A sure sign of summer is the kickoff of annual festivals celebrating everything from fowl, at the Wayne, Nebraska chicken show “Cluck Dynasty,” to cow chips at the “Tournament of Chips” parade and cow chip throwing festival in Wisconsin. Difficult as it may be, I’m pretty sure we’ll miss those two bastions of high-jinx and hilarity, but there are plenty of ride festivals to help us soldier on. Ride festivals are a chance to spend time with friends, to make new friends, and to experience great trails across the country. Here’s our list of some of the best. See you there!
Brimstone White Knuckle Event and ATV & SxS Round Up
May 23-25, and August 29-31, Huntsville, TN
Brimstone Recreation didn’t invent summer festivals, but they definitely amped it up about ten notches with their Memorial Weekend White Knuckle Event and their late summer ATV & Side x Side Roundup. Not content just to offer great trails on over 20,000 acres nestled in the hills of Tennessee, Erika and her excellent crew at Brimstone plan activities for the entire family throughout the weekend, with an evening capped off by a nationally recognized, country music recording artist. It’s a big time concert in the hills of Brimstone, and we promise you will have a great time.
Brimstone Recreation is a place we keep coming back to and we could be happy living there in one of the fantastic rental cabins. Camping enthusiasts will find sites with full hookups, and the local community offers plenty of lodging, restaurants, dealers, and stores for whatever you need just off-site. We’ll see you there! For more info please visit:
www.brimstonerecreation.com 1-800-BRIMSTONE
Jericho ATV Festival
August 1, 2, & 3 Jericho Mountain State Park, Berlin, NH
This festival just keeps getting better. The town of Berlin, New Hampshire plays host to one of the most popular ATV & SxS jamborees in the East. Besides the world class trail riding on over 7500 acres of the Jericho Mountain State Park, the festival features new model demo rides, aftermarket displays, poker runs, obstacle courses, a huge block party, and new for 2014 is an enormous mud pit! In the park though, are trails for all levels from basic to “you had better bring a winch and a buddy!” In fact, the grand prize of the Poker Run is a 3000LB winch! All the trails provide endless loops through forest, over streams, and past Jericho Lake, with many scenic outlooks and mountaintop picnic pavilions. Park guests can also enjoy swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking or picnicking at Jericho Lake. Festival participants can expect plenty of good natured fun, live entertainment, great riding, and a fun weekend on the trails and in town.
www.jerichoatvfestival.com Phone: (603) 752-6060
Hatfield-McCoy National Trailfest
October 9th - 13th, 2014 Gilbert, WV
It’s only fitting the most organized trail system in the country hosts the National TrailFest. The Hatfield-McCoy trail system is known for their great riding and one-stop approach to making your adventure easy, with everything from places to stay, parts for your machine, and everything in between. The Hatfield-McCoy National TrailFest is their annual party and everyone is invited. As usual, Mike Pinkerton and his fine crew at Hatfield-McCoy have outdone themselves and the list of National TrailFest activities includes:
-
Casino games, auctions, poker runs, dice run, mud pits, and mud run for dozens of prizes
-
Music and live entertainment daily & nightly including bluegrass music and arts and crafts
-
Costume Parade and Scavenger hunt for dozens of prizes
-
Nightly simultaneous drags and mud pit action
-
5K muddy trail run
-
Youth mini motocross track
-
Youth activities such as inflatables & games
-
Fireworks & Trials bike stunt shows
-
Factory demo rides of next year's models
-
Wheelie contests, shine and show, and riding skills contests
www.trailsheaven.com 1-800-592-2217
Oregon Dunefest
July 30 - August 3 Reedsport, OR
Miles of sand, huge dunes and incredible views of Oregon’s natural beauty make the Reedsport / Winchester Bay Dunes one of our favorite places to ride anywhere. We’re not the only ones, and the OREGON DUNEFEST has become one of the premier ATV and Side x Side events in the country for sand lovers. The event has also been awarded "The Best Sporting Event in Oregon" and features five days of activities for the entire family including Moto Cross Racing, Sand Drags, Poker Runs, Treasure Hunts, Show N’ Shine, Charity Auctions, Freestyle Shows, and evening entertainment with live bands and plenty of food. There are also OEM demo rides and aftermarket vendors with every part and accessory you could need. DuneFest also offers a kid’s safe ATV riding area with activities just for the milk and graham cracker crowd. As the Reedsport people like to say, it’s "THE MOST FUN A FAMILY CAN HAVE IN THE SAND." See you there!
www.dunefest.com 541-271-3495
Burning Rock – Thrills in the Hills Jamboree
June 13-15, Sophia, WV
Consider Burning Rock an Off-Road Adventure Park. They’ve got 8000 acres of riding with trails designed for riders of all skills levels, and they’ve got you covered with everything you could need for a weekend or even a week’s family adventure. Nestled in the New River Gorge, the terrain includes mud holes, logs, ravines, ridgelines, climbs, rocks and more. Should you need a break from the trail, they’ll also fix you up with whitewater rafting, rock climbing, a coal mine tour, zip lines, etc.
