Side-by-sides are great fun, and offer the opportunity to explore terrain that would be challenging to conquer on foot or even on two wheels. To some, they’re the ultimate in off-road transportation. They’re light, small and easy to operate. You can ride them slowly over technical obstacles, or fill your need for speed on well-groomed trails and fire roads. Best of all, because of their side-by-side seating configuration, you can enjoy a day of off-roading in the company of a friend or loved one – or even more passengers in a two-row side-by-side. Passengers don’t need to have any skills or expertise, just a hunger for adventure and the willingness to strap on a helmet and buckle in to a seat.
Because side-by-sides can be tough on the terrain, it’s important to seek out approved, legal venues for riding, and to stick to the marked trails at those venues. Many OHV areas overlap with wildlife habitats, so respect the animals that you encounter, give them wide berth and treat their homes with care. I highly recommend visiting the Treadlightly.org website before your first adventure for tips and tricks about how to be a responsible side-by-side operator.
Here are five of the best side-by-side destinations in the United States:
Moab is the Mecca of off-roading. Located in Grand County in southeastern Utah, it is a remote hilly desert area with miles and miles of sandstone outcroppings that attract mountain bikers, four-wheelers and motorcyclists year-round. The famous trails near Moab offer incredible vistas, challenging climbs and descents, and surfaces with unbelievable grip. Epic riding at its best.
Stay at the Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn or Best Western Plus Greenwell Inn at the end of your side-by-side day.
The Imperial Sand Dunes in Glamis, California are a wonder of nature, with over 20,000 acres of ever-changing landscape, powdery sand dunes and amazing bowls and valleys. A California State Park and OHV park, Glamis is a popular destination for side-by-sides all year long. The Best Western Plus Main Street Inn is a cozy sanctuary from the sand in Brawley, just 25 miles from Glamis.
The Ridge Outdoor Adventure Park in Springville, Alabama is a private park with over 35 miles of wilderness trails available for side-by-side adventures. The hills of Alabama are lush and green, and the trails offer many challenges and discoveries along the way. The park also features fishing, zip-lines, a kids motocross track and more fun for the whole family. About a half-hour drive from Birmingham, there’s plenty to explore when your riding day is through.
The Best Western Plus Bass Hotel and Suites is just 14 miles from Springville and the Ridge Outdoor Adventure Park.
A state park with over 54 miles of designated OHV trails, St. Joe State Park is just 70 mile south of St. Louis. Missouri is one of those amazing midwestern states that reverts to its natural beauty as soon as you escape its urban clusters, which is a great feature for side-by-side enthusiasts. Leave your cares behind and ride through the trees, over the hills and through shallow creeks in the lush wilderness. When your family tires of riding, head back into St. Louis and go to the top of the arch for a view of the Mississippi River. The Best Western St. Louis Inn provides great access to the city and beyond.
Up near the Canadian border, folks live on their snowmobiles in the winter and side-by-sides in the summer. Pittsburgh, New Hampshire is the home of Bear Rock Adventures a wilderness guide and side-by-side rental company with access to the hundreds of miles of public OHV trails in the state. New Hampshire may be the most side-by-side-friendly state in the union, with a connected network of organizations who mark and maintain trails and rights-of-way that make it possible to traverse the entire region without ever hitting pavement. Be sure to visit the top of Mount Washington, the windiest spot on earth. A winding gravel road up the mountain is a thrill ride on a side-by-side, and the weather station at the summit is an educational bonus. Visit the Best Western Plus Landmark Inn in historic Laconia, New Hampshire for an overnight stay, just 130 miles south of Pittsburg.