MESQUITE — On Thursday afternoon, Mesquite city officials joined members of the Kokopelli ATV Club and state representatives for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open a new staging area for all-terrain and other off-road vehicles.
Hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts arrived in their UTVs and other vehicles, eager to see the city’s project of several months reach completion. The new staging area featured a leveled gravel parking lot, overnight lighting, surveillance cameras, a wash station, fencing and a permanent bathroom.
The celebratory event was led by Nicholas Montoya, director of athletics and leisure services for the city of Mesquite, who said the project would accelerate economic development and promote local recreation.
“We want to attract visitors through recreation and tourism,” Montoya said. “We did some research, and 30 million people bought OHVs last year. If we can just see a percentage of that in Mesquite, we’re going to bring a lot of people to town.”
About 8% of all visitors to Mesquite take motorized trail rides during their stay, according to a press release from the city. Dominic Oliveto, president of the Kokopelli ATV Club, said about 30,000 riders visit the region annually.
In addition to serving a growing demand for OHV use by visitors and locals, the new staging area also addresses a longstanding need for security.
“We get a lot of people from out of town that come in and want to drop off their trailers and then go for a ride,” Oliveto said. “There’s not a really good place to drop off – they’ve dropped them off at the hotels and casinos and had them broken into or stolen. So the city here is really proactive. People can come in here to park and be fairly secure.”
Lt. Christopher Rowley of the Mesquite Police Department confirmed Oliveto’s assertion and added that the area just along the Virgin River marks the boundary of city jurisdiction.
Investigating and prosecuting vehicle break-ins or theft when visitors park at individual trailheads creates a major headache for law enforcement, Rowley said.
“With this here in Mesquite city limits, it makes it much easier for us to patrol,” he said. “It’ll keep our call volume down, and since we can’t be everywhere at once, this will allow us to spend more time with the general public and keep criminal elements at bay citywide.”
Montoya’s department collaborated with the Public Works Department, the Mesquite Police Department, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Virgin River Coalition Recreation Committee to complete the planning and construction of the staging area.
The Department of Natural Resources provided $75,000 to foot the bill, part of a biannual grant program made available through collecting registration fees from OHV owners in the state.
Applications for the next round of grant funding are due in July 2022, and Nikhil Narkheide, director of the off-highway vehicles program for Nevada, said anyone from city government to individuals can submit requests for funds to complete signage projects, trail maintenance and other OHV needs, including education and community support. The state plans to distribute $750,000 to approved projects from the July applications.
Montoya and other city officials said they want to get as much of that funding as they can, with plans to build two more staging areas at other locations around town.
There are already more than 400 trails open to motorized recreation in the Mesquite area, with the longest stretching over 200 miles to the Grand Canyon. The city’s goal is to make Mesquite an OHV destination and attract large events.
Photo Gallery
Towing vehicles and trailers used to bring OHVs to trails had previously been vulnerable to theft or vandalism, so the City of Mesquite teamed up with its police department to provide 24/7 camera surveillance for the new staging area, Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Hundreds gathered in the large staging area, which provides access to nearby trails along with a bathroom, wash area and picnic benches, Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Guests of honor included city and state government officials as well as representatives from community recreation groups, Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Members of the Kokopelli ATV Club and dozens more off-road enthusiasts traveled to the ribbon-cutting ceremony in their OHVs, Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Mayor Allan Litman prepares to cut the ribbon at a opening celebration for the new OHV staging area on the south side of Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News A sign at the new staging area promotes safe recreation while outlining state and city regulations for OHV use, Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 27, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News Satellite map showing the location of the new OHV staging area at 680 Riverside Road, Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 27, 2022 | Image courtesy of Google Maps, St. George News
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