ATV Adventures: NUATV Club is going strong after 18 years
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- Stopping on an NUATV club ride with Chimney Rock in the background.
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- Stopping on an NUATV club ride with Chimney Rock in the background.
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- On the Chimney Rock Trail with the NUATV club in the San Rafael Swell.
In March of 2008, I wrote an article for the Ogden newspaper about the need for an ATV club in northern Utah. We planned a meeting at the Clearfield Library in April for anyone interested. Forty people showed up at that first meeting.
We worked together to organize the club. The first order of business was to come up with a name and a logo. The name we started with was the Northern Utah ATV Trail Riders. That later morphed to the NUATV Club from the website that was developed (www.nuatv.com). A logo was designed, which was switched out for the one we use today.
We borrowed a set of bylaws from the Snow Flake Snowmobile Club and modified them to fit our club. It took people with special skills to have a successful club. We needed a website, people who knew where to ride, people who knew how to lead a ride, and people who were good at organizing.
The first club ride was in the Sheep Rock Mountains west of Vernon. We had a lot of growing pains, and we have come a long way. Today’s club is a first-rate, well-oiled machine, able to serve the OHV community.
That was over 18 years ago. The club now has a membership of over 450 and a calendar packed with opportunities to ride Utah’s beautiful backcountry. Rides are not restricted to just Utah – rides have been organized to explore Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming.
The club moto is, “Adventure and Inspiration Around Every Turn.” The invitation is open to join this group of like-minded people and learn about places to ride. One of the biggest challenges to a person who buys an OHV is where to ride – this club has the answer.
The invitation is on the “About Us” page of the website. “We are an ATV club based in beautiful Northern Utah, bringing together adventurous, fun-loving riders who share a passion for exploring the outdoors. Our members enjoy spending time on the trails with family and friends while experiencing the incredible landscapes our region has to offer. The club was established to promote ATV recreation, encourage responsible riding, preserve and expand trail opportunities, and explore the natural beauty of Utah and the surrounding states.”
The club has a Facebook page that will give you an idea of what their rides are about. You will see video clips of real-time trail experiences. You will also see genuine smiles on the faces of club members enjoying these rides. At Your Leisure (AYL) is well acquainted with the club and has featured many of their rides on their weekly TV show.
The NUATV website is a treasure box for members. GPS tracks for all the club rides are posted. Even if you weren’t able to go on a given ride, the tracks are available to download so you can plan to ride the trail on your own.
The club offers a wide variety of club attire on the website, including hats, hoodies, short- and long-sleeved T-shirts, neck gators, and club whip flags. There is a calendar of upcoming events, including descriptions of scheduled rides and sign-up sheets. You will also find information on ATV Jamborees held in counties throughout the state.
The club meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 pm in a conference room on the north end of the Comfort Inn and Suites just off I-15 at 21st Street in Ogden. You don’t have to be a member to attend the meetings. Come and see what the club has to offer. Before every meeting, there is a potluck meet-and-greet event. It is a great opportunity to mingle with club members.
Many members of the club are great ride leaders. As members of the club, they learn about trails to ride and how to successfully lead rides. No one is going to be critical – the members are all volunteers. You are leading a ride, and people want to know where you are going to take them.
The club uses the drop system on all its rides. It is a system where a rider is dropped at an intersection to direct traffic, and no one gets lost. Dues are $75 per family of up to four members, and include a spring picnic and a reduced price for the annual Christmas Party. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and check out the NUATV Club.
Lynn R. Blamires can be reached at quadmanone@gmail.com.
