by Josh Wayman
Torque Staff Writer
Just a few miles south of where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers collide, and right outside Bardwell, Kentucky, sits a free-to-use off-roading location called Wright’s Area 252. While its trail system was mostly designed for UTV and ATV riders, Wright’s Area 252 owners have also been making the push for more full-size 4x4 vehicles across their park’s vast 252 acres.
With more riders, comes more risk for damage and litter. So, to protect the 12 miles of beautiful trails, volunteers recently installed educational signage in the park to encourage safe and responsible riding thanks to a grant from Quadratec’s ’50-for-50’ Trail Stewardship Initiative.
For most of 2022, and all of 2023, Quadratec is helping promote sustainable off-road trail use through 50 grants in 50 states in partnership with Tread Lightly!. The Bardwell project was the program's 16th overall trail improvement event.
In Bardwell, to celebrate the debut of these new signs, Quadratec also hosted a Jeeps and Java event with free coffee and donuts for about 100 attendees. Following the morning’s gathering, everyone was able to ride the site's trails and see the freshly installed signs for themselves.
“Trail riding has been a staple in my life since I was a small child, and I have so many great memories of being on the trails with my family & friends,” said Area 252’s Dee Wright. “Many of these experiences and memories have contributed to who I am today. We are happy to be able to provide an opportunity for others to enjoy riding and making memories of their own.”
Wright’s Area 252 Riding Park has been open to the public for over 10 years.
“As knowledge of our trails has spread, the number of riders has increased,” Wright said. “This has unfortunately led to an increase in the amount of litter, trailblazing and trespassing. The installation of our new signage that was provided by the Quadratec 50 for 50 program will help us keep responsible trail riding on the forefront of our riders' minds. It has also provided an opportunity to keep the conversation going by sharing the Tread Lightly! message through various resources at our Trading Post and hosting additional trail clean-up events.
”We hope that our riders will truly understand the message and adhere to responsible off-roading tips so we will all be able to enjoy the trails for years to come.”
The ’50-for-50’ Trail Stewardship Initiative grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs. Additionally, Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding.
