If you build it they will come and if you build it big enough and bad enough they will come again and again. Such is the case with Big Rock Off Road Park in Mason County, Ky.
Situated on nearly 2,000 acres, there are rocks and hills enough to climb and when you get to the top of the Big Rock, the view is breathtaking. Beneath you the Ohio River meanders under the historic Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge and in the distance is the award winning William H. Harsha Bridge. Beyond that are hills and valleys, towns and cities and on a clear day you can see the Rev. John Rankin House in Ripley, Ohio, a small brick homestead famous for its role in the Underground Railroad.
But riders don’t come for the view – they come for the challenge and the change in terrain.
“Even with a couple of hundred people up here you can go all day and not see another person,” owner Duke Ford said. “I’ve got people who have been riding here for ten years and are still finding places they haven’t been yet.”
You may not see another person, but you might lose count of how many turkeys you see and it’s not unusual to see deer by the dozens.
Ford opened the park in October of 1999 with nothing more than a plywood sign on the highway and his pickup truck for an office. Friends and family thought t it was a crazy idea. But that first day, two riders showed up and there was no turning back. Today riders come to Big Rock Off-Road Park, from all over the Midwest.
Cut trails are augmented by literally hundreds of trails created by riders with hundreds more to come. Like a good ski slope, the park’s terrain changes enough to appeal to the novice challenge the expert and cater to every class between.
With its nearly 2,000 acres Big Rock has something to offer for just about any level of off road enthusiast. There are miles and miles of wooded trails along with hundreds of acres of wide-open fields. The large valleys offer some of the best hill climbing to be found anywhere. For those who like to get muddy, Big Rock more than delivers.
Rider safety is of paramount importance and strict rules about riding and safety gear are enforced. But accidents can happen and it’s important to know measures have been taken to ensure quick response to accidents if they occur.
The Orangeburg fire department has a six-wheel-drive ATV equipped with emergency equipment and a backboard and has installed GPS beacons for medical helicopters to coordinate landings should medical care be needed.
Its system of cut trails, are home this year, to three rounds of the Midwest Cross Country Racing 2009 series. The first run was held on Mother’s Day, the second is scheduled for Aug. 9 and the third on Sept. 27.
The best seven out of nine races will be used toward point championship for adult bike and ATV.
Big Rock Off-Road Park has all the necessities and several amenities. Bathrooms are equipped with showers, camping is available with primitive and electric sites and several motels are within minutes drive. Fuel your bellies at the snack bar and wash off the day’s mud with the all-important pressure wash located at the park.
Comfort seekers will find several motels and restaurants only moments away from the park and major ATV dealers are nearby as well. A list as well as more information about the park may be found at http://www.bigrockoffroadpark.com/ or by calling (606) 564-8283.
For more information about area activities visit http://www.cityofmaysville.com/; http://www.washingtonky.com/ or www.ripleyohio.net.
