LAKE COUNTY — A new training facility is being built in Lake County for ORV riders. Lake County is already a popular destination for ORVing and the county hopes this park will only bolster that theme even more while keeping riders safe..
Patti Pacola, the chair of the Lake County Parks and Recreation Commission, said they are super excited to bring this opportunity to the area.
“We are going to have numerous training spots for different ages. We’re going to have the tikes trails. We’re going to have the bigger trails that have different obstacles with, like, mustard rocks and just different areas that you would need on the trails if you’re out there,” said Pacola.
The Lake County ORV Training Park comes with a price tag close to $600,000 and will be a training ground for kids, parents, and other adults.
Pacola said the park has been the culmination of three years of planning and is expected to open up next spring.
Sheriff Rich Martin of Lake County said Lake County draws people from all over who want to use their ORV trails.
“Lake County is, I consider, the unofficial RV capital of the Lower Peninsula, Michigan. You know, this is where most people come to do. All of the riding. We have so many trails here to ride. So this is just going to add to that,” said Martin.
Martin said the sheriff’s office has been collaborating on the new ORV park with the county.
“We have the park, we have the trails, we have the Cross-Country Cycle trails. We have our classes that we teach So we’re trying to offer The overall package that we Possibly can to the RV enthusiasts here that wants to come to Lake County,” said Martin.
Martin said kids between the ages of 12 and 15, need to be certified to operate an ORV and accompanied by an adult. He said you can get the certification in person through a DNR instructor or online.
Sergeant Robert Meyers is already one of the instructors at the Lake County Sheriff’s office for the certification that’s required to operate an ORV in the State of Michigan.
Meyers said he’s excited to have a place to be able to provide hands-on training.
“We don’t have a specific area to go do the hands on. So we just do the bookwork. So we have an opportunity now to bring the kids out here and they ride their machine. So all of that talking comes full circle into what they’re actually going to be doing out there and then we can assess it,” said Meyers.
Meyers said it’s not a bad idea for all people to take part in ORV training, not just the kiddos.
“People believe that our safety certification class is just for youth. But I have a lot of adults that come with their children and help them through the class and sit through the class. And surprisingly enough, more often than not, they say to me, ‘yes, I learned something today,’” said Meyers.
The park is being built in part thanks to a grant from the DNR trust fund and additional contributions from the Lake County Board of Commissioners. A grand opening is planned for the spring.
