ATV Florida Forum

Link posted was dead. I'm removing it.

Someday they will learn.   [smiley=lecture.gif]

Thanks for posting this Chris. When I was out their last weekend for the clean up ride I could not believe the behavior I witnessed. I guess when you cram everyone from South Florida into one last small legal riding area this is what you get. Are you listning FWC? How about a couple of signs posting the speed limit on the roads? Or the rules for riding out their. As of now riders have no directions for how they should behave out their except for their own common sence.

finally fwc is doing something about the speed racers..they should concentrate on the parking lot,for those that think it's a place to do donuts and pepper people's tow rigs

is it legal to ride out there at night,or early evening...and are you allowed to camp out

Yes, sorta kinda mosta da time;
http://www.wildflorida.org/hunting/wma/South_Region/Holey_Land-web.pdf

And, here's the rules for the south side of the levee;
http://www.wildflorida.org/hunting/wma/South_Region/Everglades-web.pdf

Hey I'll be riding at holey land on sunday if anyone wants to go. 8)

thanks chris [smiley=Clap.gif]

And, the FWC was out there today on a 99 Polaris. Minimal crowd though, prolly due to L-Cross.

Cool, I'm glad they were out there

btw what does prolly mean  ;)

You can ride anytime (Monday-Sunday) but can only camp on Fri, Sat, and Sun nights.

where'd you hear this lindsey?  the only time you can't camp is from october till december (i think?) during hunting season...and thats only down on the southside by the pump houses. 

If you look at the Rotenberger/Holey Lands area brochure it says camping is only allowed on Fri, Sat, Sun except in certain hunting seasons, you are allowed to set up like 3 or 4 days early and can only keep stuff there for like 6 days or something like that. I will show it to you next time I see you....

Are you back in town now?

Okay maybe you are close.... I read it wrong. These are the major things you should know, unless you are hunting or airboating (there are even more rules for hunting and airboating).

Brochure

CAMPING:
48. Only tents, trailers or self-propelled camping vehicles may be used for
camping. Camps may not be set up in the area prior to seven days before archery
season and all vehicles, camps, tents, other camping equipment and litter must be
removed no later than 6 p.m. seven days after the close of the general gun season.
49. The erection of any permanent structure is prohibited.
50. Camping during the period from 8 days following the close of the
general gun season to 8 days prior to the archery season is permitted but only on
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and camps may not be left unattended for more
than 24 hours during this period.
51. Camping is prohibited at areas posted as “Closed” or “Closed to
Public Access.”
52. The construction of docks of any type is prohibited.

SEARCH:
53. A Fish and Wildlife Commission Law Enforcement Officer may
search any camp, vehicle or boat in accordance with law.

VEHICLES:
40. Motorized vehicles are prohibited on all the levees except the L-4,
L-5, and that portion of the L-6 extending from the S-7 pump station north
to Sportsman’s Crossover.
41. No motor vehicle shall be operated on any part of the wildlife
management area designated and posted as “CLOSED” or “CLOSED TO
PUBLIC ACCESS.”
42. Taking or herding wildlife from any motorized vehicle, aircraft or boat
while under power is prohibited, except public water alligator hunt permittees
that are attempting to take alligators.
43. No person shall operate any vessel including airboats outside of Water
Management District canals unless it is equipped with an orange flag at least 10
inches wide by 12 inches long and displayed at least 10 feet above the bottom of
the vessel.
44. Vehicles and airboats are prohibited on wildlife islands, tree islands,
tree strands or in that portion of the area between the old Miami Canal (Mud
Canal) and the new Miami Canal.
45. Vehicles shall not be parked in such a manner as to obstruct roads,
gates or trails.
46. During the archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun-walk seasons,
only ATVs are permitted for hunting. No person shall hunt from or occupy any
ATV in motion with handlebars, platform or structure more than 4 feet above the
lowest bottom surface of the ATV.

Thinking about taking my son out for a weekday ride, with school being out and all.  He rides a Polaris 90 - We don't mind mud at all, but someone told me they thought with all the rain it might be underwater?

Anyone been out there lately?  How does it look? 

Thanks for update - Beck

It is nasty out there. There are full tracks and buggies getting stuck. Mostly levee riding right now if you are without a snorkle and huge tires! A 90 wouldn't be able to do anything but levee.

Thanks for the info - would hate to waste a trip, especially w/son - for he loves to ride.  Love to find just a spot somewhat locally where I can just take him out to ride, you know, but wouldn't we all....

Where do you live?

If the kids really get too antzy or squirrely on you for a ride, you can take them for a ride down a trail which runs parrallel to L-4, just on the other side of the pump station in Holeyland. The area is called Rotenberger. The trail runs along the north side of L-4, it's several miles long and has quite a few puddles. Even after all this recent rain, the puddles will only be several inches deep.So, if you take it slow, you won't have to worry about a poorly-supervised kid driving off the trail and into the swamp.   

i wanna go down there and ride some time. i normally have monday and wednesdays off from work. friday june 24th i'll have off but its too far to tell what i'll be doing. if i were to go down that way how would i get there from lake worth area and i-95 or is it easier to get there from the turnpike. is there also any permits or stickers you need. thanks

No permits or anything. You would take whatever is easier and get onto US 27 South. Take it to the Palm Beach/ Broward County Line and on the right there will be a brown sign that says Rottenberger/ Holey Lands Wildlife Management Area.

AintSkeered: I know the levee you are talking about. Another good one is the continuation of the main North levee back to the second pump house (about a 3 hour ride there and back) but it is a nice ride! It is the levee behing the pump house and to the right.

ya i checked my gps software on my computer and from me it shows me either taking i-95 to i-75 west to 27 then north west then have to make a left on some un named road. Other way is take sr80 to bell glade then south on 27. Its like i have to make a big U no matter which way i go.

Anyone go to Holeylands today or Yesterday?
What has the Rain (downpours) done to the conditions? Muddy?
Thanks

[attachment deleted by admin]

It is disgusting. I was supposed to go Sunday but it's not worth getting stuck every foot like last weekend. And with the tropical storm coming this weekend. It  may become un-rideable!

Thought you were loading up and leaving Florida? ;D

What? I am leaving Florida?

im gonna try to go on my full track saturday if it dose not rain.

the quote was from 300exstangboy

I no but why did he say that?

it's been a long time.... is johnny's bass hole still there?

can some one give me directions from orlando thanks

From Orlando, just drive south straight down US 27 to the Broward/Palm Beach County line and look for the Holeyland/Rotenberger Wildlife Management Areas sign. But, I gotta tell you that if I lived in Orlando, I'd go to Croom or Ocala before driving down to Holeyland.

Neighbor claims he was told(yesterday) that Holeyland will close for a few weeks, starting tomorrow. They want to pump the water lout. FWC claims there's too much water and the wildlife has been forced to the levees. I'll take a ride out today and confirm.

Closed indefinitely.  Here is the story:



http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-ppwetland17jul17,0,6080297.story?coll=sfla-news-florida

Here is FWC's article about it on there website.

http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/05/stormnews/southwmaclosures.html

I'd imagine that it'll prolly be closed August because even if they pump the water down, there's plenty more up north that has to come down, too.

As of 12:00 am on July 18, 2005.  Holeyland, Rotenburger and Everglades Wildlife Management Areas have been closed to ALL public access.

The reason for this is the high water conditions that cause the deer and other wildlife to congregate on the islands and levees. 

Go to www.myfwc.com for more info on the closing.

At this time there is no telling how long the areas will be closed for.  when the area is reopened it will be posted on the above web site.

Please do not kill the messanger but I wil monitor this site to answer any questions that you have.

Thanks,

Lt. Chris Sella

LT. Sella,
First I'd like to welcome you to the website. I wish we could get more law enforcement involved. If you have time please go through some of the different threads and you will see that the vast majority of us are all for helping to save what few riding spots we have left in FL. Of course there are always a few bad apples in every group especially a website with over 3000 members, I hope that you and others reading can overlook the idots (for lack of better term) and see that there are alot of members that are willing to help in any way possible. I look forward to getting some feedback from you.

Mike

What did you (the F.W.C.) think about our clean up efforts at the Holeyland, Rotenburger Wildlife Management Areas? If you did not see the video view it here please - http://www.atvflorida.net/video/atvflorida-holeylandswma_high.wmv

I agree that there needs to be more speed limit signs along the levees out there.  The problem is that the area is managed by SFWMD for those types of things.  We have asked them several times to post more signs and they have not done so yet.

But, there is one sign on the L-5 that states that the speed limit is 25 mph and by law that sign is in effect until another sign counteracts the last one.  But there needs to be more signs.

As far as how people operate their vehicles on the levees it is controlled by the same laws as operating on any other roadway in the state.  The biggest things that we regulate is the speed and careless operation.  The biggest problems with the careless operation is we have to witness it.  Its kinda hard to hide our big silver trucks out on those levees to see all of the violations and we do handle them when we see them.

