Louisiana is one of the least populated states in the United States of America; it is the 25th most populated state. It has a varying landscape comprising different parks, forests, beaches, mountains, and islands. Let us look at the ATV laws in Louisiana and the places to ride an ATV legally.
Louisiana ATV laws include: all ATVs must be registered, titled, and have valid liability insurance. ATVs can be operated on the shoulder of public highways and roads. You can ride your ATV in Zona ATV Recreation Park, Plaquemines Off-road Park, Sandstone Trail, and Silver Creek Campground.
ATV riding is a fun and exciting activity to engage in; however, it gets better when you are riding in the right place with challenging terrain. Louisiana has many places with good terrain where you can enjoy your ATV riding with friends and families.
Louisiana ATV Laws
Louisiana classifies ATVs as off-road vehicles with a weight less than 75 pounds, a length of 85 inches, a width of 48 inches, and are not legal for highway use. The ATV laws of Louisiana are fully enforced; violation of these laws attracts some consequences like your ATV might be seized, you can be fined, or in some cases, you might serve a jail term. Below are Louisiana ATV laws:
- Every ATV in Louisiana must be titled and registered; after registration, you will receive a decal which must be fixed to your ATV within 30 days after purchase.
- ATVs can be operated on the shoulder of public highways and roads except for interstate highways as long as the ATV is used exclusively for agricultural-related activities and the operator has a valid driver's license.
- All ATV operators are expected to have valid liability insurance for their ATVs.
- ATVs can be operated on the streets of Louisiana by university or college employees, certified emergency technician paramedics, and law enforcement officers in the course of their employment.
- You can cross public roads and highways with an ATV in Louisiana.
- You can ride an ATV on the shoulder of any public road and highway except interstate highway during the daylight hours from 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset.
- Before operating an ATV in any Louisiana state park, your ATV must be properly licensed by the appropriate authorities.
- While operating an ATV in a state park in Louisiana, you must not exceed the speed of 15 mph.
- It is illegal to service, clean, or repair an ATV in any state park unless in emergencies or a designated area.
- To operate an ATV in Wildlife Management Areas, you must have a WMA permit.
- Physically challenged people and individuals older than age 60 are expected to operate an ATV in the special trails available for the physically challenged.
Where Can You Ride An ATV In Louisiana?
Louisiana is well known for its natural beauty; it has mountainous terrain and many forests. If you are looking for a good place to go ATV riding, Louisiana is one of the best states for a good adventure. There are several places in Louisiana with varieties of terrains that you can go ATV riding. Let us look at a few places to ride an ATV in Louisiana.
Sandstone Trail
Sandstone Trail is a 36-mile trail that winds through a scenic longleaf pine forest and consists of clay and sand. There are several water crossings, sandstones, speed bumps, and sticky red dirt on this trail. This trail is open from May 1st till December 31st; vehicles allowed at this trail must not exceed 50inches in width.
Dirt bikes, UTVs, ATVs, Motorcycles, and SXSs, are the off-road vehicles permitted at this trail; others like Jeeps, Sandrail 4x4s, SUVs, and Dune buggies are prohibited. All vehicles in this area must have a spark arrestor exhaust silencer or an end cap and must not exceed the noise limit of 99 decibels.
The terrain at Sandstone Trail is mostly sandy but also contains hardpack, berms, sand and gravel pits, water crossings, mud, small jumps, steep hills, rocks, loose dirt, dust, and trees. There is no fee for parking or entry into this trail; however, you will have to pay a fee of $5 to ride on this trail.
Zona ATV Recreation Park
Zona ATV Recreation Park is an off-road park with 500 acres of ATV trails, sand tracks, mud pits, and plenty of space for primitive camping. This park has several amenities, such as restrooms, a spray wash station, a café, a sand beach swimming area, and a dump station for RVs.
Entry and riding into this park cost $10 each; camping is allowed, and renting a tent costs $10.00. The terrain in this area is mostly sand and mud; however, there are also water crossings, shades, trees, berms, sand and gravel pits, rocks, dust, hardpack, loose dirt, and small jumps.
Jeeps, Sandrail 4x4s, SUVs, and Dune buggies are prohibited at this park; the vehicles allowed are ATVs, Motorcycles, SXSs, Dirt bikes, and UTVs. Zona ATV Recreation Park is always open during the weekends and holidays. Fishing is also permitted in this area.
Silver Creek Campground
Silver Creek Campground offers about 10 miles of trails that range from rolling hills to mud holes and wood trails. It is a family-friendly recreational park with some basic amenities like a laundromat, meeting room, swimming pools, game room, office, store, kids' playground, a pavilion with a stage, a volleyball court, and a basketball court.
This park is open all year round from dawn till dusk. The vehicles permitted at this park are UTVs, ATVs, SXSs, Dirt bikes, and Motorcycles; others like Dune buggies, SUVs, Sandrail 4x4s, and Jeeps are prohibited. Night riding, camping, and campfires are permitted at this park.
The terrain at Silver Creek Campground is mostly hard-packed but also consists of loose dirt, trees, dust, mud, and berms. Entry into this recreational park costs $7.00 while riding costs $15.00 per rider. You can make payment with either check, cash, debit card, or credit card.
Where Can’t You Ride An ATV In Louisiana?
Some parks in Louisiana do not allow entry for ATVs. The prohibition of ATVs is due to different reasons; however, some of these areas allow other off-road vehicles like Dirt bikes, Jeeps, and Dune buggies.
The places where you cannot ride an ATV in Louisiana are Ambush MX Park, Desoto MX Park, Arcola MX, Leesville Motor Sports Park LLC, Catahoula Recreation Club, Full Throttle MX Park, and Zmans MX.
There are also some places that were previously open to ATVs but were closed for some reason. It is illegal to ride an ATV in such areas; these areas are ATV Mud Fury, Cypress Knee Mud Park, Bon Temps ATV Park, Frog Capital MX, Marengo Swamp Trail, and Red Creek NOLA Off-road Park.
Can You Ride An ATV On The Streets In Louisiana?
It is against the law to ride an ATV on the streets in Louisiana; however, ATVs are allowed to be operated on the shoulder of public streets. ATV operation on any public street is allowed within 30 minutes after sunrise till 30 minutes before sunset.
No matter the modifications you make to your ATV, it cannot be street legal. Louisiana does not allow street-legal ATVs, unlike other states.
Final Thoughts
Louisiana is a very beautiful state and has various parks, areas, and trails where you can ride your ATV. You get to experience fun on a higher and better level when you go ATV riding in Louisiana.
However, there is one thing you should be aware of, Louisiana ATV laws. In all your operations, you should ensure you comply with all the laws.
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Shawn Manaher loves to play with new toys and dive into new hobbies. As a serial entrepreneur, work definitely comes first but there is always room for hobbies.