New Fees at Mtn City

[Granny]

When I see some grass (not the smokin' kind) growing again, that shitty bath house replaced, and ATV riding restricted to the trail system only, I would then consider the idea that the new fees might be within reason. As the fees appear to be nearly the same, I could seriously consider driving a couple more hours to Windrock. I remember the facilities at the nearby campground there being real nice. I've alway figured Callalantee would go the way of Crackers Neck...looks like this might be the beginning.

 

[redneck grrrl]

I'll pay it, if anything just to help to keep it open. To all you that has an issue....


-you will cry louder when you can't go there at all-

I don't mind the fee increase per rig, the per person or rider hits pretty hard. Especially when we ride as a family.

 

[Ron]

face it if you ant a place to ride be prepared to pay.

A local spot I know (I will protect the innocent unless they want to chime in, they monitor here) charges $25 per head to ride ATVs all day.
They also charge $25 for OHVs i.e. trucks but trucks are only allowed a few times a year.

This place had over 12,000 unique ATV riders last year and counted 7 fee complaint in the complaint box.

They had 81 unique truck riders on their open days and had 47 complaints...

Want lands to ride?
pony up.

 

[Rox&Mud]

I'm in no way against supporting private land. It just seems over the top to charge full rate for everyone in a vehicle. If my wife and son were both driving their own vehicles then, sure, we'd pay no problem but as passengers their fee should be substantially less. Another alternative is to offer inexpensive renewable family memberships to cover legal issues and maintain the reasonable per day ride fees. I'll support higher fees but in my case double, triple or even quadruple the fees, based on a four passenger vehicle, is too much.
Some have made the point that compared to other entertainment this would still be less expensive. Yep it is. I'd bet for most of us we do this because it is family oriented and gets us out of the house for a reasonable amount of money. As it gets more expensive it will push more to go less or not at all. Wheeling is my families main, if not only, "escape" out side of home due to the expense of other "family oriented entertainment".
Others have mentioned it's still cheaper than going somewhere else/farther and with planning/budgeting it's not that big a deal. In my case it's a extra $100 that may need to go somewhere else in my budget. If I were to decide it's too expensive then I not only save that $100 but the other $400, I already had to budget, it usually costs in fuel, lodging, food, fees, etc. Thinking about that makes it much more appealing to do something in town and save the "trip" money for other things my family needs.
I hope the management at Callalantee understands the possible effect of significantly higher fees on us, the OHV community, and our patronage.
Some will pay, I may be among them but imho, the fees thus expressed are to much for families.

 

[thewagonmasternc]

face it if you ant a place to ride be prepared to pay.

A local spot I know (I will protect the innocent unless they want to chime in, they monitor here) charges $25 per head to ride ATVs all day.
They also charge $25 for OHVs i.e. trucks but trucks are only allowed a few times a year.

This place had over 12,000 unique ATV riders last year and counted 7 fee complaint in the complaint box.

They had 81 unique truck riders on their open days and had 47 complaints...

Want lands to ride?
pony up.

I'm willing to pay $25 bucks to ride, much different than $60-75 per day.
BTW I have land to ride it's also nice to ride other places.

 

[Caver Dave]

When I see some grass (not the smokin' kind) growing again, that shitty bath house replaced, and ATV riding restricted to the trail system only, I would then consider the idea that the new fees might be within reason. As the fees appear to be nearly the same, I could seriously consider driving a couple more hours to Windrock.

Amen Don!

A local spot I know (I will protect the innocent unless they want to chime in, they monitor here) charges $25 per head to ride ATVs all day.
<snip>
This place had over 12,000 unique ATV riders last year and counted 7 fee complaint in the complaint box.

Sounds like a $$ maker, but let's put it in perspective...

The average yaawho on an ATV has what, $2500 + maybe $500 in gear, = $3000 total invested? And can haul their "rig" in the back of a minivan?

No drivers license required, no license fees or insurance on the rig, NO weighted (towrig) or trailer tags, no single digit MPG getting there....

 

[Rox&Mud]

This sounds like a reasonable idea:

All drivers and passengers must sign a membership application & liability waiver. Drivers and passengers age 16 and up are required to become members of the park which costs $15 per year and is good for one year from the date you join. Membership cards are given out when you join.

Children age 15 and younger are free, however, we require a parental waiver. All members under the age of 18 also require a parental waiver.

The daily entrance fee is $20.00 for the vehicle and driver. Passengers age 16 and up are $5.00 each (When a passenger joins the park, the $5.00 fee is waived that day).

 

[13bullets]

Have any of you taken your families of 4 to the movies lately? You'll easily spend that $50 for a couple hours of so-so entertainment.

Sounds like a $$ maker, but let's put it in perspective...
The average yaawho on an ATV has what, $2500 + maybe $500 in gear, = $3000 total invested? And can haul their "rig" in the back of a minivan?
No drivers license required, no license fees or insurance on the rig, NO weighted (towrig) or trailer tags, no single digit MPG getting there....

Can't blame them that you chose an expensive hobby.