So, when the area opens back up again (who knows when) we will be back out there again.

fwc-lt let me ask you a question i read in the fwc website that you can still ride at aera 2.where is that,and can i ride a full track there.thanks any info would be great.i need a place to ride i will go nuts without some where to go....nick

When we where out there doing the clean up, we were also talking to people out there to let them know the rules and if they do not follow the rules and keep trashing the place the FWC will close it for good. With anything we had a few bad responses but most people wanted to follow the rules to keep this place open. Thanks again for responding.
   Mama Grizz

According to; http://www.wildflorida.org/hunting/wma/South_Region/05-06_EVERGLADES.pdf
Conversation area 2 is on the east side of 27 across from Holeyland/Everglades. Not saying this isn't one, but, I know of no legal entry point into that area, except via airboat.

Area 2 is the area that is between the SawGrass Expressway and Us 27 from I-595 north to the county line.

The area is way too deep for track driving and there is no way to access the area by track since the area is boardered by canals.  If you have a floater you might be able to get across but dont try it.

As far as the clean up Its great!!  I wish more special intrest groups got more involved, in cleaning up areas and helping educate people on the rules.

Thanks for joining the site and helping us with accurate information. In a public fourm such as this, rumors fly so getting information from the "horses mouth" is refreshing. From FWC perspective, where do they see us riding in South Florida? I am permitted in Big Cypress and don't mind paying to ride their, but they are in their seasonal closer period now. BC is flooded for most of the year anyway and is better suited to swamp buggies than ATV's due to the deep water. If we don't have a legal place to ride, people will unfortunitly do the wrong thing. What does FWC expect us to do?

Man you are asking a loaded question....

As far as FWC is concerned we want you to ride where it is legal.  The problem with South Florida is there are very few areas to ride to start with and those properties are either owned by the State or private.  As far as State Lands go its not just a matter of saying ok its owned by the state so go out and ride.  You have to look at why the land was purchased what they plan on doing with the land and the funding source for the land.  All three of these lead to the managemnet plan for the land and what is allowed and not allowed.  For instance...

The state buys a piece of land for storm water treatment also called a STA by SFWMD.  These lands are then made into an area that takes water run off from the urban areas and sugar fields to filter out contaminates before the water is released into the everglades or out to the ocean.  Due to the way these areas work you cannot disturb the mud or all of the filtration is lost.  These areas are closed to motorized vehciles and vessels.

The county buys a piece of land for preservation and uses a funding source that says that all lands purchased with these funds must be used only for passive recreational use (i.e. no motorized vehicles among other restrictions).  This is the case with alot of county lands in Palm Beach County.

These are just two examples thre are many more out there.

The only lands in South Florida that are either owned or managed by FWC is the Everglades, Holeyland, Rottenburger and Corbett WMA.  Big Cypress is a seperate area that I dont have alot of experience with so Im not really sure how it works.  On these lands we do allow operation of ATV's except during certain hunting seasons or when we close the areas due to high water or they close themselves due to the amount of water out there.

I wish there was a clear cut answer to your question but there is not.  The only thing that I can recommend you do is attend public meetings of SFWMD, the OHV commitee, FWC, etc and ask for more areas to ride.  Its not just a metter of asking but also working with these entities to make it happen.

God Luck

FWC

What are the chances of the state ever letting ATV's ride out in the Corbitt area? I hunt out there and it looks to me that the buggies are really tearing the crap out of the place. Why don't they allow atv there like at BullCreek or 3 Lakes? Are those kind of changes hard to make as far as the state is concerned? 

I have spoken to the head Biologist that oversees all of the WMA's in the Region and asked about ATV's in Corbett.  He stated that the vehicle rules have been in place for numerous years and if they decided to open the rules up and look at changing them they would make them more restrictive than they currently are.  So, it does not appear that they will be opening the area to ATV's any time soon, but that does not stop you all as a group t petition the FWC to open the area or give a better explanation as to the current restrictions.  I dont know the history of the rule or why its in place, its been that way for the 11 years that I have worked in this region.

Think about it Wilburz. Do we really want atvs out there where we are hunting? Them dam buggies are bad enough. I'm with the biologist on this one. I think they should change it to no vehicular traffic off of the numbered roads and no vehicles admitted without current tags, registration, and insurance all year round.

I don't hunt in the buggy area anyways. Just figured if the buggies can tear the place up so can the atv's, just at a slower pace. I am with you close the place off totaly just like BullCreek or 3 Lakes.

I'm a new rider with no where to ride...how do i get to the holey lands ???

they are closed now,but you can get there by us-27 to broward/palm beach line there you will see a sign on the west side that says holey lands/rotenberger,make a turn in there and ride the paved road till you hit the dirt road and then till the lot,you can park there or ride further down the leve to some other spots.

 THIS WAS SENT TO ME BAY FWC-LT WHEN I ASKED WHEN HOLYLANDS WAS GOING TO OPEN  UP AGIAN..



Actually the Biologist are talking about opening Holey Land and Rottenberger Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) in the near future.  With the Everglades WMA being closed for much longer.  This has to do with the way that that the everglades naturally flows even with all of the human interaction that has taken place over the past few decades, it still flows north to south.
 
Until they give us a specific opening date I do not want to publish it other than it might happen soon.  This will cause some user group conflicts that hopefully we can deal with effectively. 
 
So, here is the proposal as it stands now...
 
Holey Land and Rottenberger will be open in the near future (if the current weather holds).  This will open the L-5 North Levee, Miami Canal Levee north of the L-5, and the North L-4 Levee to vehicle traffic.  Also the WMA's will be open for the upcoming hunts depending on the opening date (here is where the user group conflicts begin)...
 
The conflict that we have experienced in the past is that hunters in the WMA's setup stands and/or blinds and try their very best not to move or make sounds, then a recreational ATV rider comes near the stand and/or blind possibly scaring off any deer that might be in the area.  How we would like to deal with this is to restrict the recreational ATV riders to the levees during the hunt seasons to allow the hunters to have an undisturbed hunt so that they can possibly harvest a deer.  How we plan on doing this is by enforcing a rule in the WMA pamphlet that states that ATV's can only be used for hunting during the archery, muzzle loading and walk seasons (the vehicle season rules already address that all vehicles in the area must have a permit).  We do not feel that this is a huge problem for the recreational ATV operators since they have access to the interior parts (off the levees) of the WMA's for a larger part of the calendar year than the hunters.
 
So, if the areas are opened soon vehicle traffic will be allowed almost everywhere except for the L-5 South and L-4 South Levees and interior portion of the Everglades Francis Taylor WMA.  We will ask that all traffic not directly related to hunting be confined to the open levees and allow the hunters their privilege of an undisturbed hunt. 
 
If this happens everybody will still get the opportunities to enjoy their hobbies, but it will take cooperation from all involved.  If people do not hunt they will still be required to follow the guidelines as set forth in the WMA pamphlets and rules of the emergency closures that can be found on our web site myfwc.com.
 
I have been slack in reading the posts on ATVFlorida.com but if you want to cut and paste this response in the appropriate place I would not have a problem with it as long as the whole response is posted and it will help in the long run so I don't have to type it again.  I will post on the site as soon as it is official that the areas will reopen again.
 
Thanks,
 
Lt. Chris Sella

SWEET!!

I looked up the hunting dates for this year.

Archery Sept 10th-Oct 9th
Muzzleloading Gun Oct 15-23rd
General Gun Oct 29th-Jan 8th

So basically we have to stay on the levee's for these dates or is there other dates that have to be included?  Also can we ride off the Levee's inbetween the dates like Oct 10th-14th when there is no hunting?  I completly understand that the hunters need there time too but there also getting the best months to be out there.  Correct me if I'm wrong but Holeylands will now be closed to ORV's if your not hunting from Sept 10th till the beginning of May?  That's a long time.  Then it will close again due to high water levels.  I don't see this as a good thing for recreational ORV's.  How about a rule like ORV's will be permitted off the levee's after a certain time every day like 2:00pm since most hunting is done in the morning.  Tell you what open up the area in the Everglades WMA east of the Levee over by Holiday Park and U.S. 27 during hunting season and you won't hear any complaints from us.   ;D

great 3 months of riding a year. Man I should of bought a jet ski. :'(

So, does that now mean we have to bring our guns with us and get permits to ride ATVs in Holyland?

If Everglades WMA remains closed, can we get our gun-vehicle permits, bring our archery equipment and legally ride our ATVs during archery season, etc.? If so, I'm okay with lstaying out of the area from 5am to 2pm for hunters and we'll ride the rest of the time.

