Posted on Wed, Jul. 19, 2006
DEVELOPMENT / DOUG SMITH- “Charlotte
Observer”
A dream park
for ATV riders
Carolina
Adventure World to provide food, campsites, trails for the whole family
DOUG SMITH
dougsmith@charlotteobserver.com
One of the
biggest challenges to any off-road enthusiast is finding a place to
ride.
That was on Monroe investor Don Wilburn’s mind when he began working
three years ago with Charlotte
real estate broker Jim Floyd to purchase acreage mainly for his private
enjoyment.
Both are surprised at what their search morphed into: 2,600-acre
Carolina Adventure World in
Fairfield County,
S.C. Wilburn, majority owner, and
Floyd, who joined him as partner, are creating a regional attraction
where all-terrain vehicle owners can ride, race, camp, lodge and dine,
as well as watch national competitive events.
In rural
Fairfield County, population 26,000, it’s a Next
Big Thing with the potential to generate jobs and tourism dollars.
“Everybody here seems to be excited,” said county administrator Phil
Hinely. “It changes Fairfield County
from a stop along the way to
Myrtle Beach to a destination.”
The first phase—about 30 percent
complete and due to open early next year—will include about 100 miles of
trails plus a motocross with three tracks, a mud bog, a drag strip, a
service center, a welcome center and a 10-acre parking lot.
Carolina Adventure World expects to
employ about 90 people initially, but the owners expect that to go much
higher as it’s completed and amenities are added in stages over 10
years. The park, about 55 miles south of Charlotte and 35 miles north of
Columbia, has the potential to draw thousands from a 150-mile radius,
said Jim Blank, executive vice president.
In the first year, the park anticipates
at least 800 riders per weekend plus an undetermined number of visitors
for competitive events.
Demographic studies indicate that off
roading attracts roughly the same enthusiasts as NASCAR racing, whose
fans are 60 percent male. But Wilburn said Carolina Adventure World
definitely won’t be just a guy thing. He intends to create a family
attraction, including riding instruction for children and golf cart/bike
trails for moms who want to enjoy the outdoors.
Visitors will be able to bring their own
vehicles, keep them stored in facilities on site or rent from the park.
Wilburn bought the timberland in 2004
from International Paper Co. for just over $4 million and immediately
called in professionals to help with a master development plan. In
Winnsboro, the Fairfield County Council cooperated by rezoning the
acreage for business use.
The developers have conducted wetlands
studies and are working with a forester to help preserve trees and
natural features by incorporating them into venues and trail systems.
Wilburn estimated the owners have invested about $6 million—including
land—and will have $10 million in the project by the time the park
opens.
Future phases are to include a 60-room
lodge, cabins and a restaurant with panoramic views from “The Top of the
World,” the highest elevation in Fairfield County.
Other amenities being considered include a shopping center, a water park
and an equestrian center.
Carolina Adventure World isn’t the only
one of its type—competitors are in West Virginia and Georgia—but Wilburn believes it will
offer more amenities and a wider range of dining, lodging and camping
facilities. The master plan envisions eventually linking the park’s
trails with the S.C. trail system.
The Park’s
Layout
Carolina
Adventure World’s developers designed the park with venues for all types
of off-road vehicles and amenities for the entire family.
1.
Mud Bog
2.
Main Entrance
3.
Lodge
4. Welcome
Center
5.
Motocross
6.
ATV Drag Strip
7.
Enduro Course / Vintage Course
8.
Community /
Recreation
Center, Playground
9.
Cabins’ Loop
10.
Squirrel’s Nests Loop (rustic camping)
11.
Maintenance Facility / Service Center
12.
Parking
The Partners
Don Wilburn, 67, founded the Wilburn
Auto Body Shop chain in 1973 but no longer takes an active role in its
operation.
Carolina Adventure World has become his
passion. “This the most fun I’ve ever had,” he said.
Jim Floyd, 59, a
broker with Gibson Smith Realty Co., formerly owned and operated
Carolina Waterbeds and Carolina Bedrooms. He got out of the furniture
business about six years ago to pursue a career in real estate.
