FRO ATV PA Park Review - Is Famous Reading Outdoors Still Worth it?

Is Famous Reading Outdoors Still Worth it? FRO ATV PA Park Review
We revisit Famous Reading Outdoors now in 2023 to see if after all the changes and 2 years of riding there is the membership still worth it? We answer that and many other questions about the state of FRO and riding there.
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00:00 Introduction
00:19 Title
00:38 Partner Shoutout
00:55 Is Famous Reading Outdoors Worth it?
01:23 Exploring all the land Tracts
01:36 Membership: $200+
01:48 Not all Connected
02:21 Maps Online: OnX, Maprika, etc..
02:44 Property Boundaries marked
03:53 Largest Riding area in the NorthEast
04:18 Day Passes no longer available
04:47 Night Riding Prohibited
05:08 Much Tree-Clearing and Stumps
05:56 Wide variety of trails and land types
06:07 Many hill climbs being shut down and reclaimed.
06:38 Check out website for more openings and closures.
07:03 Trail labels limited but improving.
07:54 Check Event Calendar online
08:52 No Camping Currently (Special events only)
09:05 Minersville town access (weekends, check website)
10:02 www.readingoutdoors.com
10:19 Closing

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Do you ride FRO? What do you like or dislike about it the most?

[@jessicanogradi7937]

There is something for everyone. I like rocks, there are rocks there. Personally do not care for mud, easy to avoid for anyone who doesn't want to go in the mud.

[@ericbaxter7813]

Might be worth mentioning that if you report and they manage to catch a trespasser on the property FRO gives you a free one year membership

[@TheBeatenTrail]

That’s pretty cool I never heard anybody mention that either staff for security or a ride or rider. Wow

[@ericbaxter7813]

@@TheBeatenTrail Rule #7 In Terms of Service. As long as it leads to a prosecution of the trespasser(s)

[@danielcasillo4385]

some snitch shit lol

[@slawdogshenanigans]

Great video. Sometimes change is hard for some, change is good for others. It's a mixed bag. We ride this site all the time and often and still haven't seen all the trails across all the riding sites. It's huge. Keep up the great work "The Beaten Trail". You guys Rock.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Thank you

[@richleach198]

That drone footage really shows just how big FRO is. Looks awesome

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Yes, it is a very large area, good place to just roam and explore!

[@laneshiftservices]

I think it’s worth every penny.

[@stevebollman]

I am really hoping to hit up FRO, but for $200+ to ride maybe 2 times a year isn't worth it to me. It's also a 3hr drive just to get there, so we probably won't be riding FRO unless day passes become available again.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Hopefully they will bring back day passes.

[@Tecproductions]

I emailed them like a year ago, they never responded. They lost me as a customer. I would have done a day pass back when they had it, then I would have most likely joined the yearly. But nope. Jersey Wharton forest is free

[@drmarkintexas-400]

Thank you for sharing 🏆🙏🇺🇲🤗

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Dr. Mark, please send us an email with your mailing address, you've been selected for a The Beaten Trail swag pack! email the thebeatentrailllc at gmail dot com - thank you for being a commenter and contributor to the channel! -Michael

[@truno7]

Just discovered this via a friend. I look forward to seeing it.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Thank you for watching, we try to review all the local riding areas and some a little further away.

[@Woolz717]

Is FRO still worth it? I can't believe this is a question. Where else in PA is there this much trail / land to ride legally? Where else is inclusive to every riding style / machine? These are the questions I want answers to. Sure closing down some hills / areas has people mad, but I don't see it as a reason not to renew my membership.

[@guyonabuffalo100]

Alot of people go there for the hills. I am ome of them. I still believe it is worth it, but am disappointed in the hill closing.

[@Woolz717]

​@@guyonabuffalo100 I get it, but the nice thing is at FRO you can find another hill and climb it. Part of the fun in climbing hills is running a line no one hit before and challenging your buddies to do the same. I mean that's how all the good hills got their start.

[@mattandsam32]

Go to mt.carmel. there are some ass puckering hills there.

[@Off-RoadObsessions]

Change will always be difficult for some, IMO it’s certainly still worth every penny! I always enjoy my time ripping up the trails with friends 😊

[@TheBeatenTrail]

So true!

[@Tecproductions]

Wanna hit the trails with me? I need someone to train me 😁

[@guyonabuffalo100]

Hard to pick a favorite location, they are all good. As far as the hills . I have had staff tell me to just ride them. That is just my experience.