When you consider the effects of annual summer rains and the 2005-2006 Hunting season, it's now an incorrect statement to say that "recreational ATV operators have access to the interior parts (off the levees) of the WMA's for a larger part of the calendar year than the hunters!" Aren't ATVs also prohibited from the end of the General Gun season(Jan 8) to April 30th? Since the Holeyland regs allow hunting from 1/2 before sunrise to 1/2 after sunset, why can't FWC NOT enforce the reg between sunset and sunrise, when hunting is prohibited? Will the prohibition be enforced between hunting seasons? Why is the SFWMD holding back so much water from draining out of the northeast quadrant of the Everglades WMA?

The more I think about this nonsense........... Let me understand this. The Holeyland/Everglades WMAs were recently closed to protect wildlife so that they'll be healthy enough to be gunned down from September 8 to April 30th?

Can't wait to see what Katrina does to those reopening plans! Will we still be protecting the wildlife? LOL

Just go to Seminole MX Park.  It's alot more fun.

Time for a hunting permit, a case for my bow and then some :drink.gif :drive.gif

Archery Sept 10th-Oct 9th, well? Does it open, YET?

I know you can ride at Rotenberg during hunting season, can you ride when it is not hunting season?

Yep, but you can't carry guns out of season.   :'(

Update: Continued bad news! They've now closed much of Big Cypress due to all of the water. So, it'll prolly be months before we'll have any place legal to ride in SFL. 

http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/05/stormnews/closingsreopenings.html

http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/05/south/holeylandopen.html

is this place open or not 

How big is this place? is it more mudd or trails?

Still flooded to the max!

Florida OHV Recreation Management Workshop
May 1- 4, 2006
Hilton-Ocala
Ocala, Florida

http://www.fl-dof.com/calendar/2006_ohv_may_wkshop.html

Is it still flooded? is there a number to call and find out?

No number to call, unless you want FWC's OPINION. I can't imagine that they'd be telling you what you want to hear. No promises, but, I'll try to do a visual this weekend and report back. I suspect it's still too flooded, though.

Has anyone on here even tried to ride out there during hunting season?  I'm just wondering what FWC might be telling people out there.  I'm sure they would not give us any problems playing in the mud holes just off the Levee's if your not hunting but who knows.

I took a drive out there Wednsday and the water is high like a mofo. I did see a dead 8' gator out there which was pretty cool. I took some pictures of the place. I'll post them when I get a chance to give everyone an idea of how bad it is.

Plan on riding out there on Friday morning to see how things look. Anyone else interested show up at 9am.

Hi All,

Here is a link to the USGS Water tables for the canal in that area. I found that early 2005 was great riding when the water levels were at 11 to 12 feet. Lately the table has been showing the water level at about 14 feet.

The last few entries seem to be bogus as the water level would have had to drop 2 feet in a few days.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/dv?dd_cd=01_00065_00003&format=html&period=365&site_no=02289031 (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/dv?dd_cd=01_00065_00003&format=html&period=365&site_no=02289031)


I hope this helps. I'am so looking forward to playing in some better smelling mud. Besides it's easier to get Holey Land mud off my machine when I get home.

MuddingMark

SFWMD reduced water levels in anticipation of Hurricane Wilma. So, the data is probably not bogus. However, it has rained a lot since October 31st.

I was out at Holeylands on Thursday with the quad and some friends.  We were the only ones out there on ATV's.  The water level is still very high.  We could not go very far off the Levee's.  The Hunters were out there in Full Tracks.  I would say it's going to take another month or two before the water dries up.  With this storm Gamma coming our way it does not look good.

FWC has opened the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA to the public which is on the south side of the Holeylands Levee.  I'm assuming this means ORV's can be operated in the area again.  Here is the link.

http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/05/south/evergladesopen.html

I am going to ride there tomorrow with my cousin anything I should know before going and if anyone wants to meet out there we will make a day of it

We went out there Sat Dec 17th, the water levels are dropping. You see the mud now and the only water is in the trails that rutted. Still the mud is like pudding. It's crazy to hit one of those mud holes the only way out is a pull.

We played mostly under the power lines down by the first pump station.

There are some riders out there and I think that it's going to improve every week from here on out.

MuddingMark  8)

we went out there on saturday the 7th. it was an awesome day. we went down to the pump station and the trails on the north side of the canal are rideable for sport bikes if you go around certain mud holes of course. but all in all it was a great time. the kids were riding the trails on their 90's and they were able to go through most of the places. it is deffinetly drying up out there.

Sounds good for riding, I'll be down there soon as we get a new trailer to fit all the quads. Is there good mud right now for utes?

hey guys i am new to the area and would love to go out there and ride if anyone is planning on going out there this weekend please give me a shout
561-906-8100 Jimmy
i would like to stretch the legs on my suzuki

how do you guys get to the north side?
bridge, gate,etc.............

He's referring to the north side of the levee, which has two bridges, one at the entrance and one at the pump house.

Rode Holeyland all day, today. It's even dry-enough for sport and given it another couple of weeks, it'll be all dust. Loads of folks out, today, night riding here we come.

I rode out their sat and today. Had a great time. They allow night riding out their? :P

Yes

Probable night ride, this Saturday, if I get time to replace a torn CV boot. I'll post time and place, later in the week. So far, there's 5 Utes and 1 sport bike going. Yesterday, we cleared a 5 mile trail parallel to the west levee(north-south) from the pump station and lots of other clear trails go east and west. Wilma knocked-down lots of trees. The south side of the levee(Everglades WMA) is still mushy once you get a mile in, so that's still a day ride for Utes.   

CAn someone give me directions to Rotenberger from West Palm Beach?

Take whatever road that will take you west to US27. Then go south to the Palm Beach/Broward County line and look for Holwyland/Rotenberger sign.

CV bolt replaced, we're good to go for Saturday night ride. 5-6 Utes and 1 sport quad leaving from pump station sometime between 8-9pm. Heavy rain forecast to be mostly north of Palm Beach county line, so, we'll be right o the edge of it, we'll see tomorrow. 

New to the board, Old to the area.

I used to hunt out @ Holey land 15 years ago.  Atv's have been allowed out there since & I see it's quite a popular area now.

I was looking the Management Area pamphlet over & noticed it states the area is CLOSED to vehicles from the end of duck/coot season(approx Jan 30 ) thru April 5.

I know that vehicles are allowed on the levees but was wondering if anyone has been riding IN Holeyland or Rotenberger & if the man was giving any probs. :ouch.gif

Just tryin to bring myself up to speed...........

Off Rode

No problems so far this year. FWC is letting the duck blasters do their thing in the most-eastern section. They're unlocking those yellow gates for the hunter to use. We're going out there in one hour or so to check it out. With all of the rain during the past 24 hours, I doubt there will be  much riding out there foe 3-4 weeks.

Can anyone please post directions to Holey? From Palm beach county? Also looking for riders or club in west palm loxahatchee area for group rides,family friendly.

They inforced that rule last year and did not allow any ATV's in Holeyland.  However you are still allowed to ride on the south side of the Levee which is the Everglades WMA.  FWC has not posted anything on there website like they did last year talking about Holeylands being closed to ATV's.

Is there any mud out there right now or is it just dirt and dust?? We've finally gotten a new trailer and an F-250 and we want to plan a trip at the end of the month.

After all of that rain, we rode from 10pm Saturday night until 4am Sunday. It was all mud, but, very manageable for 4x4s/winches. But, if there's no rain during the next 3 weeks, you'll surely find mostly dust by then and the trails will be endless for all types of bikes.

Take whatever road that will take you west to US27. Then go south to the Palm Beach/Broward County line and look for Holwyland/Rotenberger sign.

Are these the best directions? Where to park truck & trailer,check in required with ranger etc? Best gear to have ie: 4X4 whinch,tow strap etc?

Is anyone going down from West Palm area that has been to take a Newbie out in the next few weeks?

Thank's

YOu should find someone to go out there with from this site. throw a thread out on floridaatv too. some of does folk live down in broward.   

I was just wondering.  They have it printed in the pamphlet,  I know this is the time of the year when management areas AREN'T loaded with hunters, but the FWC seems to run by the Luck Of the Draw method of enforcement. ???

I'll probably head out there Friday 2/10 in the afternoon & ride around some & let the kids stretch their tires !!

Thanx for the info!!

Bushwacked, I'm trying to get several folks together for another ride Saturday night. I'll PM you when they commit. You'll need 4x4, we should have enough straps/winches. If the night ride's not going to happen, we do some day riding Saturday afternoon or Sunday. Last Saturday night, we were stopped on the side of the levee and FWC snuck up on us with no lights, using night vision goggles. All he asked us was if we were okay(since we were stopped and having a drink or twelve).

Wow !! :o Seems like alot of technology to use on JOYRIDERS!!! ???

I'm sure somewhere there's a terrorist laughing to death !!! :ouch.gif

Glad to be a TAXPAYER..............

It's difficult for FWC to sneak up on poachers in the pitch black darkness with their lights on. This is a wildlife management area. I'm thinking that's a tough job for one cop to come up on 8 men in the middle of the woods, many miles away from witnesses.

