ATV Florida Forum

.....and now i remeber why it's been well over a year since I was last there.....damn that place and it STILL really sucks! 

/rant on

I just do not see what the great appeal of that place is to people......i went because i wanted to get a little riding in and it's fairly close.....but the riding out here is horrid.....whooped out to death.....i bought the sticker and like my last one, i'll probably only use it once and then never go again util it expires.


..and to top it off, up at the rangers office, we inquired about the other state riding area, Tates Hell. It is really a sad day when the ranger tells you to not even bother taking a trip to it because it's not worth it at all....

ok i'm done

/rant off

most people dont have anywhere better to ride... and who gives a sh!t about the whoops? its just woops, whats the big deal

agreed. it sucks

when u have a 900# +/- fully loaded 'ute, and you just want to do some trailriding, it's a huge deal....

I admit tho, i can see the where the sandpit is fun for the dirbikes and sport quads....

this was the first time i had evern seen the sand pit dry, theres usually been some ammount of water in it whenever i had gone in the past...

Theres good trails back near day area 2 for utes, not as good as ONF but hey you do with what ya got.  ::)

Well I like Croom it's safe for my daugther and wifey, whoopss????? what whoops????? I just pin it in 4th and everything seems flat........but the again I'm on a dirt bike, I see you point about whoops for a big UT but I have not been to a place in central florida without whoops,
You might want to try the second day area some pretty technial hill there and also some mud too.

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Our first trip to croom was the week of March 18th.  A ranger would not get off our case.  Stopped us for double riding with the kids and so we stopped.  My oldest, husband and mother in law went out and my youngest two daughters and I were in the tent.  He thought we were all out because the bikes were gone and he did not see us in the tent.  Next thing you know he called the law out and started talking about giving us a nov and evicting us from the park.  He was relentless from then on due to the fact after he told us not to double ride we didn't and he called the law out for no reason.  We packed up and spent the last few days at Underhills and had a great time. ;D

the rangers at croom, hell anything ro that matter all have inflated egos for some reason...

Calling the law was a bit much, but riding two people is somthing everyone should know that is way more dangerous. Back in those hills riding with two people would be asking the bike to turn over on itself.. Did we not learn from other peoples mistakes who actually thought they had total control? *cough* gatorback *cough*

Also, if you would have read your brochure, it says no double riding. Rules are rules, and when you are in a state park, their word is final.

Never got a rule book.  Just red permit sticker.  When we were asked to stop we did and followed all knowns rules there after.  He just got mad when he did not see me and the kids in the tent when the bikes were gone and thought we were out again.

Agreed. Also, the rules are posted on the wall of the ranger's shack where you get your sticker. In addition, unless you've got an Outlander, doubles are not proper.

In addition, if it sucks so bad, lets just tell the state we don't want it any more? I mean, all they've done is set aside a centrally located area exclusively for motorcyle and ATV use that does not generate significant revenue for the state. After all, nobody has a "right" to be provided with a place to ride.

The moral of this story: (1) we are our own worst enemies; and (2) be thankful for what we have.

Really if you think it sucks that bad       go PLAY IN THE MUD...

heh, I do plenty of that :) and don't mind it at all as a matter of fact


I hear ya.

it's just that the place really is so whooped out, and was frustrated about it after riding out there, thats the only reason. after riding at places such as Ocala (excluding lake delancey and big scrub), river ranch, and others, one gets kinda spoiled with the nice trails where u can just cruise for a while without getting yer teeth rattled. plus having such a heavy quad doesnt help, it's just the kind of riding i personally don't enjoy.

Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate thats it's there, it gives me (and plenty of others) a place to ride thats not too far away to drive to, and really at a reasonable per year per bike cost when you get down to it.... 
I'm sure theres plenty of people who would love for someone to ask for the place to be shut down only to have the state do it over a matter of weeks, whereas it takes a lifetime just to get a place to ride...