[@kennethobrien7370]

pa as a state needs some exceptions to the registration of out of state riders. I get the insurance, but many of the southern sates don't even have titles for off-road vehicles, let alone a registration program. I have friends in pa, and we can't take our atvs there

[@qwikz28]

FYI I just learned yesterday PA has an out of state registration program for like $20 if this is still an issue.

[@badlarry2469]

I used to ride up there early 2000s from 2006 to 2011. That was the best. It was pretty much complete lawlessness. Trevorton only had one town cop and the state police barracks were like 20 mi away. This one guy who was coming up with a different group of people we became friends with died in a off-roading accident. A friend of ours dad got airlifted out of there because he rolled his dune buggy without his seat belt on. This one guy brought a junk car up one time and drove it off the cliff where the quarry is. He wasn't in it of course they wedged a stick against the gas pedal. Another guy brought rock climbing gear up and we repelled down the whale back, it's this huge Stone structure up there. Shoot guns in the middle of the night have a bonfire out of car tires and pour your used motor oil on it. A couple people got there cars lit on fire. People would blame the locals but nobody really knew who did it. There used to be all this old mining equipment up there dump trucks backhoes. The dump trucks up there were the really big ones with the 8-foot tires. There was this one tire laying on the ground without the rim in it. It took like Five Guys to stand that thing up but once they did, they rolled it down the mountainside. that was pretty wild to see. That tire probably weighed 1,000 lb. You know that kind of stuff. My friends have more crazy stories than I do. I tried to keep myself out of trouble and stay sober.

[@jeffferry9297]

Cool video

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Thank you!

[@jessicanogradi7937]

Still worth it. Lots of area to ride, even with some closures. Esp. great for those who live close (I am only 35 miles from Burma and 39 from Darkwater.).

[@lulusoffroad]

Hey there, I've been watching some of your videos on places to ride in Pennsylvania. Great info. I'm actually traveling to PA this week to pick up something for our restaurant and figured I'd bring the sxs to mix in some fun. If you only had one day to ride in PA where would you suggest I go to do some of the best riding possible.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Thanks for writing. I would sat AOAA in coal township, pa. Day passes, access to town via legal trail for gas and food, check aoaatrails.com for town access schedule. 8000 acres. We have a few aoaa videos to watch for more.

[@lulusoffroad]

@TheBeatenTrail Great, thank you! You definitely confirmed what I was thinking. I thought Famous Reading would be good, but the cost of admission for someone to come from out of town is crazy. Thanks again.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

You're welcome. FRO originally had day passes, trial passes, then they had $50 tours, unsure if they are still running or if day passes will once again return, as the rumor has it. Enjoy AOAA!

[@ChuckWood]

What happened to Trevorton? I heard it was shut down.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Yes, they're reclaiming the culm and scrap of the hills..selling for regeneration.

[@Phaedrus-th7bi]

Which location would be best for a beginner dirt biker (ie. No big rocks, cliffs, etc.) who just wants to get use to the cycle and doesn't plan to be riding fast?

[@TheBeatenTrail]

I would say, started dark water and ride around and enjoy some of the single track that’s up there on the top of the mountain across from the parking lot. Burma is also good certain locations are wide-open, but I think probably the best single track that people will tell you is some of locust gap Mount Carmel, and then some of ashland. Unfortunately I don’t ride bikes, so only what I can tell you from other peoples stories and videos

[@aydenlenzi800]

Gonna be littttt

[@aydenlenzi800]

Thanks for giving me a sticker also bro

[@Jursaw]

I wanted to buy the pass just from seeing treverton but sadly its closed according to your video 😕

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Yes, it’s sad how the old hills are being reclaimed, takes half of the fun out of the place to some.

[@danobonano1315]

Can anyone tell me where the most technical trails for a side by side are at FRO? I was at Darkwater last weekend and around trail 50 was good, looking for steep, rocky technical trails? Thank you

[@TheBeatenTrail]

I was gonna see what everybody else was going to say, but I would have to say “all taters, no meat” which is directly across from the parking lot of the hill, and it is a fairly technical jeep made fullsize Trail, but I see some side by sides that are equipped to run it.