You're right, it is a tough job.  I'm just venting some of my past experiences with the commission.  Probably also why I hunt ON A LEASE IN GEORGIA ;D

Just need to get my ridin fix!!

Okay, no night ride this weekend. However, Me, Steve, Wayne, Wally, Wally Jr., Chad and Larry will be riding Holeyland on Saturday, meeting around 11am @ the pump house. Come one, come all, we'll be doing the northern-most trail and the mud pit.

Thank's for invite but I just made plans for Okeechobee.I have the prairie 700 4x4 all natural now no ad ons as of yet.Would stock tires fly out there?

Aintskeered, if I don't go to ocala to do the rodman ride I will be there at the holeylands.  ;)

Glad dirtyface could join us today. I', now convinced of the Outy 800. Next month. It'll get drier out there by the end of the month, but, that was fun regardless. And, yes, FWC kicked us out of the Holeyland side. It's a $50 fine to ride on that side until 1 May. But, south of the levee(Everglades WMA) is legal. Have fun tomorrow, doubt if I'll make, expecting some rain, then cold and windy.

Ain'tskeered, I enjoyed riding with you and your group yesterday. I had a blast out there  in the mud. Let me know when you guys go again, I'll be there. I will be going  out today but I think I will stay out of that deep mud near the camp. I don't want to get stuck out there in the cold. Talk to you soon. ;)

Where do you park in holeylands? We've got an F-250 SuperCrew along with a 25' long trailer and we were looking with google earth and can't find anywhere to park where we'd be able to turn around aswell.

Plenty of parking, you will see it when you drive in.

would someone please give me directions from port st lucie..so i can join in the fun down south..

whats up everyone, new guy here... just wanted to put this out there..if anyone is near St. Augustine FL. there two cool tracks to ride at...one is off CR 208, the guy who owns the track owns the local honda shop and lets anyone ride on his track on the weekends, it is a real fun track not to technical and 4-wheeler friendly with some big table tops... the other is off of CR 305 called Tom's Motorcross...it is a very technical track but fast once you get it dialed in...if you would like more info on how to get there or anything else feal free to e-mail me @ bwvillagekey@comcast.net...
thanks everyone...

good riding..............

Been out to Holey land/Everglades a handful of times in the past few weeks.  It's quite dry.  Ran a few miles out (Everglades side), slung some mud, kids had a blast. 

I've been out on weekends & weekdays.
One tip I have is:  Don't go TOOO FAR from your truck if you are solo.  I ended up with a 4.5 mile nature walk ??? (weekday) that I had no intention of doing.  It makes you appreciate cruising on your bike ALOT!!


Needless to say, I now have a new WARN winch on the quad !!! ;D

It probably won't be too much longer before the rains fill it in!!

Later,

Off Rode

Damn ain't that the truth...I had  a refreshing 12 mile walk monday morning from that place to the bridge.

Woah dang, we finally got out there and wow. That was awesome!! Good thing we decided not to bring the dirtbike, the arctic cat got stuck more then I did. o.o And trying to tug 1000lbs with a recon in 1st isn't the most fair tug of war.

i ride in holey lands every weekend. ever see a green kawasaki there. thats me

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Nope, didn't see you. I was on a red honda recon with a blue and white helmet and pants. There were a buncha banschees out there though.

It wasn't too bad out there today .... A lil more water would have been nice though

Yeah, went there sunday and it was alot better, still dusty, but the water levels are coming up on the water trail near the bridge. Almost come upto the racks pushing my way through the water on my new rancher. :D Ofcourse my dad didn't have much of a problem there with the new mudders. We brought a couple buddies there too. We were out there with a big red Arctic Cat, a Rancher, a Recon, a Blue Yamaha Bruin 4x4, and a little yellow 90. Looks like we might be going again in a couple weeks. Next time we'll go by ourselves though so we can explore more of it. That little 90 held us back. :(

Now's the time to ride Everglades WMA(south of Holeyland), if you like long trail rides. It's very dry, but, you can still find mud if that's what tickles you. Today, there were hundreds of riders there. In fact, I've never seen so many people out there. Wish I was camping there tonight.

I was riding Holey Lands today.  Unfortunately, couldn't make the Poker Run yesterday.  There was a big fire out by one of the camps just as I was leaving.  Anybody know what was going on?  How bad did the fire get?  It looked like it was really spreading fast from where we were at the bridge.

I'm gonna try to make it out there this weekend...never been before.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm really lookin forward to this ride.  Any tips, hints or whatever would be greatly appreciated.  Actually, I don't even know where I'm gonna park, or exactly where I gotta go, hopefully I'll see some trucks or somethin and I'll know where to go. 

Hey Dev,

I can't wait every year for the Holeylands to dry up enough to ride.  It is really a blast.  I would imagine it is pretty similar to desert riding in that you can run for miles at high speed and still not run out of trail.  The best advice I can give you (if you are running a sport bike) is to be sure to look WELL AHEAD!  Even when it's dry there could be soft spots and you don't want to hit them at high speed; serious deceleration (speaking from experience).  The other thing to do is to keep a good look out for other bikes.  In some areas, the grass is over your head and you could end up coming around a corner and meeting someone head on.  Now, if you're taking a 4x4 out there, most of the mud you will find is next to the levy, which is a good thing.  There will be plenty of people around to pull you out when you get stuck.  Several miles out there is a slough that stays wet year round.  The mud out there is seriously deep and sticky.  Don't go out there alone and hopefully someone has a winch.  Definitely make sure you have a tow strap at least 20 feet long (you don't want to be stuck with the person you're rescuing).  Even if all you want to do is just cruise around, it's very enjoyable.  Take something to drink with you and pick up any trash you see laying around to bring back with you.  There still are a few idiots around who think their mother is going to pick up after them.  To get there, Take the Sawgrass to I75 and then west to US27.  Go north on US27 about 18 miles to the Broward/Palm Beach County line.  You will be crossing a bridge when you see the county line sign.  About 1/4 mile past the bridge is a left turn lane.  Do a u-turn and just before you get back to the bridge, turn right onto a paved road.  When you turn west (right) off US27, the pavement ends seven miles out.  About a quarter mile past the end of the pavement there is a bridge.  You will see people parked on both sides of the road.  Another 10 miles out the dirt road is the pump house.  Riding out there is supposed to be good but I have yet to find a reason to go that far out.  I have plenty of fun right at the bridge.  Once you unload and ride up to the top of the levy on the south side, you will see a large pit of mud and a wide trail heading out into the Everglades.  If you travel west on the levy about one mile, there is a ramp leading down into the grass.  This is an easier way to get out without having to slog through the thick mud.  If you keep an eye open, you will see numerous small trails all along the levy.  Don't be afraid to take any of them.  Once you're out in the grass, there are numerous trails criss-crossing everywhere.  Don't be concerned about getting lost.  As long as you can see the transmission lines, you always know which way to go to get back to the levy.  There are also a few camps out there.  The owners of the camps are generally hospitable but remember, they have a lot of time and money building and maintaining them.  Respect their property and if you don't get a warm welcome, don't be offended; just mosey on down the trail.  Have fun out there!!

Diggin,
  Thank you soo much for all the info...I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.  I've been tryin to dig up all kind of info about Holey Lands (directions and what not), but I have not found anything in depth enough.  I will definetely be respectful of the land and I won't leave any trash (believe me, I hate it when people mess up good land).  I drive a Utility 4x4 so I won't be drivin too fast  =)  Hey Diggin where do you live?  message me sometime...and maybe we'll ride
thanks again for all the helpful info...
Devin

Hey does anybody have "cordinates" for Holey Lands
Basically I wanna check out Holey Lands on Google Earth...if somebody could post the cordinates or whatever there called, i would really appreciate that.  Thanks
Devin

I think it's this. Long: 26°20'6.08"N  Lat: 80°32'25.88"W Not sure though. Should be able to easilly see it, it's where the huge like 4-tier powerlines cross the road. And you'll know it when you see it since these aren't your normal sized powerlines.

Ahhh...i was trying to see if I could see some trails from Google Earth, but to no avail...oh well...thanks for the help
Devin

You just gotta explore it. I haven't gone more than 8 miles from the bridge. And that was into the everglades(south side) trails. Next time I'd like to check out rottenberger(west side) and more of holeylands(north side).

yeah, I went into Holey Lands last weekend (i didn't know i wasn't supposed to be there) but I like those trails, cause they were overgrown -- it was just a really fun ride.  can't wait to get up there again.

this  weekend  is  Miami  canal  that  place  is  packed  right  now  with  Buggies  and  trucks  !!!!!

Great riding out there, now. It's as dry as it gets. Amazing how grown-over the old trails are right now. Hopefully, those buggies will clear it out a little.

