On the Beaten Path

Story by Jen Calhoun

Sherry Smith didn’t know much about the sport of off-roading when she started managing the park at Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area in Gilmer about 5 years ago. As a kid, she tooled around on four-wheelers, but she never thought of paying for the experience.

Those days are gone, however, and Smith now sees off-roading in a completely different light. In April, more than 1,100 off-roaders came to stay for an entire weekend. “They were practically camping on top of each other,” she says.

Tourism Tracks

Off-roading, which can include dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, trucks, SUVs, and all kinds of other off-road vehicles, has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. Today, millions of people buy special vehicles and trailers to haul them. Many also buy recreational vehicles, as well as camping and safety equipment for their trips.

The market for the vehicles themselves amounted to nearly $15 billion in 2021 and should increase to more than $18 billion by 2027, according to a recent report from Mordor Intelligence, a marketing research firm. The report notes that the largest market for off-roading is in North America, although the industry is growing fast in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

In many cases, off-roaders travel across the country — or even the world — to seek out new places to ride. They provide towns, many of them rural, with extra tourism dollars from food and lodging. Local and state governments across the country are finding ways to incorporate off-roading into the tourism books, and some are working to connect trails over several states.

The Texas Legislature recognized the need for safe and legal off-road trails relatively early. In 2005, it created the Texas Off-Highway Vehicles Program, which became effective in 2006. The OHV Program encourages the responsible use of OHVs across the state, while providing funding to develop more recreational areas for off-roaders.

Affordable Fun

Smith is amazed at the amount of money people will spend on the sport, even if her park finds ways to keep costs down. “We had people ship their Land Rovers over here from Switzerland for a special event,” she says. “But that’s only one side of it. We offer family memberships that basically let you bring your kids for the price of taking them to McDonald’s.”

Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area spans nearly 1,900 acres and provides more than 200 miles of trails for pretty much any kind of motorized vehicle, except three-wheelers. It’s part of the Texas Motorized Trails Coalition, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for motorized recreation across the state. The trails at Barnwell wind up the mountain through the Texas Piney Woods. “It’s really beautiful,” Smith says. “You might be on motorized vehicles, but you’re right in the middle of nature.”

Like many off-road parks, it offers camping and lodging facilities for its patrons, including five cabins with kitchen areas, heat and air, and TVs. In addition, it offers five bunkhouses, 8 full-hookup RV sites and 18 electric-only RV sites. Dry camping and primitive camping spaces cost $10 a night. Shower and bathroom facilities are available onsite.

Annual memberships at Barnwell cost $60 and cover two parents and any dependent children under 19 years of age. The park waives the gate fee for the first trip, and any additional days are only $15. “Obviously, we aren’t out here to make money,” Smith says. “We just want to promote the sport of off-roading. It’s good fun.”

Judging by what she’s seen in the 5 years she’s worked at Barnwell, Smith believes off-roading is here to stay. “People have lost their minds,” she says with a laugh. “You would not believe how much they love this.

Going Overland

Looking to spend time at an off-road park? Here are a few sites recommended by Ride Texas, which is part of the state’s Parks & Wildlife Vehicle Program. For more information, visit the Ride Texas page at texas.gov. Purchase a Texas OHV decal by calling the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Customer Service Center at (512) 389-8917. The decal costs $16, and purchasers can pay with a credit card. Decals are valid from September 1 to August 31 of the following year.

To find out more about each trail, including requirements and descriptions, sign up at Trails Offroad website. YouTube also offers hundreds of videos of trail rides throughout Texas.

Bolivar Peninsula/Crystal Beach
Allowed: Motorcycles, ATVs, remotely-operated vehicles and full-sized vehicles
Location: Crystal Beach/Galveston County
Phone: (409) 765-2955 or (409) 765-2961
Motorized vehicle use is allowed on the beaches of the Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County. Riding in vegetated areas or in the sand dunes is not allowed.

Rio Bravo MX Park
Allowed: ATVs and motorcycles
Location: Houston/Harris County, 11610 N. Lake Houston Parkway
Phone: (281) 454-4440

Sam Houston National Forest
Allowed: ATVs and motorcycles
Location: Montgomery/Walker and Grimes counties
Phone: (936) 344-6205

Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area
Allowed: ATVs, motorcycles and full-sized vehicles
Location: Gilmer
Phone: (903) 797-4066
Website: Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area