 

[uncc civilengineer]

This sounds like a reasonable idea:

All drivers and passengers must sign a membership application & liability waiver. Drivers and passengers age 16 and up are required to become members of the park which costs $15 per year and is good for one year from the date you join. Membership cards are given out when you join.

Children age 15 and younger are free, however, we require a parental waiver. All members under the age of 18 also require a parental waiver.

The daily entrance fee is $20.00 for the vehicle and driver. Passengers age 16 and up are $5.00 each (When a passenger joins the park, the $5.00 fee is waived that day).

That confused me just reading it... Even more work (harder on their end) to implement/manage something along those lines. I think they're chosing the set fee per person for ease of collecting money. If we push the issue and make things harder on their end they may just pack up shop and say see ya.

I'm ok w/ the fee (because it's usually just me or myself/wife) but see where families are coming from. However, in it's current state I dont see it being a "family friendly" place to go to start with. Maybe with the increased fees you wont feel like you need to sleep with your Smith & Wesson beside your pillow.

 

[Ron]

Amen Don!
Sounds like a $$ maker, but let's put it in perspective...

Sounds fun

The average yaawho on an ATV has what, $2500 + maybe $500 in gear, = $3000 total invested?

Sorry...the average new UTV side by side costs over 10k
Or since parks dont allow riders that family of 4 has 4 atvs....lets get real my sons Honda 250 cost right at 3 gs....an adult bike is more like 7 or 8

add in helmets and gear and you will find the cost difference isnt as much

And can haul their "rig" in the back of a minivan?
No drivers license required, no license fees or insurance on the rig, NO weighted (towrig) or trailer tags, no single digit MPG getting there....

Sounds like you need an ATV then, mighty envious I see...

seriously...you CHOSE an expensive hobby...access should e the least of your concerns....hell how may times have you broken a $1000 part? and you are going to cry about the difference between $11 that you (generically speaking) probably skimped out on and never paid, and the new $60 for a family of 4...

By the way, kids cost the park more...that more human waste (bath houses) and more garbage created...of course I know you never leave trash on the trails neither does anyone else who goes in the park.

They have a very conservative lawyer...much like mine.
The thought process is by creating a transaction you are placing merit to the agreement. not only did someone sign a piece of paper they gave money to sign it, in theory it protects you more in the case of a law suit....

But for my events kids are free...they are the future of the sport and as such I want them there....even if it does create .001% more exposure

 

[chris]

I wonder if the wife will fit under the back seat in the dodge? The windows are tinted, maybe they won't see her in the back?? :Rockon:

 

[Reid]

every time we turn around, it seems like someone has the offroaders by the balls and nothing we can do about it but whine and be thankful they arent squeezing harder.


I get it. OHVs are few and far between, expensive to build and operate, and you cant make everyone happy. Suck it up and deal with, or find another hobby.

 

[J.C.]

I find it interesting that consumers are trying to decide how much a private enterprise will charge for their product You can decide how much you will pay, but not how much they should charge. There are innumerable variables that none of us are aware of. Don't want to pay, don't go. Ron alluded to something I know to be a fact; the percentage of non paying users has been quite high in the past.

 

[uncc civilengineer]

I find it interesting that consumers are trying to decide how much a private enterprise will charge for their product You can decide how much you will pay, but not how much they should charge. There are innumerable variables that none of us are aware of. Don't want to pay, don't go. Ron alluded to something I know to be a fact; the percentage of non paying users has been quite high in the past.

I'd agree w/ the last statement... I think that's why she actually ran us down in the parking lot

 

[burrellsjeep]

I would have no issue paying $30 to ride ($15 for me and $15 for the wife) if it means helping improve the location and keep it open, But I always have my my boys with me, so theres just no way I can afford $60 to wheel there.

 

[Rox&Mud]

This sounds like a reasonable idea:
All drivers and passengers must sign a membership application & liability waiver. Drivers and passengers age 16 and up are required to become members of the park which costs $15 per year and is good for one year from the date you join. Membership cards are given out when you join.
Children age 15 and younger are free, however, we require a parental waiver. All members under the age of 18 also require a parental waiver.
The daily entrance fee is $20.00 for the vehicle and driver. Passengers age 16 and up are $5.00 each (When a passenger joins the park, the $5.00 fee is waived that day).

That confused me just reading it... Even more work (harder on their end) to implement/manage something along those lines. I think they're chosing the set fee per person for ease of collecting money. If we push the issue and make things harder on their end they may just pack up shop and say see ya.
I'm ok w/ the fee (because it's usually just me or myself/wife) but see where families are coming from. However, in it's current state I dont see it being a "family friendly" place to go to start with. Maybe with the increased fees you wont feel like you need to sleep with your Smith & Wesson beside your pillow.

Sorry you had trouble understanding it. Let me break it down for you:
Buy membership fill out paperwork- they give you a card to show on next visit(s)
Pay daily fees on all rides until expiration expires
Repeat

Nothing for them to keep up with, it's on the member to prove his membership. If someone forgets then they have to pay membership again etc and it helps out families.

