairly good success by entering the following searches into Google to obtain relevant information on dirt biking opportunities in various states.
Here are a few searches you can try:
dirt biking in [insert state]
[insert state] ohv trails
[insert state] dirt bike trails
[insert state] off road motorcycle trails
[insert state] dirt bike registration
My third tactic is to search for dirt bike or motorcycle clubs local to my area. In one instance by searching for a club in my area I was able to find a private riding opportunity with an MX track and five miles of single track. The stipulation was to join the club and participate in club activities, but I highly encourage taking advantage of these opportunities. Joining dirt bike clubs that host races, events, maintain trails, and have regular meetings is a great way to get involved with dirt biking and give back, not to mention you also get the chance meet great people that care deeply about the sport.
Here are a few searches you can try:
dirt biking in [insert state]
[insert state] ohv trails
[insert state] dirt bike trails
[insert state] off road motorcycle trails
[insert state] dirt bike registration
My third tactic is to search for dirt bike or motorcycle clubs local to my area. In one instance by searching for a club in my area I was able to find a private riding opportunity with an MX track and five miles of single track. The stipulation was to join the club and participate in club activities, but I highly encourage taking advantage of these opportunities. Joining dirt bike clubs that host races, events, maintain trails, and have regular meetings is a great way to get involved with dirt biking and give back, not to mention you also get the chance meet great people that care deeply about the sport.
During the winter we stud our dirt bike tires and take to riding on the frozen lake near our home. Since the water itself is owned by no one, it is completely legal to make a track and ride all afternoon. We use a truck with a plow attached to carve out a track in the snow on top the ice. Then we use a garbage pump to bring up fresh water from below the ice's surface and smooth it out with brooms. You don't necessarily need the garbage pump, that was just the icing on the cake for us, but you can definitely get it done with a plow. This alone has led to hours of riding fun with no head aches from trying to find a decent place to ride. Learn more about ice riding by clicking here.
One last suggestion I have, should all other approaches fail, is to look for opportunities to ride on private land. Do you have a friend or neighbor with a lot of land? If so, consider talking to that person about riding on their property. I do a good portion of my spring and fall riding on private land and have a great relationship with the land owner.
I must warn you though that the legalities of riding on someone else’s land vary state by state and a good amount of research should be done. The type of relationship you have with the land owner will play a huge role. Good questions to have answered before you ride on their property are if they want to be compensated and what happens if you get hurt on their property.
Do you have a useful suggestion on finding riding opportunities? Did you find the information provided helpful? Leave a comment and join the conversation!
One last suggestion I have, should all other approaches fail, is to look for opportunities to ride on private land. Do you have a friend or neighbor with a lot of land? If so, consider talking to that person about riding on their property. I do a good portion of my spring and fall riding on private land and have a great relationship with the land owner.
I must warn you though that the legalities of riding on someone else’s land vary state by state and a good amount of research should be done. The type of relationship you have with the land owner will play a huge role. Good questions to have answered before you ride on their property are if they want to be compensated and what happens if you get hurt on their property.
Do you have a useful suggestion on finding riding opportunities? Did you find the information provided helpful? Leave a comment and join the conversation!
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