I went out to Holey Lands on Sunday...the mud has all but disapeared  :'(
not that happy bout that, but all in all...I had a blast.  The only problem was that there were sooo many kids racing out there up on the levys and doin donuts in the "parking area"...where were the rangers?  Do they have off every Sunday?  It was kind of annoying.  But besides that I really had a great time.  Anybody else out there yesterday? 
Devin

I was out there on SAt and wanted to go on Sun but was too sore from the 70 mile trail ride on Sat

Yeah, if any sport guys are listening please don't go fast or donut in the parking area. Last time we were out there we had to create a shield with our quads to keep the dirt off of our BBQ.

Machinedog,
  Were you out there this past weekend?  I was lookin for some of your 4 wheelers that you have in you pics...but I don't think I saw them.  But I was out there Sunday morn till Sunday afternoon. 
Dev

Nope, we didn't get to go out there cause my dad was working. I should be out there on the 20th though, can't wait to get out there again. It gets sooo dang boring at my house if it wasn't for the video games every once in awhile I'd go crazy.

I responded to your other post about may 20th...i don't mind goin out there...I just hate goin out there by myself (just in case I don't meet anybody to ride with, and then I don't wanna break down or get stuck by myself)  but if we can work something def out, then I'll be there
dev

We r going this sat in the morning. Lets hook up and ride we know the north side fairly well and know all the camps on the south side.

Has anybody been out to Holey Lands this past weekend?  If so, how muddy was it...I've just recently started riding out there...and I can tell that it gets pretty muddy when it rains...is it ridable now?  Somebody please throw me an update...thanks
Dev

I was out there on sat and sun, I ride a 2005 trx450r and crf230.The mud was not a problem for me. It was hot as hell though, still alot of people on sunday.

yellow,
  Did you actually go back into the trails?  I hope that its not tooo muddy...just enough mud to get stuck once in a while  ;)  cause I do love  me some mudd!!!
Dev

It actually isn't as muddy as last time we were there, which is wierd. We went to the 2 story house on the trails which was cool, and then came back where my dad went off to the side of the mud pit on the north side of the bridge. Got the beheamoth stuck in this gunky mud and all there was to grip to for my quad was muddy soil. We tried about a dozen rocks under the wheels, snatching it, but nothing would give. We finally had to get a guy on a yellow rubicon with 589s to pull it out for us. After about half an hour getting that thing out we were pooped, cleaned off and left. So we were there from about 11 to 3. If anyone saw us our ATVs are in my sig, cept the Recon's got a snorkel now and Mudlites. Also, the trails are about dry as a whistle. Some wet soil on the ditches every once in awhile, but you can go around it easy. Feels nice to go 40 on those trails.

for some reason I was under the impression that ANY rain at all would make that place totally unridable...now I have a little better understanding.  I should be out there this weekend!  I cannot wait!  I like it when there's mud...but not too much mud (if that makes any sense)
Dev

Yeah, we'll be out there soon again. We still didn't get to check out rottenberger. Has anyone gone out there? How is it? Prolly be out there in 2 weeks. And just look for the Arctic Cat with the bed on the back, the AC500TBX is probably one of the rarest quads out there. Personally I've never seen another one. Thing rules though with the exception of excessive grinding when going from reverse to forward gearing, and that problem with the gas leak.

MachineDog, we were accross the canal watching you and what I would assume is your little brother having a blast in that pit.  My wife and I were out there breaking in our new quads.  We met some pretty cool people out there in the morning.  I hope we can get out there more often.

Cool, what quads were you riding? I wonder if we saw you.

Silver bf750 and a cherry red sportsman 500 LE.  I doubt if you saw us cause you guys were under water most of the time while we were watching.  We'll stop by and say hi next time.

 Hi, all
 I was wondering if this place is still open for riding? Someone told me that there were some fires and they closed the area down. If there is anyone knows please post something. thanks.

Open, full speed ahead! Just don't know how dry it is for sport quads after the past 2 days of rain. We're doing a Saturday nite ride, if we don't go to River Ranch.

Ahh , thats good news. Thought maybe those fires closed it up. Their will be a group of us going out Saturday on 4x4's. Hopeing to find some mud. Thanks for the reply.

We'll be riding on sunday, anyone else going to be out there? Our quads are in my sig.

Went riding on Sunday morning and stopped by a WMA Officier and was told the the rules in the 2006 - 2007 regulations summary in handed me, stated we now need to have a orange flag at least 10 inches wide and 12 inchws long and displayed at a minimum height of 6 feet above the top of the seat. They are also looking for the green and yellow tags on our ATV's.

Guess I am gonna get some flags. No big deal , most of the best legal riding areas out in the mid west use them. But they are mainly used for dune riders to give more visibility when comming over a dune. Leave it to florida to come up with this also.

We went last saturday and the wildlife officer at the check point turned us around because we didnt have flags. We finally found a couple later in the day. We returned sunday and rode all day. It was kind of nice with a smaller crowd, weeded out alot of the idiots.

Shoot, we'll have to remember that I guess.

what is this??????

The green and yellow registration tag.

ok i feel like a A** now!

I was out at the Holey Lands Ssturday night and Sunday all day. Why is it that people cant take there garbage with them? Its bad enough that there is litter all over the North and South parking areas. Heck, some of it could have flown away from you and you didnt want to chase it, but whats the excuse for leaving your foam cooler filled with garbage behind? What would it hurt to bring an extra garbage bag with you, put your filled bag in the back of your truck and put it in your damn trash can when you get home?

and.... Im not done yet! To the people who think that it is ok for your kids (or you for that matter) run your machines in the parking areas at high sppeds and also doing donuts. WTF!! Most of us drive $30-$40 K trucks and you usually do too. Why are you riding by ours and not your own? How pissed would you be If I came by your rig and did donuts with my Warrior? Sunday I sat and watched a guy yell at a kid for doing donuts in front of his truck.... while his own kids were over by mine.

Somethings gotto give here. What happened to common curtousy? Or for that matter, common sence?

Speaking of common sense,  how about some safety gear?  That pic. isn't going to last long....    Anyone have directions to this place?   I'm assuming it's probably the closest thing to Palm Beach. 

It is on the Palm Beach Broward County line out on 27.

Your right, I shouldnt post pictures without gear. I didnt realize that it was against policy.

Anyways, from Palm Beach you would take 80 West to 27 and go South to the Palm Beach/Broward Line. Go West at the Holey Land sign a couple miles untill the pavement ends and you will see the parking areas on both sides. Its a real nice place to ride, plenty of mud.

I appreciate the info.  Hopefully I can make it down there some time.  I'm assuming that it would take 45min to 1 hr, which isn't bad at all.  All about gettin a little mud on the tires.  But what's the story with trails or mounds to play around on?

There are miles and miles of Levies to ride on. To the North of the parking area there are trees with mud and trails a couple of hills and a lake to clean your bikes in. A bit East of that is another area with trails and mud as well. Right now you aren't allowed to go off the levy to the South because of hunting season, which is almost over. When that opens back up you can ride south for hours. Maybe when that time comes the water will be down enough to where you wont get stuck every 10 feet.

If you like trails and mud this is the place to go. We strap on the cooler and a gas can and head out for the whole day before returning to the truck. Its definitely worth the drive.

Dont forget your safety flags.

Looked at it today. Underwater. Don't bother until Thanksgiving.

First time out there today.  Not bad.  FWC was very helpful and met a lot of cool people.  Road our bike to the pump house (10+ miles west) and opened it up.  Didn't seemed crowded and enjoyed watching the mud pit show.  I'll all take my kid next time for sure.  Seem very family oriented.

I'm gonna head out there mb this weekend or the next with my mudbugs on. :D I'll be the one trying to get a red rancher stuck in the mudbug.

Has anyone been out there lately? What r the conditions like? Would like to do a night ride tonight. 8)

I just got back from there, still really wet. I talked to a guy out there in a pick up that worked for the state. He was inspecting what the hunters brought out of there. He said we could only ride on the levies till feb. 5 and it was a 500 dollar fine for going off the levies into the brush. I don't know if it true or not. But if you do go for a night ride better be prepared for some major pushing to get unstuck.

depends on what you ride.....i got stuck like twice today but thats the point.....right?.....

i was out there today too.....they opened up the south side on friday but i was just playing in the mud pit today.....i was bullshitting  with the ranger there today and he didnt mention anything about that to me......what time were you there?

The rule changed for 06-07. Up until last year, ATVs were prohibited until the end of coot season in late January. Now, you can legally-operate ATVs after general gun-walk season ends on 29 October. http://myfwc.com/hunting/wma/2006-07/South/HOLEY_LAND.pdf

was out there again todaY......some guy and a lady must have crashed into each other or something cause they had to be airlifted out by the sheriff.

there was BSO, fire trucks, ambulance, and the sheriff chopper there and instead of turning off the bikes and letting them do their jobs the idiots out there were zooming past them and spraying dust everywhere.....the cops were getting pissed off....i dont blame them

The entrance is north of the canal (In Palm Beach).  Does anyone know what County that falls in?

there were BSO officers there...so its prolly borderline and whichever county can get there first i would assume

Rideable for tomorrow?

i was there earlier and ill be there tommorow

Has the water gone down out there?