I know how you feel. You have to remember Croom is run by the government, do I need to say more?

Rules are rules, and they are posted at the gate in plain view. It's very simple, go by the rules set, or go ride elsewhere. I think I can tell you why the ranger acted the way he did. I think him calling the cops,  he got caught with his pants down, and he was embarrassed, so he lost his cool, and control. That should be reported to his supervisor at once.
 Most people that break the rules there, continue doing so after being warned so they try to stop them as soon as possible. In your case that didn't happen, and caught them where they don't go often.
 The last time I went there, these two guys would race on the road at the large parking area in the north end. Back and forth, then doing high speed wheelies. All this was when my son and I were trying to eat our lunch. This big dust cloud would totally consume us and the truck and trailer, before drifting off. Leaving dust all over us and our food. I went over and asked them to stop and why. Five minutes later they were back at it again. I had the rangers cell phone number, as they had done this in the morning when they first got there. Earlier I had  complained to the ranger, but the guys were out riding. Got the phone number, called after this guy dusted us a second time while trying eat. Most jerks continue to be jerks no matter what.
 Well these guys got escorted out with hefty fines, and aren't allowed back, ever.
Croom isn't run as good as it could be, but so many people have been air lifted from there, so they have one big rule. Follow the rules or go, if not you will get fined. These people don't know the good people from the bad, so they see rule breakers and they think of one thing.

 The bottom line is safety.

Some aren't safe at all and don't care about others around them. They try to weed these types out when they see it, so others can enjoy the place. That way everyone gets to go home to sleep in their own bed.
Not a hospital bed.

I can respect the rules that they have posted and agree that they should be followed for the safety of yourself and others.  I just got frustrated when we did follow the rules, yes after being told,  the ranger continued to harrass us.  We were out there with our three young daughters and want them to understand and respect the rules too.  They even wondered why he kept messing with us.  One of our bikes is the Outlander 800, set up for two and he tried to tell us it was modified and not for double riders when it clearly is for 2 if wanted.  We are going to go back, we'll just have more bikes when we go :)

That was a good post right there, made a really good point.

 :Clap.gif well said

We were also at Croom on Saturday. Rode two up on our Outlander Max most of the day and was never hassled about it. Just before leaving though, some guys came right near where we were loading up and kept stirring up the dust by goinig in a cirle wide open intentionally creating a huge dust cloud. It was so thick you could not even see them. We hollered at them and they just rode off. It was obviously intentional. We had a great time all in all. Will go back again.

SVTBOLT,
Every time you talk on here everybody else is wrong. Why don't you hand out dork manuals because you sure seem to know all about that. Use some common sense. We have enough rules in the ATV world without your help.

[quote author=Thrasher link=topic=12899.msg171821#msg171821


have any of u guys try to ride at any beach??????????? if so witch one??? and is it legal?









date=1143392636]
.....and now i remeber why it's been well over a year since I was last there.....d**n that place and it STILL really sucks! 

/rant on

I just do not see what the great appeal of that place is to people......i went because i wanted to get a little riding in and it's fairly close.....but the riding out here is horrid.....whooped out to death.....i bought the sticker and like my last one, i'll probably only use it once and then never go again util it expires.


..and to top it off, up at the rangers office, we inquired about the other state riding area, Tates Hell. It is really a sad day when the ranger tells you to not even bother taking a trip to it because it's not worth it at all....

ok i'm done

/rant off

[/quote]

Anyone bashing Croom, please do go somewhere else to ride.  Please don't ruin it for the folks that appreciate the place as much as my family and I do.   

Simply put, if you know how to ride, where to ride when you are there and follow the rules, Croom is awesome..   

What blows my mind is seeing the folks that complain about the whoops blasting down the highway-wide whooped out trails in single file fashion.   These are same guys that feel that riding wheelies on the roads and doing donuts in the campground makes them look cool.   Its not cool and it really shows how little riding talent you have and that you have no respect for this sport.  I call this reckless behavior "riding wrong"

And correct me if I'm wrong but it seems anyone who is "riding wrong" is doing so with way-loud aftermarket exhausts on their machine too..  Your behavior is the main reason we don't have more places to ride, both public and private.

