Where to run an off road buggy???

[admin]

Got this email from Dana, can anyone help? If so post your answer here...

My seventeen year old son has a great Dune Buggy (not street legal). Unfortunately we have a hard time finding places in Texas to run it. We were thinking of taking a trip to South Padre this summer? Do you know if he can run it there? Can you suggest some other places?
Thanks – The Normans

Dana
Fort Worth, Texas

[Duner]

I'm not absolutely sure but I do remember the last time I was at south padre (2003) when you get out of the developed area north of town there are a number of turn in areas that lead to the beach. I remember that the sign beyond the parking area where I almost stuck the Suburban said:

Offroad vehicles, 4x4's, motorcyles and horses beyond this point only.

But just the same you should be able to verify this with the local chamber of commerce, DPS or parks and wildlife department. I'm hoping to get my buggy down to padre in the late summer or early autumn but it will be street legal and as I have found out through things riding motorcyles on the beaches around freeport and galveston requires that the vehicle be liscensed as well as the rider a kind sherrif explained that the "Great State of Texas" has declared all public beaches part of the highway system so the vehicles must liscensed - he may have been pulling my leg but I don't usually argue with people carrying guns.

Apparently we have made some tremendous mistakes in the last 25 years of governing ourselves and have just about succeeded in removing any way to have fun through over regulating, safety and environmental concerns. Now we have a larger unhappy population who's only outlet is computers.

Sorry about the rant but Bruce Meyers intent was to make a fun car in the 1960's now 40 years later in the 21st century it is against the law to have fun.

[Bryan Porter]

I lived in the valley in the 80's and we would ride on the beach north of Andy Bowie park all the way to the Port Mansfeld cut and the dunes between the gulf and the bay. I would drive north on the island as far as I can then unload the buggy and ride from there. Have fun and let us know how it go's . Duner you are right Galveston and Corpus did that but as far as I know south Padre Island has not .

[David Head]

In order to drive on the beachs in Texas, The vehicle need to be street legal and you must purchase a permit. (I think it's about 5.00 a year).
We go to Port Aransas. There you can drive from Port A to Corpus Christie. about 30 miles.
I think we are doing it again this summer. Probably Aug.

For not street legal vehicles. There is a place in Oklahoma called Litttle Saraha. I don't know where in Okla. Maybe some one else knows. There are a lot of Buggies, ATVs and dirt bikes there.

[Bryan Porter]

Well David you are right stupid laws stop all the fun I called one of my friends and he said you need to be street legal but everybody still goes in the dunes and are not legal the county police don't bother them yet. The little Saraha sand dunes are west of Oklahoma City.

[Duner]

Ok,

The state of texas has passed control of padre island to the national parks jurisdiction.
http://www.nps.gov/pais/parkmgmt/upload ... um06-3.pdf

That pdf contains all of the rules and regulations for padre island but to sum it up no unlicensed motor vehicles may operate on any part of the island. You can not even launch a jet ski from the beach and they are even restricting fishing in certain areas.

I would advise everyone to get down their soon and take one last look before pedestrians are no longer allowed on the island.

Otherwise we can be thankful of those private land owners who operating offroad vehicle parks around the state.

Anybody know of some in the Dallas area, we have two that are driving distance from Houston.

Also I just drove to San Diego, Ca. and passed through the area know as the Glamis Dunes it is just unbelievable. California also restricts these areas to licensed motor vehicles but they had the forsight to allow permits to be purchased for "off highway vehicles only" along as they meet a very lax group of rules.

Maybe we should forward this concept to the state of texas to allow atv's and unlicensed buggies to buy a temporary permit to operate in certain areas on the public beaches.