The partners met when Wilburn called Floyd about an 800-acre tract Floyd
had listed for sale. That property wasn’t suitable, but they became
friends—and eventually partners—as Floyd showed him more property over
several months
Development
Team
Carolina Adventure World created a
master plan with Charlotte architect Crutcher Ross, who
designed the buildings, and Regenbogen Associates, which did the land
planning and landscape architecture. For help with the design of ATV
trails and motocross facilities, it turned to Steve Uhles of Cloud Peaks
and Rich Winkler of Dirtwurx. Both are nationally known in the industry
and bring credibility to the park, said Jim Blank, executive vice
president.
What Visitors
Can Expect From Park
Carolina Adventure World tentatively
plans to charge admission of $25 dollars a day, $35 a weekend. The
vehicle rental charge hasn’t been determined but it’s expected to be in
line with competing parks. Durhamtown Plantation near Athens, Ga.,
for example, lists ATV rental fees from $75 to $140 a day and dirt bike
rates from $65 to $175.
Carolina Adventure World will include a
service center, where owners can get vehicles serviced, washed and
stored for the next visit. A concierge service also will be offered:
call ahead and your vehicle and riding gear will be ready when you
arrive.
Visitors will be able to eat at the
grill in the service center or in picnic areas, and in the second phase,
dine at a full-service restaurant. Camping facilities, RV hook-ups,
showers, restrooms and vehicle washes will be among amenities offered.
The park’s Web site,
carolinaadventureworld.com, is scheduled to be activated Aug. 4.
A Day at the
Park
Here’s how Executive Vice President Jim
Blank sees the park working for a typical visitor:
·
Call
ahead or purchase a ticket online.
·
Drive
into the welcome center, pick up tickets and supplies.
·
At the
service center, your motorcycle, ATV or golf cart is prepped and
waiting.
·
Choose a
trail: They’re rated similar to ski slopes for various skill levels.
·
Those who
don’t ride ATVs can rent a golf cart or bring a bicycle for a ride
around the park on a nature trail
.
·
Break for
a quick lunch at the grill and try out another trail later.
·
End the
day perhaps at the mud bog, where a water cannon will rinse you off.
·
Put the
vehicle in storage and—if you have time—stay overnight and ride the next
day.
·
It’s sort
of like the off-roader’s version of a golf outing.
·
Doug
Smith: 704-358-5174;
dougsmith@charlotteobserver.com
^^
Fairfield County
could become off-road
center
12:20 PM EDT on Monday, July 3, 2006 Associated Press
COLUMBIA,
S.C.—If Don Wilburn has his way, Fairfield County could soon be site of several
national motorcycle and all terrain vehicle racing events.
Wilburn and partner, Jim Floyd, have
spent $5 million purchasing the plateau, Top of the World, and 2,600
acres surrounding it from International Paper and designing about 60
miles of new trails. Organizers plan to add a welcome center, campsites,
cabins and a maintenance area, costing about $3 million, by December to
what they call Carolina Adventure World.
“We’re spending an awful lot of money
for a market that does not exist at this moment,” said Jim Blank,
operation spokesman. South Carolina has about 105 miles of
motorized vehicle trails over five sites and national forests. Wilburn,
Blank says, is among the first to try and turn the pastime into a
for-profit venture. It began for Wilburn, a
Union County native, when he took an ATV ride with his
grandchildren in Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina about five years ago.
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had for
the money,” said Wilburn, 67. Soon after purchasing the land in
Fairfield
County, Wilburn and his
associates realized its potential for off-road enthusiasts. Wilburn
wanted the ATV
Park
done in a big way. “I try to do everything first class,” Wilburn said.
“I always felt if you get a notch above the others it pays off in the
long run.”
The closest facility like the one
Wilburn is creating is Durham
town Plantation Sportsman’s Resort about an hour west of Augusta, Ga.
That park has more than 100 miles of trials. Russ Ehnes is executive
director of the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council. He
says trail parks are growing “particularly in the Eastern states because
there’s not that many opportunities to ride on public land.” Along with
campgrounds and cabins, Carolina Adventure World organizers plan for
three restaurants. One eatery will be at Top of the World and include a
waterfall.
Some local riders got a sneak peak at
the area last month and came away impressed.“It’s got potential to be
something really, really nice,” said Sean Habas, vice president of the
South Carolina Off-Road Enthusiasts. Blank says fees to use the park are
$25 a day or $35 for a weekend. Rental prices have not been set. The
terrain at Carolina Adventure World has flat sections along creeks and
rising climbs in wooded areas. Wilburn says he wants to property to stay
as natural as possible and consulted with an environmentalist on the
project. While there are more stable paths, those off-roaders who want
to get dirty can ride through specially created mud bogs set in natural
bowls to prevent sediment run off.
