Safety-first advice for your first ATV ride at Cobles Landing — gear, waivers, trail etiquette, riding with kids, and how to finish the day tired in the good way.
An ATV trail ride is the loudest, grinniest part of a weekend at Cobles Landing. It is also the part where a few minutes of preparation makes the whole difference between a great story and a hard lesson. Here are the five things we tell every first-time rider before the engines start.
1. The waiver comes first
Every rider — and every parent or guardian of a young rider — completes our ATV Participant Agreement before heading out. It only takes a few minutes, and doing it ahead of time means you are not standing in the sun filling out paperwork while everyone else is warming up. You can complete it online at our ATV waiver page.
No waiver, no ride. That is not us being difficult; that is us making sure everybody goes home the way they arrived.
2. Gear is not optional
Helmets are required, full stop. Beyond that, wear closed-toe boots with ankle support, long pants, gloves, and eye protection. Leave the loose scarves, hoodie strings, and flip-flops at the campsite. Dress for dust and mud, because you will find both.
If you are riding with a child, size their gear to them. An adult helmet on a young rider is not protection — it is a hazard.
3. Know your machine before you know the trail
Take five minutes in an open area to get familiar with the throttle, brakes, and turning radius of the specific machine you are on. Every ATV feels different. Check tire pressure, brakes, and fuel before you set off, and make sure you know how to shut it down quickly.
Ride seated, feet on the boards, weight forward on climbs and back on descents. Speed is the single biggest factor in trail injuries, and our trails reward a rider who takes them slow enough to actually see them.
4. Trail etiquette keeps everyone safe
Ride single file, keep a full machine-length between riders, and never pass without a signal and clear line of sight. Announce your intention before turning off a trail. Stay on marked routes — going off-trail damages the land we work hard to keep, and it puts you in terrain nobody has scouted.
If you would rather move at a quieter pace for part of the day, our nature trails are right there for walking, and the gun range runs on its own set of safety rules for anyone who wants to add that to the itinerary.
5. Plan the day around the family
Ride in the cooler parts of the day, carry water, and build in breaks. Little riders and first-timers fatigue faster than they will admit, and tired hands make mistakes on the throttle. Two shorter rides beat one long one nearly every time.
Book your ride and check the current pricing on our Rates & Booking page. Then get here early, gear up right, and take that first lap slow — the trail will still be there on the second one.