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Hey Grizzly,

We rode the trails today (wow, it was hot!).  We parked at Lake Delancy Campground and noticed the sign about the new fee structure.   Since its a per operator fee, will they issue a card or a sticker? 

Basically, how will the forest service personnel know who has and has not paid?
Also, so you happen to know when will the new parking lot on Rt 19 be open?

Thanks,

Noise is a concern for all public land use.   Think about it.  Let's say you are a person that is not into our sport but you like using the forest for other activies like hiking, camping, horseback riding and your activity area is near our trail system.  You know they will complain about the noise.   This will lead to that group getting more land and us getting less.  I dearly hope that the forest service imposes a noise limit of let's say 95 Db.   The stats are there...  I met a rep of the Blue Ribbon organization and they gave me several examples in California where noise was the final death nail in the riding area closings in several areas in California in the last 12 months. 

I hear Croom is going to impose a noise limit too and that is a good thing.  I was getting gas clear across the interstate and I could hear the loud pipes over the highway noise.   Trust me that the neighbors are complaining..

Please, please don't discourage people from riding at OFN.  Most people's experience is awesome, and the minority are making things worse for the majority.

Apparently anyone who states the rangers are hassling them must be doing something wrong.  I've been there dozens and dozens of times and I follow the rules (which are very reasonable) and I have NEVER felt the rangers are hassling me or my family.   They are there for a purpose and we need to repect that.  When you see them, wave!  And say thank you!

If we can all follow the rules then there will be more and more areas that the forest service will provide for us to use.   The reason we are losing ground is clear.

#1 - Forest impact, look at the evidence, it is compelling. Stay on the marked trails and don't tear it up on purpose.
#2 - Noise!  Put the damn stock pipe back on your machine.  You don't need to be loud to go fast.   If you think I'm kidding, let's go ride together.

Keep the peace and all will be well...

Grizzly,

When will the new parking area on Rt. 19 be open?

Thanks,

BradG

Hey Grizzly,

A couple of weeks ago we were riding the Delancy loops and road to the end of the trail where it dumps out on Rt. 19.  We were shocked to see a constuction project for what appears to be a new parking area.   I assume this is for ORV parking?   

If so, do you have the details such as:
Opening Date?
Parking Fees?
I see the new vault toilet, will there be water available?
Are they putting in a new connector trail to the Longleaf loop?   

I think they should for the following reasons:

If not, the Delancy loops will be trash in no time.
The Delancy loops are really tight (I like that!) and it is difficult to pass if you meet another group going the other way. 
I think we need a wide trail to get to and from the Longleaf loop for safety!

I hope to hear that this is for ORV parking since driving to West Delancy Campground of Rt. 19 can pretty much trash one's nice truck and trailer.  Sometimes the ladies in the family go and they insist there are bathroom facilities available, otherwise I'd park somewhere other than Lake Delancy.   

Also I want to say I personally don't mind at all paying $6.00 per vehicle to go riding at ONF.   It is a small price to pay to have such a great place to ride.

Thanks,

Brad G.

Grizzly,

Where is the OHV Center located?

PLEASE do NOT bash the trail system.  The mapped trails aren't perfect and will never please everyone but it is really, really good right like it is right now.   

With 30 years of off road riding experience in many states of this nation I can speak with authority that we have it REALLY good here.   As time goes by and the trail system matures and expands it will only get better.   I spoke to the camp host and asked what the situation is with the trail grooming and he stated that once Deer season is over (just ended Sunday) that the grooming will start.   It will be nice to knock down some of the whoops.   I rode at ONF Delancy this weekend and again we had an awesome day.   We had a total of 10 people in our group.  We had 6 bikes and 4 quads.  The riding ability ranged from beginner to A Class woods rider and we all love the place.   The really great thing about the trails at ONF is that there are long stretches where fast riders can go fast and the slower ones can catch up at the intersections.    You simply cannot do that at Croom.  We keep going back week after week and look forward to our next ride there.   If you don't like it, please don't go there and most importantly don't complain so it ruins it for those who are appreciative of what we have.

We park at the West Delancy Campground.   It costs $6 per tow vehicle (truck, car, not ORV) and you can hit all the trails from there.   

