One-of-a-kind experience on the road map

A TV enthusiasts will soon have a new place to play when Muddy Bottoms ATV and Recreation Park opens to the public in 2014.

Ground has already been broken on the 5,000-acre site near Springhill, which is about 50 miles northeast of Shreveport.

According to the park’s publicity, it will be the largest facility of its kind in the nation. The developers said they want to offer ATV enthusiasts a unique experience that will “be an outdoorlovers dream, with multiple terrains to create an ATV rider’s paradise. Among the many features will be a vast mud bog, a giant outdoor amphitheater and a huge spray park and playground.”

Park Manager Jeff Dorst and Brandie Madden, the events coordinator for the park, are busy putting the finishing touches on the plans for the facility.

Dorst said roads and drainage are in the midst of construction and some of the concrete for structures is about to be poured. Madden said the first thing visitors will see when they arrive is the large Welcome Center that will provide easy access to the park. Other features on the planning table are a general store, pro shop, garage manned by trained mechanics, a fueling station and a covered picnic pavilion with food court.

Madden said one unique feature of Muddy Bottoms will be a bathhouse.

“It’ll have a shower side for the women, a shower side for the men and a lobby/ waiting area. That’s something you don’t see at a lot of ATV parks.”

She said the pro shop and store would offer food items as well as merchandise for sale, as well as stocking some camping items for people who realize they forgot something while packing. She added that the covered pavilion will give people a convenient place to enjoy their food out of the sun and dirt.

Currently the plans call for accommodating as many as 170 recreational vehicles with the necessary hook-ups. There will also be three cabins available to rent and plenty of space for campers to toss a tent or dry camp, if they prefer.

“We did a lot of research, going to different parks,” Madden said.

Their goal was to see what worked, what visitors in this area would want in an ATV park, and to find things that would make Muddy Bottoms special.

“Nothing is really set in stone yet,” she said. “We’re trying to really figure out what fits best for us.”

One thing she said they hope comes to fruition is using the park’s amphitheater for concert events. Some of those evenings will bring in “big name” acts, but Madden said the hope is to make the park a venue for local bands to entertain their audiences as well.

The facility won’t just cater to ATVs, although that will be the primary focus.

Madden said because of the popularity of trucks, they are considering some events that will give truck off-roaders a chance to enjoy the facility, too.

“One thing that I think is going to be a real gathering area is the ATV wash,” Madden said. “When we were in Florida [researching other parks], that was where everybody seemed to hang out. It’s a place to cool off, and I think it’s going to be a big hit.”

She said the planning wouldn’t be over when the park opens next year.

The management team plans to see how things play out over time and adjust the offerings to reflect what customers are looking for in an ATV and recreation park.

Madden said interest has exploded on the park’s Facebook page. “We’ve really just been blown away with the response. We’ve gotten over 11,000 ‘likes’ in one month. It’s still growing.”

Dorst is not worried about enthusiasts finding Springhill. “There is a huge following in this industry. Most of these four-wheeler parks are out in the middle of nowhere,” he said. “An advantage we have over them is that we have several larger cities within driving distance closer to us. Little Rock, Shreveport, Texarkana, Monroe, all those guys are well within driving distance. When you have a passion, it doesn’t really matter how far you have to drive as long as its worth it. This park is going to exceed far and away everything I’ve ever been to.”

Target date for Muddy Bottoms to open to the public is April 2014, and reservations to schedule activities are already being made. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ muddybottomsatv.