ATV Friendly Colorado Town??? Town in CO that has what I'm looking for? (Grand Junction: real estate, house)

[Switchback]

This post might sound kind of whimsical in nature, but I promise you, I'm serious..

My wife and I are huge ATV'ing fans....

I've seen the real estate prices and property tax rates around Durango, and my budget would allow for a $300K home..

We have one child left at home (10 yr old) and two girls in college and on their own, and are ready to make our move..

I work as a Criminal Investigator (Special Agent) for a Federal Agency in Central, TX, with 17 years to go until mandatory retirement. I can easily transfer to a Colorado office on a lateral transfer, because no one wants to pay for their own move as I would have to do for a lateral transfer..

We've recently sold our country-home in Central Texas, to make ourselves more "mobile" as I won't have the hassle of selling my house for a promotion-move or lateral transfer to another one of my agency's offices, because we are serious about soon making a move.

I am interested in transferring to one of the Western Offices my agency has in Colorado, of which there are two:

1.Grand Junction
2.Durango

I'd like to know if it is reasonable to expect to find a $300K or less (decent home, 2000sf or better) "near" Durango that backs up to some sort of public land on which we can ride the ATV's...

We love to ride our ATV's, but HATE trailering them somewhere, and there is almost NOWHERE in Central Texas where you can ride without trailering to, so the ATV's are getting rusty in the garage..

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS IF WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR ACTUALLY EXISTS...?

1.A decent country-setting home within reasonable commuting distance of downton Durango or Grand Junction.

2.Within a reasonable commuting distance to grocery/walmart/movie theater etc..

3.Backed up to or near public land/govt land or ATV trails that are interconnected to other networks of trails..

4.Where we can ride out the backyard or down the dirt road from the house on ATV's and hit public land, and theoretically ride through the mountains and camp, fish etc.. for days..

Is this simply a fantasy-land that doesn't exist??

[Josseppie]

I would say yes. Personally I think you would like GJ better as its more of a city but has great suburbs but I would visit both and then make up your mind. This is about the same advise as in the other thread.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Switchback

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS IF WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR ACTUALLY EXISTS...?

Probably more likely in AZ, NV, or Southern CA.

[Shuffler]

There is a big anti-motorized recreation movement afoot in Colorado, so it's wrong to assume that you're going to have many riding options in the coming years...the USFS trend is to shut down access which will result in more users on fewer trails, and more conflict among hikers/equestrians/mtbs/OHVs on the trails that still carry the 'multi use' designation.

In my circles I hear a lot of anti-ATV grumbling as their use has exploded here over the past 10yrs or so and a lot of people seem to have their own "Idiot on an ATV" story to tell. Some folks around here call them "Texas Wheelchairs". The enviros hate them...unfortunately they also have a lot of clout and are very successful at lobbying for trail closures and restricted use areas. Read up on these issues at COHVCO, Blue Ribbon Coalition, and the AMA websites. If you're not a member, you need to be.

The growth in population and explosion in sales/use of ATVs and other motorized recreation in these parts is also leading to its demise, unfortunately.

So yes, mostly what you are looking for is a fantasy unless you have millions of dollars to buy your own section of private land, and even then you might be told what you can or can't do on it, and would probably get ticketed for riding your ATV down a public road or highway without a license. You can plate dirt bikes in CO, but I don't think you can plate an ATV...in some places they don't care...Durango isn't one of them.

In a nutshell, your dollar probably isn't going to go as far here as it would in TX...and the idyllic mountain communities you dream of probably have dwindling budgets as living-wage jobs and tax revenues dry up.

[Switchback]

Great, informative posts.. Thanks a million..

[Luke9686]

Try New Hampshire, it's most free state in the union.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Luke9686

Try New Hampshire, it's most free state in the union.

And about the physical size of 2 or 3 Colorado counties (out of 64 counties).

Comparison:

New Hampshire land area - 8,968 square miles

Colorado land area - 103,717 sq. miles

Colorado's two biggest counties in area

Las Animas 4,773 sq. miles
Moffat 4,755 sq. miles

[Shuffler]

On the subject of the East, but not to derail a CO thread:

Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands: ATV Program

[Amy WJ]

We are connected to trails in VA around our property that are popular with the teenage ATV riders. A couple years ago a 16 yr old was decapitated when he hit a chain that crossed a road on private property. How tragic for all concerned.

Our CO property adjoins BLM land and many of the people who live nearby like to ride their ATVs around. Some folks don't realize when they are crossing onto private property or maybe they just don't care. Regardless, I hate ATVs and I don't want them on my land. They tear up our meadows and leave tracks that I don't care to have. Worse yet, if someone falls into a glory hole on my property I will likely be sued for their accidental death or injuries! ATVs certainly serve a purpose and I may even own one someday but I don't appreciate those who ride around with no purpose tearing up my land.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Amy WJ

We are connected to trails in VA around our property that are popular with the teenage ATV riders. A couple years ago a 16 yr old was decapitated when he hit a chain that crossed a road on private property. How tragic for all concerned.

Our CO property adjoins BLM land and many of the people who live nearby like to ride their ATVs around. Some folks don't realize when they are crossing onto private property or maybe they just don't care. Regardless, I hate ATVs and I don't want them on my land. They tear up our meadows and leave tracks that I don't care to have. Worse yet, if someone falls into a glory hole on my property I will likely be sued for their accidental death or injuries! ATVs certainly serve a purpose and I may even own one someday but I don't appreciate those who ride around with no purpose tearing up my land.

I can't think of anywhere in Colorado where using ATV's is popular and I am sure there are plenty of restrictions of their use on public land. It's just something I don't see like in other states. One possibility is that due to the winter weather lasting so long, it's just not as popular.

I understand the concerns about these atv riders on private land. I had to deal with that issue this past year with atv riders not respecting private property and in addition acting like hooligans while on it. With the legal situation in this country it doesn't pay to let people like this on your land.