A Taste of East-Texas Hospitality
Story By: Kyle Callen
Photos By: Brandon Bunch
The off-road lifestyle continues to impress with new land to discover at every turn. Our recent finding was in an element we’re not accustomed to living over on the West Coast. This peculiar unearthing was in the form of mud, and after spending a few days thrashing around in its bowels, it is easy to see the appeal and why that section of the industry has exploded. Not only does it take a fair amount of skill and courage to get through the big pits but it also allows newcomers to slowly work up to the more difficult obstacles. This enjoyable style of riding is complemented by a very social scene that reminds me of Glamis’ Oldsmobile Hill back in the day—a little rowdy, and a lot of fun. Like most styles of riding, once you get a taste of it, you want more. If that isn’t your cup of tea, the place we traveled offers plenty of family-friendly areas to have fun and socialize.
Located on the Neches River just west of Jacksonville, Texas, resides River Run ATV Park. This mudder’s paradise sprawls over 2,000 acres of private land, providing everything from family fun, easy and dry trails to deep and sticky holes for those that want to test the limits of their driving ability and the capabilities of their machines. The trail system is seemingly endless as it winds through the trees with plenty of option lines to create your own fun. During the warm summer days, there are plenty of watering holes to cool off in, or you can take a ride down to the river to cool off in some cleaner water. As the sun sets, the crowds tend to gather around the two main mud pits on the Highline and the party begins. Machines from all shapes and sizes tackle these pits while spectators look on and socialize.
River Run ATV Park is a place where you can spend 3-4 days exploring, and during that time, you never have to leave the park. With plenty of options for your particular taste, there are 156-plus different style campsites with electrical and water hookups with a 4-bay RV dump available if the tanks fill up. If dry camping is more your style, River Run offers acres for you to pull off and find a home. You can get secluded back in the trees or park right off the main stretch to watch some action from your porch. River Run is mindful of those that don’t have RVs and want to stay awhile. There are 21 total cabins available for rent. These cabins range from a basic place to sleep with heat and A/C to bunkhouses with a basic kitchen, bathroom and are a little more homely.
River Run plays host to a slew of events all year long. With a large covered stage, it is a great venue to ride all day long and watch a concert at night. If concerts aren’t your jam, head over to the bounty hole and watch drivers race through the course for time. With bragging rights at stake, these drivers go hard and put on quite the show. During one of many events, there is something for everyone nearly 24 hours a day. During those long days, if you run out of beverages, food, or even fuel there is a general store on-site to restock any of your mudding essentials. There are plenty of showers and bathrooms scattered throughout the park, as well as a wash bay for your vehicles, so you don’t have to load it on the trailer covered in mud.
River Run ATV Park has done a great job at making mud riding a multi-day experience. Coming from the West Coast, there were ample amounts of southern hospitality, not only with the staff but the attendees. We were welcomed with open arms and even given some driving and setup tips to make sure we had the best experience possible. The best part was the people helping us out had no idea we were media. No matter where you are located in the world, we highly recommend you make a plan to get into the mud at River Run ATV Park. It’s a great experience y’all!