Good question, and can you ride both sides?

Question for Aintskeered and Thrumud. A friend was out at holeyland this past sat. night and was told by a game warden they were turning the holeylands into an Atv Park. He said the construction going on east of the parking area is for a welcome center and bathrooms. Anyone else here this? I ask these two guys because they seem to be in the know on these things.javascript:void(0);
Cool

I seriously doubt that they will put a welcome center in the middle of nowhere. It sure would be nice to have the bathrooms though.

bathrooms arent needed.....i bring the kids port a potty and go in that

I can answer that since I pulled copies of the blue prints and spoke to FWC myself, no Holeyland is not going to be turned into an atv park. The construction towards the right where the pavement ends is parking and bathrooms for fishermans and hikers and etc. NOT FOR ATV RIDERS.

We should be behaving extremely good at Holeyland and picking up our trash since many letters are being sent to FWC about complaints of atv riders riding where people have spent the entire day waiting to hunt or about trash or beer bottles.

I have a copy of the letter if anyone wants to actually see it.

We must do our best to save what little we have.

Yes, we should be a bit more cleaner. Arguing about the mess at Holey Lands is pointless at this point. Every weekend the trash gets higher and higher. The hunters can complain all they want about us riding where they are hunting. We pay taxes just like they do and have just as much right to be there as they do. The state has helped them by limiting the ATVs to not going off the Levee during hunt season.

Now, as far as the bathrooms go. The state cant build a bathroom with our tax dollars and only allow the fishermen and hikers to use it. What are they going to do, Put a big sign up that says "No ATVers.... Bathrooms for the non existant hikers and fishermen only"?

Lets be realistic....that area will be flooded with ATVs the minute it opens.

Yes, it's a pig stye of trash out there and it's left mostly by ATVers. What are we waiting for, folks? Do we need more law enforcement in our business to control trash and recklessness? I hope not because that costs money and all I hear is people complaining about the cost for visiting Croom, River Ranch and the proposed fees for ONF.

the trash is left mostly by the people who go out and ride occansionally...i go out there alot with hvyhlr and we pick up our trash...as well as the other usual people that i see there...last weekend there were jugs of acid out there..,WTF is that?

honestly there isnt much trash on the trasils that i have seen...mainly in the parking area.


aint much we can do about it except do cleanup rides there every so often.

I know there has been confusion on when we are allowed to ride our ATVs off the Levees. Here it is right from the Holey Land WMA handbook.

"During the archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun-walk seasons, only ATVs are permitted for hunting. All other vehicles are prohibited in the area except that vehicles are allowed to operate on the L-5 and Miami Canal Levees."

I have read the book 10 times and It is clear that we are only restricted during these seasons. General Gun Vehicle season is now over (Nov 19th) as also our restriction. The area south of the high Levee has been burning all weekend which should clear us some good paths and the ground is starting to dry up.

Also,   

"No person shall operate any all-terrain vehicle, motorized two-wheeled vehicle, or motorized three-wheeled vehicle unless it is equipped with an orange flag at least 10 inches wide and 12 inches long and displayed at a minimum height of 6 feet above the top of the seat."

I got surprised with this a couple of months ago, the only flags I could find were the triangle ones. To this day no FWC officer has said anything about it, but a fellow ATVer today said that a friend of his has recently received a ticket for it.

I'll take a ride out there early Turkey Day morning and post my recon for you girls! :)

I went Saturday. It is still wet. :) Got some good pictures of the fires forestry service was starting to drive the animals west for the hunters.

Turkey Day Recon Report: Just got back. It's drying up. Lots of spots look okay for Utes, but, it'll be another 1-2 weeks before most people, including Sport bikers will enjoy it.

To the idiot who stole my ramps from the back of my truck Tuesday night the 28th.

Its the first time I forgot my lock and chain but figured it would be ok. I parked in the south parking area pointing towards the levee. There was only 2 people fishing on the bridge and you, who we passed back by the pump house. The person that I was with happens to be an acquaintance of yours and recognized you right away. You also do business with a person who is in the next building over in the warehouse area. We didn't see anyone else out there last night at all and we were only gone for a couple of hours. The odds here are 50/50. Do the right thing, you are pretty busted. My bay is E-15, leave them at my bay door or put them in the back of my truck when it is there at night. If I have to buy new ramps for the weekend you will be paying dearly.

Hello,

I am interested in the Holylands, never been there. Could I get some directions, parking etc....

Any good advice is appreciated

Thanks in advance

I will be there Saturday on 4x4

Take US 27 North to Mile Marker 47 and look for the big brown sign in the middle that says "Holey Lands/Rotenberger W.M.A". Make the U-Turn and follow the paved road on the North side of the canal West 5 miles. When the pavement ends there will be parking areas on your left and right side.

The only advice to give is to have fun and take your trash with you when you leave.

Thieves suck! But, the potential consequences of retaliating against someone you can't be certain stole your $100 ramp may cost you a lot more. Buy better ones and secure them. 

Thanks for the info

They should ban thieves. Right Aintskeered ;) :P

Anyone planing on riding out there on Christmas?

Rode there the past two weeks. Great riding................

You gotta be kiddin me!!!  Now, That's the kind of person who's littering out there.  If they are stupid enough to steal, you know they are littering. >:(

I have to admit, I hunted out there during the late 80's & went out there last year to take my kids riding, only to find the litter & trash are out of hand.  It's one of the last riding areas down here & we'll lose it if this disregard for the land continues.  Sadly, people need to throw their garbage in the back of their truck & not on the ground, it's that simple.

I heard there was a big ride going on out there this weekend??

Next weekend on Saturday from 10-1 is a clean up and then after that a ride! You should come out and join us!

I have seen the directions to get to Holey Lands,
 "Take US 27 North to Mile Marker 47 and look for the big brown sign in the middle that says "Holey Lands/Rotenberger W.M.A". Make the U-Turn and follow the paved road on the North side of the canal West 5 miles. When the pavement ends there will be parking areas on your left and right side."

However,  can anyone give me an approximate time to get there from the S.W. 8th street and turnpike area in Miami. I don't know how far mile marker 47 is from the turnpike.

Thanks!

it's about a 45 min drive maybe a few mins more if your slow

Would I get off the Turnpike on Okechobee and just go to mile marker 47 and follow the directions? 

Thanks again for your help!

Yes.  That or take Krome to US 27.

45-60 minutes

1. Is it perfectly legal to ride here? 
2. I know I need a flag, do I need to have the ATV registered also?
3. Are the roads rough, can I take and park my 6 x 16 trailer anywhere?

Thanks to all who respond and give me info, I really appreciate!

There is PLENTY of room for you to park your truck/trailer 8)

It is LEGAL to ride there ;D

I don't think there is an issue with having your ATV registered, ......yet :o

I would like to know where they came up with the rectangle flag dimensions??? :N

EVERYWHERE I look they sell TRIANGLE shaped flags............I can only imagine the meeting of the minds that took place to make that decision :K



What's the latest out there in regards to having the PROPER shape & size flag ????

Off Road,

Thanks for the taking the time to help

Oops, I meant
"Off Rode"

Thanks again!

Planning night ride for this coming Saturday. We'll post a time Friday evening. Buddy did a Sunday recon, discovered miles and miles of dryness.

This Saturday is the Clean-up Ride from 10 - 1 and then riding afterwards.  Since it gets dark around 6:00, come on out, scope the trails after the clean-up and then head out for a night ride.  And you are right; there are miles of dry trail out there.  I was out there for 6 hours this past Saturday.  I'll be there this Saturday, too!

can anyone give me dir. from fort myers to holey lands??????????????new to area & looking for good places to ride

take Alligator Alley to US 27 North, Take 27 North to the Broward/PalmBeach county line (Powerlines) make a u turn heading south app. 1oo feet, there is a side road there w/ a sign that says Holey Lands/Rotenberger.  Take that road about 7 miles west to a staging area.  There ya go....make sure you bring out (trash) what you bring in  :)

Turbo

Thanks for the info allways clean up after myself i like to ride & people that trash places pi :-X :-X me off

FWC all over Holeyland today enforcing all the laws. They issued many $50 fines to people who had those triangular flags, instead of the 10"x12" rectangular ones. They also issued tickets to parents whose kids had no helmets and some reckless operation fines, as well. I warned one  group of morons not to speed past cars, kicking up rocks and mud on the cars. They said OK and then ignored me. 10 minutes later, FWC issued the father of the morons 4 tickets. I'm now convinced it's not going to last long out there.

