TravelOK.com: In-depth Articles

Dune Buggies, Dirt Bikes and 4-Wheelers

In Oklahoma, folks take the phrase "Hit the dirt" seriously. Here it means it's time to break out the dune buggy, motorcycle, or four-wheeler and play dirty in one of Oklahoma's parks or off-road playgrounds. Even if you don't have your own vehicle, you can still enjoy the thrill.

Near Waynoka you'll find the granddaddy of Oklahoma's off-road playgrounds, Little Sahara State Park. With more than 1,400 acres of sand dunes, Little Sahara is the hot spot in the state for sand lovers. Sand dune heights range from 25 to 75 feet, and enthusiasts are often seen airborne over the monumental dunes. Dune buggies, jeeps, four-wheelers and motorcycles tear through the landscape year-round, making this a Mecca for off-roaders. Little Sahara State Park charges a modest per-day, per-rider fee, or an annual pass can be purchased.

You don't have a dune buggy or off-road vehicle of your own? No problem! Little Sahara Tours, a privately-owned company, will take you for the ride of a lifetime in one of theirs. Strap yourself in and get ready to scream as you scale impossibly steep dunes and then fly across the peaks into a huge valley below. This is pure thrill-riding fun for the whole family in an unbelievable landscape. Thank goodness you're in experienced hands!

Little Sahara State Park has 212 campsites for RV and tent camping along with a picnic and playground area. According to ATV Magazine, Little Sahara is nationally ranked in the top five parks for off-road enthusiasts. For a slower, quieter pace while in the area, be sure to also visit Alabaster Caverns State Park, Boiling Springs State Park, Great Salt Plains State Park, and the scenic Glass Mountains area.

In far northwestern Oklahoma, near the town of Beaver, the wind-blown sand dunes at Beaver Dunes State Park entice off-road enthusiasts from far and wide. Known as the "Panhandle Playground," more than 300 park acres of shifting, rolling sand are reserved for motorcycles, four-wheelers, jeeps and dune buggies. Dune access fees are $5 per off-road vehicle per day, and three-day and annual passes are also available.

Beaver Dunes State Park offers RV and tent campsites and a cabin along with picnic facilities, a playground, horseshoes and volleyball. Fishing and hiking trails add to your enjoyment of the park. During your visit, you'll also enjoy visiting Black Mesa State Park, the Cimarron Heritage Center and fossilized dinosaur tracks in Kenton.

In the southern part of the state, Lake Murray State Park has become home to a new off-road park. On the north side of the lake, 1,000 acres of ATV riding trails and a new campground beckon motorcycle and ATV enthusiasts. The Pear Orchard riding area offers ten miles of marked trails for motorcycles and 3- and 4-wheel ATV's. The trails cross rolling hills through both forest and grassland and overlook beautiful Lake Murray. New comfort stations with restrooms and warm water pay showers have been added to the Pear Orchard area along with 15 full-service RV and primitive tent campsites. There is a $7.00 per rider per day fee.

Riders can enjoy the many amenities found at Lake Murray State Park including the 52-room lodge with a full-service restaurant, 81 park cabins and 468 RV and tent campsites in nine camping areas. Family activities at the park include miniature golf, riding stables, a swimming pool, video game rec room, tennis courts, frisbee golf course, indoor-outdoor covered fishing docks, kayaks, waterbikes, paddle boats, canoes, lake cruises, hiking, boat/jet ski/pontoon rentals, and the Tucker Tower Nature Center.

In central Oklahoma, the city of Stillwater offers an excellent facility to motorcycle, ATV, and mountain bike enthusiasts. The Stillwater Cycle Park has been operated by the Stillwater City Parks Department since the mid '70s. With over 500 acres of available riding area it offers clay and dirt surfaces. The park features enduro trails that are well-marked and traverse wooded sections that range from open to very tight. The motocross track is sane, yet challenging. There are plenty of elevation changes along the numerous creeks, and runoffs keep the ride interesting. An annual permit must be purchased prior to riding in this area. Permits can be purchased at the Stillwater Parks, Events and Recreation Department (315 E. Ninth St), or during riding season, the Trailriders Motorcycle Club will sell permits at the Park entry. Riders are required to use a helmet and spark arrester on their bike. While in Stillwater, you can enjoy Lake Carl Blackwell, the beautifully landscaped grounds of Oklahoma State University, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, and many other small-town delights. And, don't forget to visit Eskimo Joe's, "Oklahoma's jumpin' little juke joint" with the world-famous t-shirts.

Also in central Oklahoma, Lake El Reno offers 333 acres of open land and 300 acres of flat water that is used for water skiing, swimming, boating and fishing. Also a remote-control airplane field and a motorcycle dirt track. A 22-space RV park, on site, has electrical and water hookups. And the Prague Lake Recreational Area offers more than 20 miles of ATV, equestrian and hiking trails along with boating, fishing, RV and primitive camping, and picnic areas.

In northeast Oklahoma, riders are drawn to the Appalachia Bay park at Lake Keystone in Sand Springs. Featuring wooded and grassland trails for motorcycles and ATV's, this beautiful area provides bountiful recreational opportunities including swimming, picnicking, RV and tent camping, boating, and a variety of nature.

In southeast Oklahoma, the Ouachita National Forest is the all-terrain place to be. Here, many miles of unpaved, rough roads also provide dirt bike and four-wheel drive enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy some of Oklahoma's most scenic and rugged terrain. The forest offers 207,736 acres of scenic vistas, hiking, mountain bicycling, equestrian camp and trails, hunting, and fishing. Two public campgrounds provide RV and tent camping. While in the area, be sure and visit Beavers Bend State Park nestled in the Ouachita woods between Mountain Fork River and beautiful Broken Bow Lake.