Fairfield
County
officials hope the park will lead to hotels and stores from
entrepreneurs wishing to lure visitors. “We are so excited,” said Terry
Vickers, director of the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce. “The
economic impact is going to be tremendous.” Once finished, state and
county officials think they can link the park to Winnsboro, Great Falls and Ridgeway through trails and
abandoned dirt roads. Wilburn says he’ll start with invited guests in
December before opening the park to the public sometime next year. “You
go to state and federal park lands now and you’ll find a deteriorating
trail system,” Blank said. “They don’t want to be in that business. We
do.”
_________________________________________________
Posted on Mon, Jul. 03, 2006
Motorcycle,
ATV Park aims to be state’s newest tourism
draw
Standing on the
Fairfield County
plateau called Top of the World, you can see the shimmering water of Lake
Wateree
between the rolling hills on one side and the water tower in Winnsboro
on the other side. At night, the lights of
Columbia
glimmer on the horizon. But that view pales in comparison to Don
Wilburn’s vision for Top of the World and nearly 2,600 acres around it.
Wilburn sees tens of thousands of people
flocking to the site several times a year for national motorcycle and
all-terrain vehicle racing events. He sees 2,000 people descending on
the rolling hills on typical weekends to ride on 100 miles of forest
trails. He sees families staying in cabins and campsites, and eating in
restaurants at the state’s newest tourism draw, Carolina Adventure
World. Wilburn and partner Jim Floyd already have spent $5 million,
buying the land from International Paper in 2004 and hiring renowned
designer Steve Uhles to help carve 60 miles of new trails.
By December, another $3 million will be
invested in a welcome center, cabins, campsites and a maintenance
facility. “We’re spending an awful lot of money for a market that does
not exist at this moment,” said Jim Blank, the spokesman for the
operation. Most motorcycle and ATV trails in South Carolina, and throughout the Southeast,
are on public property with minimal facilities. About 105 miles of
motorized vehicle trails wind through five sites in state and national
forests in South Carolina.
For-profit operations are rare. TNT Motorsports, with 18 miles of trails
near Richburg, is the only well-publicized facility in the state open to
the public. But thousands of people ride ATVs and off-road motorcycles
on their own property — or often illegally on others’ property. At many
hunt clubs in the state, there are two major seasons, deer and ATV.
So why hasn’t someone tried to
capitalize on that pent-up demand for trails with a large-scale park
before? “There’s never been anyone cheeky enough that had the bucks to
do it,” Blank said. “(Wilburn) is taking a gamble.” Born in Union County,
Wilburn is an entrepreneur who made money in auto repair shops,
carwashes, mini-storage facilities and property Management, mostly in
the Charlotte area. About five years ago, he took
an ATV ride with his grandchildren in Uwharrie
National Forest in North Carolina. “It was the most fun I’ve
ever had for the money,” said Wilburn, 67.
While he didn’t buy the
Fairfield
County land specifically
with an off-road vehicle park in mind, he and his associates recognized
it had the perfect landscape for trails. Lots of hills and creeks, a
variety of soils and a rural setting. As they began talking about the
best use for the property, an ATV park emerged. Wilburn insisted it be
done on a grand scale.
“I try to do everything first class,”
Wilburn said. “I always felt if you get a notch above the others it pays
off in the long run.” The closest similar facility is Durhamtown
Plantation Sportsman’s Resort, about an hour west of Augusta. Durhamtown offers
more than 100 miles of trails and amenities such as a lodge, cabins and
a cafeteria.
Russ Ehnes, executive director of the
National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, said trail parks with
these types of amenities are a growing trend, “particularly in the
Eastern states because there’s not that many opportunities to ride on
public land.” Blank pledges Carolina Adventure World’s cabins and lodge
will be less rustic than Durhamtown’s.
Plans call for three restaurants,
including one with a waterfall at Top of the World. A storage facility
will allow visitors to leave their ATVs or motorcycles. They can call
ahead to a concierge, who will pull their vehicle out of storage and gas
it up. Local riders invited to a sneak preview of the trails in June
were impressed. “It’s got potential to be something really, really
nice,” said Sean Habas, vice president of the S.C. Off-Road Enthusiasts.