It breaks my heart knowing that, eventually, we will lose our riding priviledges out there.  Oh sure, we may still be allowed to ride; 15 mph speed limit and any other type of shackling they can think of.  The sad thing is that the very few is ruining it for the many.  And when you try to talk to these people about their habits, they get hostile.  They'll be screaming the loudest once we've lost it and won't even be able to see they were part of the problem all along.  Truly sucks.   ???

They should ban morons! ???

Keeter, your buddies Steve and Alex rode the next day, Sunday. They claim FWC's same Officer Friendly was NOT ticketing anyone for triangular flags. He really is a nice guy, showed us pics of alligators eating Pythons, etc.. But, he's also the ultimate Officer thingy, when you're breaking the law. Few warnings.  You can buy the 10x12 rectangular flags @ Holiday Park for $8, but, you'll need to use your old flag stick. 

anyone on broward county that needs flags... you can get the two piece flag for $17.00
Is called competition cycles in dania beach fl.
954-920-7275

Are Competition's flags 10" x 12" rectangular or are they triangular flags? It matters @ Holeyland!

Hey I was just wondering... I heard a few rumors about some people riding around like idiots in the parking lots and jumping over the roads so somebody reply i don't know what the heck is goin on now??? ???

I herd about someone talking about that. Look for the post that says Holeylands Cleanup Ride= FUTILE...

that's been going on as long as i can remember, just now there's more people,more trash, more problems

my brother is friends with an fwc officer,that patrols holeyland area...fwc is tired of the people who constantly trash the place....the "big wigs" at fwc have been flying over that area and have said it's really out of hand....the enviromentalists are angry because all the vegetation that has been planted out there is being destroyed..of all the area for us to ride,we are tearing up bushes etc....thats what the hype is about lately....one officer reported recently that while flying in ther helicopter that he observed a full-track chasing a deer thru bushes and zig-zagging all over the place,he said the deer apparently ran til his heart quit,the full-track turned around and went back the other direction....so it's not just the atver's,,it's everyone...should we hold our own meeting out there,,maybe post our own signs with rules on it,since fwc doesn't..most people do't know the rules,cuz they don't have a computer...maybe atvflorida should step up to the plate and make a sign,,have bi-monthly meetings in the main parking lot to inform people.........i'm willing to do whatever it takes to save our last riding area........

This is funny stuff. After every fire, and yearly flooding the place returns to its natural beauty. EVERYTIME.
Even the trash disintegrates pretty fast out there. I have been going out there for oh about 30 years and it looks better than ever to me now.
Idiots on 2 strokes will be the ones to get it shut down, that is for sure. I've even stopped taking my 250r 3 wheeler to do my part, and let the Banshee kids think they have fast bikes. :)

A bunch of us are going to Holey Lands on saturday April 7 for some mud riding and a little bit of clean-up.Everytime we ride we try to get some of the trash from there about a garbage bag each. So, if any one is down there we should arrive around 8am and will be there most of the day. There will be 10- 14 of us so we will be one of the bigger groups out there i would imagine.

Thanks ride safe and don't litter

Ignorant stuff there! "Even the trash disintegrates pretty fast out there". Yeah, those plastic bags and aluminum cans you leave just "disintegrate" into OUR garbage bags, Einstein.

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I pick up my stuff, and other peoples, but if you've ever ridden it after a burn you would know what I say is true.

HOWS EVERYBODY DOING I AM NEW TO HOLEY LAND I WENT FOR MY FIRST TIME ON SUNDAY I LOVED IT AND I AM GOING BACK ON SUNDAY APRIL 8. IF ANYBODY CAN HELP I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE TRAILS ARE AND STUFF. THANX IN ADVANCE. BY THE DID PICK UP ABOUT 2 BAGS OF GARBAGE THE SUNDAY SO I AM DOING MY PART AS WELL. THANX

just curious about the garbage thing i plan on bringing a garbage can out 2 a spot i normally park at, i don't plan on leaving any garbage in it, but so that others can put their trash somewhere and take it when they leave, if people do that will it help the situation at all if a few others do the same thing?????

would be nice if fwc would place a huge dumpster out there,but some idiot would bring his old couch out there,refridgerator,and so on,,then we couldn't throw anything in there,but might get lucky and someone will start a fire in it....stiffer fines for violators of littering,speeding on levee roads,under-age drinking,jumping the levee..i think a $500.00 fine for each infraction would be a great start.then the repeat offenders might not come out there anymore cuz they can't afford the fines...problem solved.....we all pay our taxes,,fwc needs to put more officers out there on weekends....just my 0.2 cents.....

and a reply to the silly remark jackl made..dude get real...i guess you would think it was funny if an innocent animal out there was wearing a plastic beer can holder around his neck,or got his foot stuck in your beer bottle,but hey sooner or later the animal will die because of it,,hopefully it desintegrates before that happens....dude ,,you need to think before you post that kind of stuff on here,,thats just plian ignorant on your part....so i guess it's ok to litter only the stuff that will desintergrate...come on now,most people would use that as an excuse,,,but officer i read it on atvflorida that you can do that.....whatever

What the hell is it with peolple blaming f**k**g banshees,Im starting to think people just hate banshees because there faster than there bikes.

actually my brother has a worked 450r that eats banshees,,,but i never see a banshee out in the mud with the utes..just raising hell on the levees which is breaking the speed limit law out there,not to mention wasting the tax payers dollars for fire rescue to come out there and scrape whats left up into the ambulance,or better yet into the helicopter....last time i was out there,a helicopter had to haul a guy out of there,because he was going so fast down the levee road he couldn't avoid a big rock in the road way,went over the handle bars and his face got chewed up by his front tire,and eventually when the quad slowed down,his face skidding across the gravel is what made the thing stop...so yeah,why do banshees,sport bikes go out there?surely not to ride in the mud,and the ones that do attempt to ride in the mud get stuck,i used to be nice and winch them out,,but now i just pass them up...try riding out at the indian reservation,,they made a track for sport bikes......

lol I bet Ive spent about half or less the amount as him and will beat him or give him a run for his money.Anyways let me be like you.WHat about the guys on 400s doing wheelies on the handlebars and standing on there seats huh?Nahh that aint dangerous at all.STOP BLAMING ONE PARTICULAR ATV FOR THE PROBLEMS AT HOLY LANDS.I bet one day a group of people on shees are just gunna go over there empty out all there garbage cans over there.Go up and down the levys a couple times at WOT and just leave.

THE SHEES ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES MAKING PROBLEMS. I HAVE A 450R AND MY FRIEND HAS A WORKED ON SHEE AND WE DO NONE OF THOSE THINGS THOSE RETARDS DO THAT LEADS THEM TO CLOSE HOLEY LAND. DONT BLAME THE QUAD BLAME THE PERSON RIDING IT. BLAME THE IDIOTS THAT RISK THERE LIFES OUT THERE DOING STUPID THINGS. THATS JUST MY 2 CENTS.

An animal wearing a plastic beer holder? This isn't the ocean bud, and most people bring a 12 pack or more, so we don't see the plastic rings..
An Animal with it's foot stuck in a beer bottle (mine no less)?  Bottles break in the coolers my friend, that is why NO ONE carries them mudding.
And yes, biodegradable laws and actions have made it so most trash does disintegrate pretty damn quick these days, and with our 12+ UV factor, it is fast. Never mind a burn. Geez.

THAT said, I don't ride the parking lot and levys. I ride the swamp and very rarely see trash out there EVER.
Seems odd that where the UTES tread it is clean, yet where you guys are it is a dump..hmmmm

You know where I do see it? In piles on the gravel roads and any where else 2x4 guys congregate and park. PILES of BOTTLES and every other kind of crap.

Lets not even talk about the speed limit out there...I don't even know why you guys bother to go. Croom or one of the other MX tracks seems like it would be better choice, but I suspect most of the AH's out there  are on stolen quads anyway and not posting on this board, so please guys...don't be offended by what I say.
I'm only relating my thirty years of experience with the Holey lands.

I also think that stiffer fines for those who don't want to follow the laws may help out. A couple of friends and I ride Sport Bikes and started going to Holey Land not too long ago. And I don't see what’s so hard about following the rules. There is so much open land out there that there is no reason you have to speed on the levy. We do to get to open the bikes up on the trails.

I would hate to see this place shut down for ATV use because some people don't have respect.

I was out there yesterday from 6 to 8pm and had a blast. Still dry enough for sport bikes to have some fun.

holey is a awesome place to ride for both 4x4 and sport quads. but we got idiots that come in there stolen quads and think they got it bad. the high fine is a great idea. cause is they have stolen quads i doubt they can pay a 500 dollar fine. i am also with jackl on his comment. i went out there wednesday and picked up atleast 2 bags and a half of garbage. its a shame how dirty ppl are i bet they dont do this in their house.

LOL, so this is your can??