The North trail system with its 150+ miles of mapped trails is simply AWESOME.  I've have ridden in a lot of places in the nation and can say that I've had a great time at ONF riding the trails there.  It is really that good.

This marked trail system is the BEST thing that could happen to secure our long term use of the forest for ORV use.   Please DO NOT COMPLAIN about the trail system!  Make good suggestions that are realistic for the organization to implement but please do not don't complain to the forest service, we need to THANK them.

I talked to one of the ONFA volunteers this week that was there educating the riders about a specific trail that cuts across the Longleaf pine section of the forest asking all of us to PLEASE stay on the single 8' wide trail that goes through that section.   Interestingly the Longleaf pine is an endangered species of tree so the forest department is wanting to be careful about protecting that section.   We can ride through there only as long as we keep the trail limited to 8 feet.  PLEASE do this!

The trail system is really nicely done already and will continue to get even better as long as we do what we can to help protect our rights to enjoy this resource and what will go a long way is to HELP the forest service and the ONFA in any way possible.   The ONFA is working closely with the national forest service to improve and maintain the trails and we all should help out since they are doing this for us.     

I am sending my form to the ONFA tossing my entire family into the mix.  If the ONFA has a large roster of volunteers that are actively involved working in conjunction with the forest service that will send a strong message to the government that our need for places to ride are a worthwhile investment and they'll support our needs for generations to come.

That is awesome news.  Hopefully she'll become a life life enthusiast like my family is.   My entire family rides and we enjoy both Croom and OFN.   First time ride?   Either place will work fine.  I supose you are wanting to find a wide open area for her to basically do big circles in?   If you go to Croom you'll need to purchase a sticker, I think they are still $50.00, maybe $45.00 and are good until June 30th, 2007.   So if money is a factor then ONF is the cheapest.  At Croom park at the Hammock Day Use area and you'll find there is a big circle that runs around the picnic area.   I took a first time rider there myself.

If you go OFN, go to Lake Delancy where you can park at the campground and pay $6.00 to park and your all set.  If you also ride too you can take her on a nice slow trail ride down Longleaf trail.   Either place you've got to be aware of other riders.   

If I were you and buying a Croom sticker is something you are going to do anyway I'd go to Croom since you can venture out on short rides and circle back to the parking area. 

Have fun!!

Hey there..   We are going to the Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills TN for an open riding opportunity organized by Southern Woods Rider, Inc.   The dates are October 20th through the 22nd.   The event is open to quads and bikes, all skill levels, etc.   Anyone else from Florida heading that way?  Check it out below!   It sounds like the ride of a lifetime!

http://www.southernwoodsrider.com/

I posted a similar thread several months back.   I ride a Croom a ton, pretty much exclusively. 

I am being honest here and can say with certainty most crazy activity I see, ESPECIALLY way-loud exhaust and folks riding out-of-line are people riding sport quads with aftermarket exhausts.   I own 2 quads and three motorcycles that my entire family enjoy riding so I can say I am equally on both sides of the discussion.

I am confident that excessive noise is what ruins our riding opportunities here in Florida and across the nation.    Eliminate motorcycles from Croom?  That is pretty much never going to happen.   The entire place would close before they'd do that.  That facts are clear and are publically available.  Statistically motorcycles are considerably safer than four wheelers are so if statistics come into play it is quads that will be on the short end.

When I see people doing stupid stuff at Croom I nicely tell them to slow down, etc.   Loud pipes?   I would LOVE if the state of Florida would introduce a sound test and ENFORCE it.   

Anyone bashing Croom, please do go somewhere else to ride.  Please don't ruin it for the folks that appreciate the place as much as my family and I do.   

Simply put, if you know how to ride, where to ride when you are there and follow the rules, Croom is awesome..   

What blows my mind is seeing the folks that complain about the whoops blasting down the highway-wide whooped out trails in single file fashion.   These are same guys that feel that riding wheelies on the roads and doing donuts in the campground makes them look cool.   Its not cool and it really shows how little riding talent you have and that you have no respect for this sport.  I call this reckless behavior "riding wrong"

And correct me if I'm wrong but it seems anyone who is "riding wrong" is doing so with way-loud aftermarket exhausts on their machine too..  Your behavior is the main reason we don't have more places to ride, both public and private.