Burning Rock's signature summer event is the THRILLS IN THE HILLS OFF-ROAD JAMBOREE. It’s three days of adrenaline packed off-road fun, activities, music, food, and camaraderie for the whole family. As they like to say, it’s mom-approved, muddy-and-proud-of-it fun.
www.burningrockwv.com toll free: 877-683-9240
St. Helen Jamboree
August 8th, 9th and 10th St. Helen, Michigan
This is another festival that keeps getting bigger and better. The town of St. Helen, Michigan and a club called the St. Helen DirtPackers are working together to bring riders the 6th annual St. Helen Jamboree. The weekend of activities are family friendly with entertainment, contests, prizes, and plenty of great trail riding. The area is also known as a friendly vacation spot and there are many local cabins, campgrounds, hotels, places to stay and activities for the family to enjoy. Activities include:
-
Mud Bog & Sand Run
-
ORV Pulling contest
-
Vendor Displays & Ride Training
-
Obstacle courses
-
Silent Auction
-
Lots of scenic riding over sandy trails, hills, rocks, and mud.
www.orvjamboree.org 989-389-3725
Utah – Jamboree Heaven
No state can hold a candle to Utah when it comes to jamborees. It’s possible to ride a different jamboree there practically every weekend in the summer, and from our time riding in Utah, we would be more than happy to do just that. The scenery can be awesome! Pick the weekend you can go and there will be a jamboree waiting for you.
National ATV Jamboree – 27th Annual
June 24th thru 28th, Fillmore, UT
A major event among ATV/UTV enthusiast and also one of the major trail heads to access the famous Paiute ATV Trail. Expect breathtaking views and you can tailor your ride to last a few hours or take in an all day long excursion.
Paiute UTV Jamboree
August 13-16, Marysvale, UT
Marysvale is in the heart of the Paiute ATV Trail System and the scenery is spectacular. Watch www.utvjam.com for details.
Manti Scenic Mountain ATV Run
August 14-16, Manti, Utah
A three day event in the mountains above Manti on the Arapeen Trail System
Bryce ATV Rally
August 19-22, Panguitch, UT
The trails featured are up against Bryce Canyon National Park and the views are impressive. Watch www.brycerally.org for details.
Arapeen ATV Jamboree
September 1-5, Ferron, UT
Variety is the theme of this jamboree. Trails are in the San Rafael Swell and high in the mountains east of Ferron.
San Juan ATV Safari
September 11th -13th, Blanding, UT
Three days of riding on trails in the Blanding/Monticello area. Watch www.sanjuansafari.com for details.
Rocky Mountain ATV Jamboree
Sept 15-19, Richfield, UT
Great scenery along the Paiute Trail System on the 22nd running of this event.
High Mountain 20th Annual ATV Jamboree
Monday, July 21 through Saturday, July 26 Wallace, Idaho
Rides are set up according to three levels of difficulty and are rated as easy, moderate or advanced. The difficulty is determined primarily by the type of terrain encountered such as steepness, roughness, obstacles, snow, and distance. Activities include an evening parade through Wallace. The Saturday ATV rodeo will include four events: Drag Racing, Barrel Racing, Sled Pull and the Obstacle Course, culminating with the ever popular BBQ steak dinner banquet, awards presentation and raffles.
www.highmountainatv.org 208-512-5465
Eastern Sierra ATV & UTV Jamboree
June 10-14, Coleville / Walker, CA
California has just about every type of riding you could want, but few jamborees. The Eastern Sierra ATV & UTV Jamboree is the chance to travel through high desert plains and forests, along creeks, streams and lakes to ridge top views of the Sierra and Sweetwater Mountains. Destinations along the route include Lobdell Lake (elevation 9,500 feet), an abandoned log cabin, and a mine dating from the early 1900’s. You’ll also want to bring your camera for the many photo opportunities, but with or without a camera, it’s a once in a lifetime adventure you’ll never forget.
The rides take place on a combination of public lands, US Forest and BLM managed property. All rides take place in the nearby Toiyabe National Forest and there is a limit to the number of registered riders so our advice is to register early.
www.easternsierraatvjamboree.com 530-208-6078
Lake Mcconaughy ATV Jamboree
October 3rd, 4th & 5th Lake McConaughy, Nebraska
Keith County is hosting a second jamboree in 2014 and it will be a great way to wrap up the summer. On the shores of Lake McConaughty, or MAC as they call it, events include open beach riding, dealer displays, trail rides, poker runs, sand drags, and even a beer garden with live entertainment! The kids aren’t left out though, and there are kid’s barrel races, and a sand castle building contest.
www.explorekeithcounty.com 800-658-4390
