Save Durhamtown Ride

meaders said:
To me it seems like the place is looking for continuing support and more frequent users, not a one time showing where everyone comes at once then doesnt go back for a year. (like the "save the gulches run")

if people want to help this place out, plan more frequent trips not just one huge one... just my two cents for whatever its worth.

I hope to get down there sooner and check it out, it should only be 1.30 min from the house.
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A paying customer is a paying customer. Whether 100 show up on one day or 2 each week for a year. They still get the money to support the park and I don't think they are going to complain. Also a large crowd produces interest by media and vendors and everyone that shows gets to enjoy the park and meet a lot of other wheelers in one shot. Seems to be a win win to me. And all the people that were attracted by this one big day has now seen the park and will most likely come back.
 
Yes, everyone knows that it always boils down to money. But what I was getting at is that this place is known for its atv and dirt bike riding, its their bread and butter. If there is not any continued support from "us" they will open up the truck/jeep park to their large atv/dirt bike crowd. I know I don't like dirt bikes buzzing by while we're trying to play on an obstacle.

I know I can count a very large number of people (more than what this forum has on it) that went to "save the gulches" that haven't been back since and probably wont go back in the near future. How many people only showed up because a magazine was going to be there. (hey bo, we might get our photo taken....) . That's not showing the park support.
 
^ does have a valid point. If you've never been there, it is a dirt bike and atv paradise. All the times ive been, seen maybe 3 rigs untill this past sunday when a whole crew of jk's were up there. Undoubtly, to show support. But this isn't a save durhamntown ride, its a save durhamntown 4x4 trails. Go down there on any given weekend and you will see that they are far from struggling for money. They pull in so much from the rest of the park that opening the "4x4 only" trails to dirt bikes/atvs is not going to hurt them at all.

Yes, Gulches needed money, we all went down there and and paid our fees and helped skip keep it open. In that case, it made a big difference. Durhamntown on the other hand, does not need the money. They just want to see that there is interest so that they can justify putting time/money into maintaining the 4x4 trails. It will not hurt them at all to open the trails to all users.

I'm saying this from both sides. I love riding the quad down there but i would agree that i dont want to have atv/dirt bikes around while im trying to wheel my jeep. So yes, everyone who can should go down there to show support but it is alot closer than harlan or windrock so why not show constant support by heading down there a couple times a year or so. Like marcus said, it needs traffic to make the trails better.
 
Just a random thought though, there is a huge motocross event during that time. Its the 22th-26th and then they are having the Gary Denton ATV Open that monday through wednesday. There will be a bunch of people there from all over. This will be a hell of an event so be prepared to get cozy and fight for camping spots.
 
Weekend before is Gulches Big Ride, I say just stick with the plan. Everyone just go ahead and reserve where they are staying or camping and it shouldnt be a problem.
 
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Meaders is 100% correct. Durhamtown is a giant money making machine, that is all it is. Last night I had a chance to listen to the Market Manager from Durhamtown come and speak (local club had him come in). He dropped numbers like I drop dorritos crumbs. Million dollars here, million dollars there. Spending a million on building this, spending a million to build that. Then we (the club) asked when we could come and run it. He said that EVERY WEEKEND they have a major event and we need to call ahead to get on the VIP list.

VIP list!!?? WTF is this the club? Also we had the option of renting out the bar-area with a bartender and a band. Oh and we gotta reserve some of the 60+ cabins they have because they fill up quickly. Just gotta let them know a couple weeks ahead. Also he was trying to sell us on some property they were trying to sell so you could have your own cabin right there next to the trails.

The "Save Durhamtown" thing, no. No sir. That pushed me "do not like" button and doesn't sit well with me. If they had just called it, "Spring wheeling super fun weekend" or something. Then fine, that makes sense. But they didn't. They've got their fingers in everything and want to get into the 4WD scene. That is fine but "Save Durhamtown"!!?? That strikes a nerve with me.

I will still go there and I still respect their desire to make money. They are only an hour and some change from my house and also they are planning some sort of big mountain bike/road bike (pedal bike!) race which interests and motivates me. However it gets treated like how I treat Wal-mart or BP or any other big thing like that.

So I just thought I would throw that up here for ya'll to get another perspective, one straight from the horses mouth.

Trail wise, they have about ~25 miles of off road trail. Many man-made obstacles and some natural. Its all red clay so when it rains, well you know. I want to say the trails are still pretty new but I think most trails are simply access trails for hunting. The guy who came and talked to us was telling us about getting his Dodge 1 ton dually mega-cab back in there.
 
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Steve97tj said:
Are there challenging obstacles there?
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mud times a bazillion. Think of parsons mountain/midway for trucks. There are two sides the new part and the old part. The chick at the counter gave us directions to the new part but a map to the old part. So basically the whole morning we were navigating on a map that wasnt correct, but somehow still saw a bunch of stuff. The new part has some great hill climbs, the boulder ridge which has an afternoons worth of fun stacked on itself, and some cool trails. The old part is mud mud mud. It was fun though. It was slick enough that the rig type didnt matter. Sam was there in his taco on 31s and rear locker and jeff was there in his blazer on 37 truxxus mts and both has several redline attacks on various trails. The place could use better organization for the truck park.

Nobody that we talked to had a very good idea of what was going on as far as where anything was and how much it cost to get in. However after talking to my black friend demarcus I think we just had the misfortune of running into all the wrong people. He and others I have talked to had much better response from the park. I will definitely go back, the place reminds me of riverrock. Between the restaurant, store, and good camping/cabins it definitely has all the makings of a fun weekend. And it is pretty close.
 
jimbo92 said:
mud times a bazillion. Think of parsons mountain/midway for trucks. There are two sides the new part and the old part. The chick at the counter gave us directions to the new part but a map to the old part. So basically the whole morning we were navigating on a map that wasnt correct, but somehow still saw a bunch of stuff. The new part has some great hill climbs, the boulder ridge which has an afternoons worth of fun stacked on itself, and some cool trails. The old part is mud mud mud. It was fun though. It was slick enough that the rig type didnt matter. Sam was there in his taco on 31s and rear locker and jeff was there in his blazer on 37 truxxus mts and both has several redline attacks on various trails. The place could use better organization for the truck park.

Nobody that we talked to had a very good idea of what was going on as far as where anything was and how much it cost to get in. However after talking to my black friend demarcus I think we just had the misfortune of running into all the wrong people. He and others I have talked to had much better response from the park. I will definitely go back, the place reminds me of riverrock. Between the restaurant, store, and good camping/cabins it definitely has all the makings of a fun weekend. And it is pretty close.
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when did you go?
 
Another note, the terrain is there. I think a good show of support will encourage them to spend more money and really have some cool stuff. Another advantage of supporting such an established place is that hopefully it wont go away after we get attached to it like many other places tend to do. If there isnt enough of what you like there currently suck it up and go anyway because I believe it will come with a show of support.
 
We went this weekend. Took wesbowls cruiser, jeffs nascar sounding blazer and sams taco. The Runner was still sitting on the crappy fj cruiser take off tires so it would have been worthless....She is ready to go now though.
 
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