This was cut and paste from another private OHV park edited of name etc. It works for others and if the concern is legality then a membership is the way to go.

BTW, never felt I need a S&W to sleep at night at Callalantee.

 

[GONOVRIT]

So how many of the people complaining about people complaining actually go wheeling on a regular basis

Theres really no need in anyone getting upset about this since the place could and likely will be shut down in the somewhat near future. I'm not going to start listing things but this place has alot more going against it than a high fee to wheel.

BTW, I own a quad as well, and don't go paying $30 to ride every wknd.

This could be the most entertaining thread on here in quite a while

 

[barnee]

Everythings going up. I don't like it but that is my favorite place I have ever been. I think the $15 for rig & driver is fine & camping is fine. I think it should be no more than $10 per passenger with 12 & under free or like maybe $5. Maybe even a fixed rate if you have passengers no matter if it's 1 or 4. I will probably still go if I ever find the time anymore.

 

[jeepn-jason]

No complaints by me. I chose an expensive hobby. If i worried about how much i spent on my jeep, i would sell it and buy a set of golf clubs. I def see the arguments of people with kids though.

 

[tkob1060]

so this means that if we bring the kids its $75.00 just to ride in the Jeep, if we decide to bring the 4wheeler or dirt bike there is an additional $11.00 fee plus the camper fee.
Just venting

that is per day right? so if you go for the weekend it would cost 150? YIKES

This sounds like a reasonable idea:
All drivers and passengers must sign a membership application & liability waiver. Drivers and passengers age 16 and up are required to become members of the park which costs $15 per year and is good for one year from the date you join. Membership cards are given out when you join.
Children age 15 and younger are free, however, we require a parental waiver. All members under the age of 18 also require a parental waiver.
The daily entrance fee is $20.00 for the vehicle and driver. Passengers age 16 and up are $5.00 each (When a passenger joins the park, the $5.00 fee is waived that day).

that is what Rausch Creek PA does except the fees are a bit more, same parental waivers.
$15 yearly membership is same
$35 per vehicle including driver
$7 per passenger 16 and up

they have primitive camping only with some port-a-johns on the property

they just added 1250 acres of land this year onto their 1700 acres they've had. It is EXPENSIVE to wheel there but at least they put money back into the park by giving us more land to wheel, not many places doing that.

I definitely think charging $15 each for a 5 and 8 year old child is ridiculous though. New fees specially in this economy suck but I dont see them putting money into the park before raising the fees.

 

[redneck grrrl]

Ok fellas, I know that you gotta pay to play that is not why i'm venting here. I just feel the price increase is excessive for a family activity. This is a private facility and in order to stay open it's gotta make money. The general consensus is that the rig fee increasing is long overdue to cover operating cost, but the per passenger fee is excessive. I know there are legal issues the owners have to consider when opening up their property to the public and it only takes one thing to ruin it for everybody. Case in point is the locked doors on the bath house, heresay is that somebody took their ATV or dirt bike into the shower to wash the mud off, I don't know if this is true or not but again it only takes one person.
Some guys wheel without the family and that is fine too. Another poster asked about taking a family to the movies recently, no because of the cost. We CHOOSE wheeling as a family activity because the cost was more resonable.
I know and have seen riders skip out on payment, that is a whole differet thread. I can only speak for me I have been 4 times this year and have paid EVERY TIME.

 

[GubNi]

First - thanks for posting this up so it's not a surprise when I get there. Second I'll go to Harlan where $40 covers my yearly membership.

 

[BIGWOODY]

News flash...this is an expensive hobby. If $20 turns you away, I'd suggest stamp collecting.

 

[lockedup5]

Did no one read JC's post on page two. He said it was $15 for rig and driver. If that's the case that's only a $4 increase which isn't bad. I also thought in the past the passenger had to pay to I'm guessing I was wrong so I've over paid many times. But yes to take my 3 yr. old for $15 is really excessive.

 

[upnover]

I believe that this is all coming from several issues I have witnessed many times. I am sure that the owners have counted tow rigs and drive in's and wondered why they don't add up to what should be in the cash drawer. The drop your money in the box was a joke. I saw many people walk up, try to open the door, no one there, and walk away and hit the woods. I have seen them drive in, unload and hit the trails, never even trying to pay. Management has been very lacking for a long time, we all know that. The shower house could be decent, but really needs to be remodeled. The trails are as nasty as anywhere I have been, seems the beer of choice comes in a blue can. Add to that the parking situation just plain sucks. The few rules of the place aren't enforced. To improve the place, it takes money. Even owning the property, you have to be able to make some to spend some. Easy to understand economics. I do think we have been spoiled with what we have payed in many places. I myself have shied away from Windrock for that very reason. But I am coming to the understanding that you have to pay to play. I agree that the fee foe a rider should be less, but it's not that much more. It's a personal decision for everyone. For a nicer, cleaner, better run park, I think it will be worth it in the long run.
You have choices, but they too are at a cost. Harlan, pay lot less, but drive a lot more. Just one example

For the sake of family's I do hope she bends some on the price.