Published: November 23, 2007 10:31 pm      

A special place created for ATV riders

SPRAGUEVILLE — Area ATV owners have a new place to ride their vehicles. River Ridge Trails, a scenic 10-mile course overlooking the Maquoketa River, is now open in Spragueville.

Steve Tebbe, who also owns Whispering Meadows Resort on the same property, created the trail to provide area ATV enthusiasts a place to use their vehicles safely and legally.

“In the state of Iowa, it is a challenge to find a place to ride an ATV,” Tebbe said. “This whole area, between here and Dubuque, there’s really no place to ride your bike.”

According to Tebbe, it is illegal to ride an ATV for recreational purposes on a public roadway in the state of Iowa.

“If I didn’t own this property here, I would have to ride my ATV in my back yard,” Tebbe said. “This is just a wooded area, not good for anything else really, so I thought, why don’t I just open it up and make it a place to ride.”

Tebbe, who also works as a feed production specialist at an area seed company, sought the advice of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Jackson County ATV Club, and spent the better part of six months building the trail.

“They had some good information on how to control erosion, and make a good, safe trail,” Tebbe said. “And the DNR virtually came out and said ‘get this trail in so we can get the ATVs off the road,’ so I had their blessing.”

Tebbe created a “slow, rough” trail with lots of curves, to accommodate speeds of five miles per hour.

“At five miles per hour, you are going to be very safe,” Tebbe said. “It is a place for families. My trail is not designed to be a beat ‘em up, tear ‘em up, drink ‘em up trail. That’s not what we’re here for.”

The trail is open from 9 a.m. to dusk, and Tebbe charges $10 per person. Rides can be scheduled by calling (563) 357-3784, and riders must provide their own vehicles.

In the future, Tebbe plans to have 25 to 35 miles of trail, and would like to add a course for dirt bikes.

“It’s just nice to be out and about. It’s a nice, scenic trail,” Tebbe said. “It’s one of those things that I think is very, very, very much needed.”