[@georgewilde8465]

New to FRO starting a month ago. Only been to Darkwater. What riding areas is the access to food/gas? I tried to get over to some pub a guy talked about but the mining road was closed. Also, any hill climbs left? Heading up this weekend.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

I know there’s some progress with Minersville the town that’s adjacent to Saint kierns if you follow the Minersville route, but I don’t know at what point if they charge for a permit there because it was going to be an open ride. I’m working on meeting with the mayor to get all the juicy details but they just posted recently so that would be the one place I can recommend that you could get gas but I don’t wanna send it down there if they’re requesting a $50 per your permit so more to come as I know.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Well, I’m sure there’s some hills out there they just have to be opened up and cut through. I’m sure but I know that the majority of the big ones are starting to be Recla made it, so maybe check out Locust gap I don’t know if the hill climb adjacent to the parking lot is still open open to try to get out there in the next few weeks to do some more research.

[@georgewilde8465]

@@TheBeatenTrail Appreciate you helping out with the info and any future riding in Minersville you are able to get info on. The pub I believe I was told about was 901. Might be able to get there from the Mt St Kieran’s trails.

[@guyonabuffalo100]

Probably the 901 pub . It is a nice ride from darkwater. Mud, rocks, sand all fun. What are you riding.

[@youfixitatvutv]

Wish they would do day passes. I dont get there enough to justify the cost for me and my kids. AOAA is better option for me.

[@TheBeatenTrail]

I totally agree. It makes sense to have a day pass but I heard through the grapevine that yes they are working on bringing the day passes back so we will see if that happens.

[@dbmission123]

What are the best trails / areas for good dirt bike single track?

[@TheBeatenTrail]

I don’t ride a bike, but for what I understand ashland north and south have some really good single track trails but I would definitely have to defer to Andy Bloss from blackrock synthetics.com or Nathan Potter who both know the area very well.

[@user-zy8lh9in7f]

Where are other places to ride in PA? For me the 225 membership is not worth it since I live 5 hours away. Where else could I go that has nice trails and day passes?

[@TheBeatenTrail]

I would recommend AOAA, which you can find out rules and regs, about 8000 acres or so, and all the same similar land and rock type (its adjacent to FRO) so rocky, mud, and it has it all. www.aoaatrails.com and check we have a few other videos here on the channel, look up AOAA or Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area. Other areas in PA are Rock Run, PA, Mines and Meadows (west pa) and Mt Ridge which may also be not too far of a drive from you depending where your reside. DCNR trails are also available April-Sept and have size limits ATV and SXS of 50" up to 64" Whiskey Springs, Bloody Skillet. We have many videos on those here as well! Hope that helps!

[@PhillyHippy]

I only just recently started looking into legit places to ride in PA NJ, do you have some spots that you don't need these crazy fees and dues? If I must pay to play any good deals on places to ride terrain?

[@TheBeatenTrail]

NJ is all outlaw, the PA trails which are the least cost, other than outlaws (and people can pipe in here for suggestions) are DCNR trails, limits are usually 64" if in a SXS, ATVs permitted, and bikes most times not permitted. $20 for 2 years for a PA tag, some of the smaller locations are 58" or 50" like Michaux st forest. That's the cheapest other than outlaw.

[@PhillyHippy]

@@TheBeatenTrail Thanks for the quick reply, I guess I meant more for bikes, seems odd to me that so may places allow ATV but not dual sports or dirt bikes.

[@snopek78]

I've seen this before they cut down all the tress to build a nice big warehouse hope we don't see this happen in the next 2 years

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Yes, thats what I hear is due for the 901 land tract. All the trees are gone, so now they can lease the land for more than the riders pay.

[@e5m956]

No-go for sport quads with the hills closed? Not into rock crawling or mud bogging at 2mph...

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Supposedly they made a new hill in Darkwater, steeper than any others..check out their FB page for pics.

[@e5m956]

@@TheBeatenTrail - Yea...looks rocky AF... My KFX450R would probably get stuck on the rocks...not a fan of rocks. I liked the coal waste hills....much less rocks (actually boulders lol).

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Yes, the smaller granular culm and rocks are much more forgiving up and down than the big man-made hill trails, but what can you do.

[@e5m956]

@@TheBeatenTrail - Ride at Hazleton lol. ;)

[@xplit871]

@@e5m956 where in Hazleton can you go? It’s been a good 15 years since I was up there, where can you park and unload? I think I parked at 8 bees

[@connerb1954]

You can’t ride at night? Hmmm. I have seen people doing it.

[@thearmy88ify]

The trails are worthless without trees

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Yeah, it’s very sad. I agree.

[@vinniem4404]

It is wildly overpriced

[@TheBeatenTrail]

Yes, the price has gotten out of hand. No longer 20K acres and no longer 650 miles, but the hill removal and the tree cutting really should've brought along a price cut or hold at least.