ATV riders in the Tri-State now have a new place to enjoy their vehicles all the time - the only place of its kind in this part of Indiana.
The Department of Natural Resources opened Interlake for year-round use today.
Craig Simmons and Scott Van Pelt took their ATV's out for a spin Saturday morning.
They're at the newly-fully-opened Interlake recreation facility, near Lynnville, and glad to be there.
"It's pretty good riding out here. So, I prefer to come out here. It's a little bit closer," said Simmons.
That makes a big difference to Van Pelt.
"You kinda don't want these sitting at home," he said. "You paid good money for them and don't want them sitting. So, your going to be going either way. It just puts a little extra more money in your pocket at the end of the month."
It's closer and cheaper for these two and for lots of other riders.
And, there are many other features that Simmons likes about Interlake.
"All the trails have signs on them. They say how difficult they are."
Riders say one of the most important things to keeping safe on an ATV is knowing what level of path you can handle and what level you can't.
But, ATV's aren't the only ones on the paths.
"There's a lot of people out here - jeeps, horse-back riding, lots of stuff," Simmons said.
And, State Rep. Russ Stillwell, D-Boonville, says a public ground-swell made it all possible.
"I think sometimes democracy works," he said. "You get a small group, a larger group and a larger group, continually insisting that we need to do this here. We need to get some funding for it and make it work. And, you can't do something like this overnight. And, it takes time, and the time has come."
And, it gives Simmons and Van Pelt the chance to stay close to home and still hit that ol' dusty trail.
Interlake is now one of only two state-owned places in Indiana where people can legally ride ATV's.
The other one is close to Terra Haute.