ATV Accessories & Quad Snow Plows
Bluff Creek ORV Park, Iowa
Aug 23rd, 2007
I've never been to many ATV parks or ATV trails in Iowa but there's one that I remember very clearly…and it's the Bluff Creek ORV Park in Iowa . The park was great because we rode from dawn till we crawled our way to a nearby pub and drank till the next dawn! Where was I? We had a swell time but what was really touching was the story behind Bluff Crek ATV Park . You see, for people like us to enjoy this Iowa Park, we discovered from the local folks that a lot of people had to do a lot of hard work, persisted and fought for a lot of stuff. They had to work really hard to get this ATV park going with money, volunteer work and spirited unison. Something you don't usually see. I don't know about you but mention volunteer work and people flee! Guilty as charged. Therefore, it is touching to know about how all these ATV enthusiasts worked day and night trying to get this Iowa ATV park off the ground. And here we are, enjoying this fabulous Iowa ATV park without a single word of thanks. In fact, I am not even sure if I dropped an unwanted piece of receipt along the ATV park without even bothering to pick it up!
A little background is great here. Well, the Bluff Creek of Iowa is owned by and meticulously maintained by a bunch of ATV-happy hardworking folks behind Iowa Partners of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council. Kudos to these folks! It took two years of fighting and raising money before this Iowa ATV park became a reality. It all started in 1990 and opened in 1992. It's been some time now since many people have come to enjoy this wonderful ATV park…but not a lot of people know the story behind it.
Anyway, that's enough history and emotional stories for one article.
When you make your way there, you'll get to enjoy over 300 acres of very diverse terrain. It isn't very big but it's not small either. Furthermore, the most important thing is how diverse and challenging (and fun) the ATV trail is and not how big it is. The ATV trail/park is mainly built over abandoned strip coal mines, hence, you should expect the ATV terrain to be a little steep some parts and rolling up and down in other parts. As for whether this trail is right for kids….well, I guess it's OK if there are capable adults to supervise them. They should be fine.
Some parts of this Iowa ATV trail twists around trees and nature. Buzzing mosquitoes aside, it's very…cool. Yeah, cool. You don't get to zip around trees much in other ATV parks. The Iowa ATV trail is open for ATVs and also motorcycles only, so, no 4-wheel-drives are allowed. Neither are dune buggies. Sorry, guys. Although riding hours are restricted to dusk time but you're free to stay overnight if you want to. You can set up camp wherever you want. They have portable toilets there….but who cares about toilets when you're back to back with nature. Do it naturally, I always say. Accordingly, they have plans to build some toilets around there, so, hang around for it.
The management of this Iowa ATV trail would like to preserve their hard work, therefore, if the trail is muddy after heavy rain, they close it off. Log onto their website www.iowaohv.com for more info.
And the greatest thing is that, the last time I was there, riding your ATV on this Iowa ATV trail is free, so's camping but just to be sure, log onto their website for the latest update. As long as you have a valid Iowa OHV sticker, you're good to go. Riders must be at least 18 to ride this trail and must also have an OHV Safety Training Certificate.
Bluff Creek Iowa can be found when you take Hwy 163 on the southwest of Oskaloosa. Hit the county road T-39 for about more or less 8 miles and you'll reach an intersection G-71. Continue on for a little while on T-39 and you'll come face-to-face with the entrance. For more information, call (515) 281 3449 or (515) 460 6482 .