Overall this activity has a lot to offer. But (at least on the day we were there) it was not well organized.
The first part was an ATV tour. You can go with a guide or go on your own. It doesn’t cost more to use a guide although you should probably tip them if they do a good job. My ATV was very dirty and very used. Some of the minor pieces were loose. However, on the trail, it performed well and seemed reliable. They give you a crash course on operating it which I think is adequate for most. Then they give you a few minutes to drive around a little trail under the supervision of a guide. The online safety course was too extreme. They recommend dressing like a spaceman. In reality, you don’t need gloves, boots, pads, etc. I’d recommend a sturdy pair of shoes that you can cover in mud, along with jeans and a T-shirt. Shorts might be OK too; Saw lots of folks wearing them. It’s dusty and sometimes muddy on the trail, so dress accordingly. They had a good selection of helmets and they give you a sock to put over your head that is brand new so you don’t have to worry about someone else’s sweat or germs. They also provide goggles. I didn’t use the goggles very much because they kept fogging up and I couldn’t see the trail.
I came across three different accidents on the trail. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt as far as I could see. The staff seemed to respond quickly and appropriately to the accidents. I strongly suspect that the accidents were due to human error of the driver since many of them seemed to be inexperienced and not very skilled. One driver in particular was morbidly obese and not very mobile. If you don’t have good mobility and good upper body strength, then you should not be doing this. It could be very unsafe or you and others. The accidents end up causing major traffic jams on the trail and delays in your tour. I would also note that it is a very bumpy ride so if you have back problems you may not like it very much.
The trail is a lot of fun. It is challenging and not just simply a flat trail. There are a lot of big obstacles to navigate. This is why you need good upper body strength and mobility. You are constantly turning the vehicle or standing and driving. They tell you to bring four large bottles of water with you but I don’t think that this is necessary. They did provide some bottled water during the tour. I would suggest just bringing one normal bottle of water with you. There isn’t any place to store items at the facility other than your car but the parking lot isn’t very far away. If you want to bring anything with you on the ride, then I would strongly suggest a backpack because there really isn’t any place to stow your gear on the vehicle. Don’t forget your sunscreen! There is no shade once you head down the trail.
After we returned from the trail ride,our problems started. It wasn’t really clear where we should go next in order to do the shooting part. I wasn’t sure whether I should tip my tour guy then or whether he was the one who would go on to help me with shooting. There were a lot of people waiting in line and it wasn’t clear where we should be checking out at. When they finally took us to the shooting range it was chaotic there as well. They kept bringing in other small groups to shoot ahead of us and we ended up standing there watching other people shoot for almost an hour before we had our turn. It is kind of fun to watch people shoot the bigger machine guns I will admit. But I thought it was annoying to waste a whole hour of time waiting like that. It kind of ruined the whole trip.
Once we finally got to shoot, it was fun. As part of the ride and shoot package, we each got to shoot a 9 mm Glock pistol and an AK 47. The AK 47 was full auto. I think they had a M4 option instead of the AK too. They give you one clip for each gun per participant. You can buy more if you want. If you have participants who don’t want to shoot then the shooters can use their clips. They don’t have a package however for non-shooters. The instructors were helpful and enthusiastic. Safety is a priority. They give you noise protection and eye protection. The eye protection did not fit well over my glasses but was required.
The dudes who work there (and they are unequivocally and unapologetically dudes), were friendly and provide a good service. I have to admit, I sort of expected a certain demographic to be represented amongst the customers but to my surprise it was quite a diverse group of people. It turns out that there is a broad spectrum of Americans who enjoy riding loud motorbikes and shooting guns!
Advice for owners:
1. Get organized! Waiting one hour to shoot after the ride is unacceptable.
2. Clearly mark the lines at the desk so you know where to go after you ride or shoot. One line could be for initial check in and one could be for checkout when finished.
3. Tell the customers that if they want to tip, they should tip the tour guide and firearms.
instructor separately right after each activity.
4. Offer a clear option for non shooters who are with shooters.
5. Get some eye protectors at the firing range that fit over eyeglasses.