(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/kr-yppy/holeylands/IMG_3874.jpg)

You will notice the lack of all this trash I am hearing about. Damn vultures were making a mess around the can. it needs a lid.

jackl,your missing the point..littering is against the law,plain and simple.thats the point i'm trying to make!!!!i go out there for the mud,not the levy.with the money i spent on tires not going to tear them up riding levies...and your right,us guys with utes spend our time way out there,not hanging around the parking lot trashing the place....no offense man,but like i said littering is littering!!

I'm sure that if who ever litters gets a hefty fine he will at least think twice about it before doing it again. This is more about people than it is about the type of bike they ride. I have been out to Croom where the majority of bikes i see are sport quads and I don't see a trash issue. I bet if they made a gate at the entrance and charged a yearly fee and the bikes had to be registered we would get some of this problem solved. That way they can take that money and put a trash can out there and a security guard to monitor at least the parking area and those who go out there with stolen bikes can't get in.

If a gate goes up there, you can be sure no one but hunters and fishermen are getting in it. NO 2 Strokes, I can guarantee you that. This place IS NOT AN ATV PARK, nor is it an MX track. It is a Wildlife Management Area period with pretty open rules.
FWC doesn't have time to chase losers litters around. Their is what 2 - 3 at most out there on the weekends?

The only way the problem YOU guys are describing will be cured is to ban riding on the levys over 5 mph., and enforce it hardcore, or hire a guy to clean the parking area every Monday morning.

Holey lands is the only place to ride in S. Florida that has the mud and swamp that all of us with 4x4 quads enjoy.I have to agree with Jackle on there is very little trash if any where we ride.( no i have not riden with jackle as far as i know) All down the levy and on the trails my god it's like a flipping dump. Now i am sure some come from the 4x4's can't blame the sport guys for everything.With that said,it's like 2 differant places out there.We need to keep it CLEAN!!!
I do like the idea of fining people for littering and the idea of having only registered bikes out there, ie: OHV stickers. I would go as far to bet if that happened 1/2 the sport quads would dissapear from there and more than half the trash. I have 3 bikes and all are registered (1 for sale).

I have even thought of making a sign up and posting it saying that all vehicles entering Holeylands/Rothen must have Fl registration or you may lose your vehicle. I was advised not to do that by a local law enforcement officer.

 Anyways let keep the place clean and safe and Lets be RESPONSIBLE

It's not the only place. Big Cypress is an alternative which I think you would like. Macs as well.. :)

River Ranch is also awesome.

you said it jackyl,,only losers litter.............i'm 100% for the gate and only letting registered bikes out there,that would be a start..i wouldn't mind paying $ 50.00 per year per bike out there,would be a great start in getting more fwc guys out there..i have 3 utes,that would be 150.00 from me each year times that by the 100,000 plus recreational vehicles listed for this area,thats a hefty start to insuring our riding area remains open

3 months of zero-tolerance enforcement would do the trick.  The only problem is that FWC has better things to do than be professional baby-sitters and then spend hundreds of hours in court making certain that the thousands of tickets that would be written were prosecuted.  I am TIRED, TIRED, TIRED of this sh*t.  The most agonizing thing is the guilty will be the ones crying the loudest.

On a positive note even with all the losers out there that don't give a damn. I have met some really cool people out riding. It's nice to know that there are some good and friendly people left out there. Most of the people i have encountered at Holey Land or even the MX track for that matter have been really friendly. It just makes the day that much better. I just hope that we all stick together and not only make sure Holey Land stays open but that we get more land to ride at.

In the field, all 99% of the riders you meet are cool. It is on the internet where people get rude...must be the stuck at home thing....

well maybe we can setup a volunteer date to clean up and prove to them we can protec our few legal riding areas

I am up for a clean up ride. But we can't continue to clean up other peoples mess. I say we start calling people on it. Start treating this place like our house and if we see anyone making a mess or doing stupid things we should tell them to stop. There are only a handful of people that do not follow the rules, the majority of the people are there to have a good time and follow the rules.

i rode yesterday and saw so much garbage,i even  pick up couple of broken beer bottles

Well guys, the areas I ride are being cleaned by mother nature as we speak. Maybe DOF should do a weekly burn of the parking lot.

are they still having that event the first of may

lol, not what i had in mind, looks like ill bring and leave with my own can

really and truly its the scumbags that decide to camp by the mudpit and the lake that leave all their s&*t lying around when they leave...i even saw a drum set out there 2 weeks ago...they have no respect for the area. and alot of them are people in their late teens who go out there to party and what not....the sad fact is there is nothing we can do on a constant basis to keep people from trashing the place nor is it a situation that FWC wants to deal with....i think they will soon shut it donw to us riding out there and that sucks cause it really is a fun day with the family and friends out there......also whats going on with the fires out there...i know they are not burning anymore but are they letting riders out there now.....i heard no riders allowed for a little while......can anyone shed any light on that cause we were gonna ride this weekend?

i rode sat.afternoon.fwc says only on the north side are we allowed to ride for now

It is all good now. Everything is open.

as worms has stated,over by the lake where people camp out is terrible,the amount of garbage left behind...no respect!!

Honestly, it has always been like that. 20 years ago you would be dodging washing machines and refrigerators.
The airboat/fulltrack and hunters have that place pretty safe from loss I understand.

A very good portion of the trash everyone is mad about these days comes from kids partying out there at night. Heck, I did it when I was 16, but no one cared about beer cans and plastic bags because dump trucks were flooding the place with REAL garbage.

It is closed now because it is a major tinderbox right now. I rode it Friday and was afraid to have a cigarette.
It is for your own protection that it is closed, trust me when i say you do not want to be in the middle of a sawgrass fire...been there. It will reopen when it rains. Everyone relax...and take your trash home with you.

I've been seeing FWC start to get on those punks now latley also.

lets hope so.....i started riding out there in september and the trash situation wasnt anything like it is now.....

is it open yet?

No, not enough people doing the rain dance.

I wish you guys would get on that. Macs is perfect now FYI.

yea its perfect for 4x4 not sport quads

Macks was perfect for sport quads up until today, and in a few days it probably will be again.
I am told little kids were running 90's two miles south of the boat ramp.

The Holeylands has been taking some rain, I believe it will be open soon, and Macks will be airboat country once again.

ya i went 2 macks sunday with my 4x4 it was so dry i was scared 2 ride threw the trails and start anoter fire, so i stayed on the levys away from the grass

You need to go down the boat ramp and head south. It is anything but dry!

This is from last week about one mile south of the boat ramp.

(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/kr-yppy/macs5102007/th_MVI_6029.jpg) (http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/kr-yppy/macs5102007/?action=view&current=MVI_6029.flv)

Can anybody tell me where MACS is?  I am a 40 year RESPONSIBLE rider who goes out on his 4 x 4 to have fun.  I always pick up my garbage.  Any help would be appreciated

US 27 To Krome Ave west to macs fish camp >:D

 :o  hi everyone

so, just thought i would mention this, i was out riding about a month ago on like a tues night, when its empty out there. anyways, so these drunkin show up and flip a huge RV and then try and get us( three girls) to help roll it back over! we i told them thats not possible they got all mad and just started walking towards 27.. so you not only need to now watch out for people acting like ass's on the weekend,you need to on a damn tues night! >:D

The FWC is proposing rule changes which will prohibit ATVs from Holeylands and this topic was last replied to days ago. In addition, a couple of other Holeylands posts were started to alert people and few are responding. What's worse is those same people who are not responding to this threat are taking the time to post about John Couey and Castro. What's wrong with you folks?
http://www.atvflorida.com/forum/index.php/topic,27081.0.html

Holey Land WMA - establish a 105-day small game season; allow the use of ATVs for hunting purposes only and only during archery, muzzleloading gun and general gun-walk seasons; and allow the use of ATVs for scouting purposes two weeks prior to archery season and one week prior to the start of muzzleloading gun and general gun-walk seasons.

The above is on the docket at todays meeting  The same goes for Ruttenburg I am afraid!

Hopefully this will not pass or we loose a very large part of why we have ATVs[

the meeting is over, fwc already posted news, and sofar there is no mention about it.....we will see...

Well, that's still not clear to me because they've always had those particular hunting seasons. And, until this past year, ATVs were not allowed at all during those hunting seasons. Could it merely mean that ATVs will be allowed in non-hunting seasons and only during hunting season, if you're hunting?[/font][/color] I'll be heading down to Outdoor World for my gun, gun rack and hunting license, that's all.

It's not clear to me at all.

I think the limits are ONLY DURING HUNTING SEASON.

That is my interpretation of it.  I don't mind, as long as FWC isn't kicking me out, I'm riding there.  And even when they do kick me out, I have a SAR (search and rescue) idea in mind ;)  Red and white lights on th 4 wheeler will look amazing :)

Anyway, that law is not clear enough.  I think that they are limiting ATV's during hunting season.  All the other laws are changes to hunting...makes sense...I don't know, I'm just a rider.

are they going to close down holey lands?

Pretty much, July 1 2008, RIP Holeylands.