Habas wondered how the developers can pump so much money into the park
and still charge a reasonable fee. Fees tentatively have been set at $25
a day or $35 a weekend, Blank said. Rental fees haven’t been set.
At Durhamtown, motorcycle and ATV
rentals run from $65 to $140 per day. A professional feasibility study
indicated a growing market for high-end facilities for off-roaders.
Blank believes ATVs will go the way of Harley-Davidsons, the classic
motorcycles once associated with greasers and now popular with
middle-class riders.
Industry figures indicate the number of
off-road motorcycles and ATVs in the country jumped from 2.9 million in
1993 to 8 million in 2003. Barbara Parrish, owner of
TNT Motorsports Park
about 30 miles away, doesn’t view Carolina Adventure World as
competition. She believes anything that encourages use of off-road
vehicles will be good for her business. “There’ll always be people who
like the bigness of a place like that, and there’ll be people who like
the intimacy of a place like ours,” Parrish said.
Carolina Adventure World certainly is
big, stretching from U.S. 21 below Mitford nearly to I-77 at exit 46.
It’s a little larger than Harbison
State Forest
in Richland County. The terrain varies from flat
sections that parallel creeks to steep climbs to the top of wooded ridge
lines. The size and the hilly terrain should limit noise concerns for
the few neighbors in this sparsely populated area. With the park
entrance just a few miles off I-77, the additional traffic should impact
few residents.
Fairfield
County
officials welcome the park, hoping it will prompt cottage industries
such as hotels and apparel stores nearby. “We are so excited,” said
Terry Vickers, director of the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce.
“The economic impact is going to be tremendous.” She imagines families
taking a break from riding to visit the S.C. Railroad
Museum or tour historic
downtown Winnsboro. “We’re trying to develop our art galleries and
restaurants so that when these people come into town, they have
something to do.”
Off-road enthusiasts might someday be
able to come into town on their ATVs or motocross cycles. State and
county officials have discussed linking Carolina Adventure World to
Winnsboro, Great Falls
and Ridgeway through a series of trails and abandoned dirt roads. But
first, Wilburn and associates have to get the initial phase open.
They expect to start slowly with invited
guests in December, throw open the gates in 2007 and turn the area into
a national destination by the end of the decade.
“You go to state and federal park lands
now and you’ll find a deteriorating trail system,” Blank said. “They
don’t want to be in that business. We do.”
Reach Holleman at (803)
771-8366.
jholleman@thestate.com
^^
________________________________________
HISTORICAL
Historical Profile of
C.A.W. - Land Area.
Fairfield
County lies in the piedmont section of
South Carolina. With the exception of Winnsboro
and Ridgeway, the area is primarily rural. The rolling land is in most
cases, ponds, pastures and pine timberlands.
Prior to white
settlement, it served as good hunting ground for the indigenous Indians
who frequented these areas, particularly along the banks of Wateree River
- named after the tribe….
John Lawson was
the first European to pass this area in January 1701, on his historic
land journey from Charleston to North Carolina,
and in his Journal, “A New Voyage to Carolina”,
first published in London in 1709
described the bubbling of spring water in an area now believed to be
near Great Falls.
The Wateree
Indians were located on the west bank of the River, and Lawson says
“their country is wholly free from swamps and quagmires, being high dry
land and consequently healthful, producing corn stalks and fair grain.”
In the early
1900’s, the Catawba River had dams put in place and the subsequent
creation of Wateree Lake in 1920 by Duke Power.
White settlement
started between 1740 and 1770, and this was along the waterways.
The first General Assembly in Columbia was convened
in 1791.
Early settlers
made their living by hunting, trapping and livestock, prior to the
rising importance of agriculture.
Cotton of course
was planted, but this had a rollercoaster kind of success- and its
intensity also had a significant contribution to
land erosion.
The continued absence of major industry has been a major factor in the
gradual leaving of many people.
Attractions that are close by:
Close to Carolina Adventure World is
Wateree
State Park
Approx 15 mins Drive
-on
highway 21, prior to reaching
the historic town of Ridgeway-
(
if you are driving South)
Over 90 campsites are available
including ones suitable for large recreational vehicles
^^
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