So, if you appreciate Croom as much as my wife, kids and I do please read on for my tips for a great ride at Croom.

How not to miss out on all of the "cherry" trails that are smooth?     You've got to learn to look for the good stuff which is always off the beaten-path.    Granted I ride a bike not a quad but my wife and one of our kids ride a quad so I've got to be aware of that fact when I am leading the way so I don't get them into a spot that's too narrow for the quads to fit.   But even still, there's plenty of riding that is wide enough for a quad to go where it is really smooth.

Ride up on the North end and stay away from Sand Hill at all costs, stay away from the fence lines, stay away from the numbered trails, they are all where the whoops are...   

You'll be amazed how few people you'll see too.  We've been there when the campground is full and all the day use areas are full and the Sand Hill area looks like an ant farm under a heat lamp and when we go up on the North end away from the edges of the property and get away from the day use areas we don't see anyone!   SPREAD OUT FOLKS!!  :-)

When you are riding and it gets rough, slow down and start looking for a trail that is parallel to the direction you are traveling..    Sometimes 20 feet away in either direction is a smooth trail that gets you to where you want to go with both your kidneys in-tact.

If you are forced onto a whopped trail section, ride the edges..  When you are on a bike this is easier than on a quad.   Just don't ride down the center of the trail.

One more thing..   I must defend the park rangers too.   These folks are very nice and ever-so helpful to those in need.   I've never seen them hassle anyone.   As a matter of fact I think they are overly forgiving when they politely ask time and time again for that "select" set of people to follow the rules.  I've seen them go out of their way to help those in need and to make sure we all have the best experience possible.   

BRADG47.....That is one of the best posative posts i have seen on here in awile about.........HATS OFF TO YA......i feel the same way but didnt know how to express it as well as you did>>>>>GEORGE.....

WE BEEN TO CROOM MANY TIMES  AND FOUND IT A GREAT PLACE TO CAMP AND RIDE  THE RANGERS ARE VERY HELPFULL THE PROBLEM THAY HAVE IS THERE BOSS A WOMAN NAMED   TAMMY  WHO MAKES THEM FOLLOW THE RULES OR HER RULES TO THE  "T" . SO IF SHE IS ON THAN THAY THEN TO BE A LITTLE HARDER ON PEOPLE THAN WHEN SHE IS NOT    IF ANY ONE HAS FELT THE RATH OF TAMMY THAN YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN . MOST OF THE TIME THE RANGERS ARE A GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS .  JOHN SEEMS TO GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP ANY ONE THAT ASK FOR IT . CROOM CAMPING HAS AS OF LATLY BECOME A VERY FAIMLY TYPE OF THING . SO DONT JUST GIVE UP ON IT  BECAUSE YOU HAD 1 BAD EXSPEREINCE

I was at Croom April 9 through the 13.  Had an awesome time.  Had no problems with any of the rangers although Queen Gestapo wasn't around, either.  It was a great trip riding.  My wife rides a Prairie 400 and my buddy rides a Rincon and they had no complaints about the whoops.  Of course, my Rappy and my other buddy's YFZ450 weren't giving us any reason to complain, either! ;)  The utes had a blast in the mines, the kids didn't care and there are enough trails that are still plenty smooth they didn't get beat up too bad when we went up to the sand pit.  When it comes to Florida, you have to take what you can get and I'll ride Croom any chance I can get.  Beats going to Big Scrub and having all your bikes gone when you wake up in the morning!

Is there a speed limit there or can someone go there to practice for endurance?

Brian, there is a FTR trail there.. But its a bit skinny for a quad. but there is no speed limit except in the camp sites.  Its awesome if you want to get better at whoops, or head off main trails and fly past trees making a new trail.