Adventures

Join me in a dreaming moment here and envision this – you’re cruising down backroads caked in red dirt (does Brooks & Dunns “Red Dirt Road” song come to mind here?). You’ve got the tunes on low, your road trip buddy is next to you, some delicious chips and snacks are scattered between you, and wild horses are cruising right next to your vehicle. There is literally NO ONE around for miles, it’s just you, your significant other, your truck and wild horses…. Come out of your dream state now, my friends. Now that is what Utah backroad cruising is all about.

The backroads of central and southern Utah provide a great place to get that “lost” feeling as the long stretches of asphalt wind through small towns, past unnamed trails, and through seemingly endless farms. 

This past spring, we ditched our desks and computers for adventure. The itch was back, and we were ready to scratch it. We packed as much gear as we could into our Toyota 4Runner TRD PRO and made our way through those Utah backroads. We started in the “main” city of Moab then ventured onto some not-so-main highways, such as Highway 24, Highway 12, the ever-popular Highway 89, and, finally, Highway 9 through Zion National Park area. Each road has its twists and turns that make it special, and the endless stretches of highway beg you to stop for a minute (or an hour) to enjoy the beautiful red-rock scenery around you.

A Utah road trip is one of those bucket list things you need to do at least once in your lifetime. For every place we stopped along this route, there are thousands more epic adventures to enjoy in this area. Take an open mind with you, and don’t hesitate to “take the long way home”... Also, plan on purchasing an $80 National Park Pass that will allow you to get into the Nationa

At the far North end of the Grand Canyon, at the place where an unassuming dirt runway and long winding dirt road collide, lies the gateway to an ATV and UTV riders’s dream of adventure and exploration, and views that burn in one’s mind for a lifetime. This place is the land of rugged terrain, vast canyons, raging rivers, and the place outlaws ran for solace from “the law”. This place embodies everything the American West stands for, and to this day appeals to those wishing to experience the adventure and excitement offered by the Old West. This is the Arizona strip and this gateway is named the Bar 10 Ranch.

About Bar 10 Ranch

Bar 10 Ranch was founded in the early 1970’s by retired electrician turned cowboy Tony Heaton. He and his wife Ruby, bought small ranches until they acquired just over 10,000 deeded acres with another 200,000 acres of grazing rights on BLM and Arizona State lands. The Bar 10 not only continues to thrive as a working cattle ranch but also as a place to experience the adventure of old west, whether it be on ATVs or other vehicles, white water rafting, or horseback riding, or just a place to get away from everything (and I mean everything) of the modern day! The Heaton family continues to own the ranch, with Gavin and Kelly Heaton and their families taking the “reins” of the day to day work of running the Bar 10 Ranch. One thing you can expect from each and every encounter had at the Bar 10 Ranch is warm friendly hospitality from the Heaton family that sticks with you long after you leave. 

Experiencing the Ranch

There are so many things the rustic and remote Bar 10 Ranch has to offer, with ATV & UTV riding just the tip of the enormous iceberg. Start with the ranch lodge offering comfortable accommodations, down home old west

Of all the things that are important to know about the sport of ATVs and UTVs is where to go to ride them! We have compiled a list of both privately owned riding parks to public riding areas across the U.S. to help you find your own adventure. We will be adding to this list regularily, so check back, and if you see one we don't have please let us know. You can email us at support@shopatvescape.com.

Tennessee is home to some outstanding places to ride (and music of course), but it is not very close to many of us! Making the long drive to that part of the country must be rewarded with a bunch of trail-miles. The good news is, with a little planning, that is exactly what you will get. Brimstone Recreation and WindRock Park are a mere 48 measly miles apart, and, combined, they offer 92,000 acres and 600 miles of trails. That makes for a large area to explore—large enough to require more than one vacation. If time is short, you can fly into Knoxville, TN and rent ATVs and side-by-sides to ride either one of these parks. It is good to have options!

One of the great privileges of being a journalist in the ATV/UTV industry is the opportunity to ride in so many outstanding locations around our great United States. Of all the amazing trail systems available there is none better than the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System in West Virginia. I know, that is a bold statement to make, but it is true. Between the 1000+ miles of managed and maintained trails, the incredible scenery and terrain in the Appalachian Mountains, the ability to ride into the surrounding towns directly from the trails for food and lodging, and the history of the area, the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System brings together an adventure worthy of everyones’ bucket list. I have had several opportunities to ride the Hatfield-McCoy trails, and each time I come away having had an incredible time, and coming away from the experience blown away at the scope of the work involved in creating such a vast and well run ATV and UTV riding utopia. No matter where you live in the U.S. or even outside the U.S., this is a trip I encourage you to make. You will not be disappointed.

About The Area

West Virginia is as stunningly beautiful as it is coal country plain and simple. Fortunes were made and, in recent years, lost in the mountains of West Virginia, all over the black rock called coal. Mountains have been literally moved in order the get to the stuff, and communities have lived and died by the state of the coal industry. Even though coal is very much still mined in the area, the demand for coal has continued to decline as renewable energy has come of age, and that has left many West Virginians looking for a new career, with whole communities looking for ways to create jobs. One of the ways new jobs have been created, and, in fact, a new industry h

In front of you is a choice. You can go left, right, forward, or backward because you are at a crossroads. Crossroads are a good thing in life. Crossroads, many times are the genesis of amazing things such as life-changing decisions, a “make it happen moment”, and, as legend has it, the birth of blues music. Nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado lies one such crossroad, where the off-road-loving-type find a small piece of heaven right here on earth. If you have never been to this crossroad, then you will want to go as it is an awakening to history, adventure, and breathtaking views no camera can truly capture.

Growing up my family packed up our Suburban every Summer, pointed the truck North (or North West), and headed to a small town in central Colorado called Lake City with a population of 300 people or so during the Summer. It was these trips in tandem with many hunting trips to Central Texas, that kindled in me a love for adventure, exploration, the mountains, and the off-road. As a kid I hiked and explored the mountains around Lake City all day, everyday, for 10 days each Summer, and I was in heaven. During those trips, my family would take a couple of days to “Jeep” over the mountain passes such as Engineer and Cinnamon to the mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton.

This loop is known as the Alpine Loop, and is popular with off-roaders. It has been featured on off-road shows including Top Gear America.  I grew up Ioving every minute of traversing the Jeep trails on and around the Alpine Loop, and to