So, if you appreciate Croom as much as my wife, kids and I do please read on for my tips for a great ride at Croom.

How not to miss out on all of the "cherry" trails that are smooth?     You've got to learn to look for the good stuff which is always off the beaten-path.    Granted I ride a bike not a quad but my wife and one of our kids ride a quad so I've got to be aware of that fact when I am leading the way so I don't get them into a spot that's too narrow for the quads to fit.   But even still, there's plenty of riding that is wide enough for a quad to go where it is really smooth.

Ride up on the North end and stay away from Sand Hill at all costs, stay away from the fence lines, stay away from the numbered trails, they are all where the whoops are...   

You'll be amazed how few people you'll see too.  We've been there when the campground is full and all the day use areas are full and the Sand Hill area looks like an ant farm under a heat lamp and when we go up on the North end away from the edges of the property and get away from the day use areas we don't see anyone!   SPREAD OUT FOLKS!!  :-)

When you are riding and it gets rough, slow down and start looking for a trail that is parallel to the direction you are traveling..    Sometimes 20 feet away in either direction is a smooth trail that gets you to where you want to go with both your kidneys in-tact.

If you are forced onto a whopped trail section, ride the edges..  When you are on a bike this is easier than on a quad.   Just don't ride down the center of the trail.

One more thing..   I must defend the park rangers too.   These folks are very nice and ever-so helpful to those in need.   I've never seen them hassle anyone.   As a matter of fact I think they are overly forgiving when they politely ask time and time again for that "select" set of people to follow the rules.  I've seen them go out of their way to help those in need and to make sure we all have the best experience possible.   

Anyone bashing Croom, please do go somewhere else to ride.  Please don't ruin it for the folks that appreciate the place as much as my family and I do.   

Simply put, if you know how to ride, where to ride when you are there and follow the rules, Croom is awesome..   

What blows my mind is seeing the folks that complain about the whoops blasting down the highway-wide whooped out trails in single file fashion.   These are same guys that feel that riding wheelies on the roads and doing donuts in the campground makes them look cool.   Its not cool and it really shows how little riding talent you have and that you have no respect for this sport.  I call this reckless behavior "riding wrong"

And correct me if I'm wrong but it seems anyone who is "riding wrong" is doing so with way-loud aftermarket exhausts on their machine too..  Your behavior is the main reason we don't have more places to ride, both public and private.

So, if you appreciate Croom as much as my wife, kids and I do please read on for my tips for a great ride at Croom.

How not to miss out on all of the "cherry" trails that are smooth?     You've got to learn to look for the good stuff which is always off the beaten-path.    Granted I ride a bike not a quad but my wife and one of our kids ride a quad so I've got to be aware of that fact when I am leading the way so I don't get them into a spot that's too narrow for the quads to fit.   But even still, there's plenty of riding that is wide enough for a quad to go where it is really smooth.

Ride up on the North end and stay away from Sand Hill at all costs, stay away from the fence lines, stay away from the numbered trails, they are all where the whoops are...   

You'll be amazed how few people you'll see too.  We've been there when the campground is full and all the day use areas are full and the Sand Hill area looks like an ant farm under a heat lamp and when we go up on the North end away from the edges of the property and get away from the day use areas we don't see anyone!   SPREAD OUT FOLKS!!  :-)

When you are riding and it gets rough, slow down and start looking for a trail that is parallel to the direction you are traveling..    Sometimes 20 feet away in either direction is a smooth trail that gets you to where you want to go with both your kidneys in-tact.

If you are forced onto a whopped trail section, ride the edges..  When you are on a bike this is easier than on a quad.   Just don't ride down the center of the trail.

One more thing..   I must defend the park rangers too.   These folks are very nice and ever-so helpful to those in need.   I've never seen them hassle anyone.   As a matter of fact I think they are overly forgiving when they politely ask time and time again for that "select" set of people to follow the rules.  I've seen them go out of their way to help those in need and to make sure we all have the best experience possible.