New offroad park - Palo Duro Canyon - Amarillo, TX

[USStrongman]

MERUS Adventure Park. Found these guys Facebook. They are buying 6,500 acres in the Palo Duro complex outside Amarillo and making it a private membership only park. Memberships go on sale this Thursday and the park will open early April. Palo Duro is one of Jeep Jamboree sites and am not sure if this is the same area of the park or different?

MERUS Adventure | Claude TX

MERUS Adventure, Claude, Texas. 14,288 likes · 537 talking about this · 3,649 were here. Welcome to the #1 adventure destination in Texas on a pristine & beautiful 6000 acre Texas Ranch.

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We have development plans for 60 Miles of mountain bike and hiking trails and 120 miles of off-roading and overlanding trails to be developed in the next 2 years. We will have trails for every level and style of riding and driving.

We are also developing 20 Cabins, 40 RV Sites, and 100 Tent sites along with a Recreation Center including a market, cafe, and large indoor and outdoor play area for kids to suite any weather condition.

They are limiting memberships to 1,000 total for the first 24 months. They are developing cabins, RV sites, tent sites, private tent sites, and dispersed overlanding sites. Sounds like a tall order, especially in Amarillo, but who knows. What property they are "buying" I am not sure. Thursday they will release a lot more details and pricing on their park.

 

[mister_root]

Interesting. I'm curious as to what information is released on Thursday.

 

[OutdoorTxs]

Thats not to far from me. Im gonna have to check this out. Thanks for sharing!

 

[USStrongman]

So from what else I read, they are selling 1,000 memberships. 250 uber everything what ever and 750 not as much uber everything whatever. They are purchasing a 6,500 acre ranch that is part of the park itself. I had no idea the "park" was so small in comparison to the amount of land is considered Palo Duro. Adding the cabins, tent camping etc will be terrific. Plans also include a grocery, restaurant, live music venue. I will watch their feed tomorrow. I can see buying into this since I am 2 hours away and its the closest thing to trails to me by about 5 hours... if, and only if it seems feasible AND their land money is already in escrow.

 

[OutdoorTxs]

Im with you on that. Im curious to find out what the cost is. Sounds like this could be a cool place to go camp, mtb bike, ect..

Not alot of options around here lol

 

[OutdoorTxs]

Just noticed that if you click the name from the email update page, it takes to here BERGflow | Home

I guess these bergflow guys are helping promote/grow this new business?

 

[mister_root]

their land money is already in escrow.

From what I read on their Facebook page, the membership funds will be placed in an escrow account until the purchase of the land in finalized. If the purchase falls through, everyone will get their money back.

I'll be watching the zoom tomorrow as well. Very interested in their membership plans.

Also it'd be cool to grab some beers with all the Lubbock guys on here. IDK if any of y'all are on RedRaiderSports, but we have meetups occasionally and they go pretty well, despite how crap football has been lately.

 

[USStrongman]

As for beer, my wife is the brewer at The Brewery LBK, downtown in the Pioneer Hotel Building at Broadway and K St. 1 block N of the new City Hall. Happy to host any time.

Here is their email update from last night. The radio idea I get... but what percentage of vehicles run Comms? I could see having a handheld rental for those without maybe? The outboard fire extinguisher will need to change. How many Daily Driver, insured rigs have an external fire extinguisher mounted? I'd guess near zero.

1) We are adding a Hike and Bike specific membership.

2) After a LONG discussion around what type of vehicles we will allow in the park we decided to broaden the scope on full size vehicles.
* We are setting the tire size limit to 42"
* Vehicles will need a firewall
* Vehicles will need to be Insured
* Vehicles will need a muffler, no straight pipe or open headers (we will be putting in a decibel level limit as we do some future testing, it's ok if you have after market exhaust and have some rumble, however you know when you're exhaust is just flat out loud!)
* Vehicles will have to have 2 fire extinguishers onboard (one in the cab, one on the exterior)
* Vehicles will have to have HAM or GMRS radio onboard
These requirements remove the street legal standard and open up to many more off-road enthusiasts. However we will have a 15mph speed limit in the park and a strict policy to stay on trails.

 

[mister_root]

As for beer, my wife is the brewer at The Brewery LBK, downtown in the Pioneer Hotel Building at Broadway and K St. 1 block N of the new City Hall. Happy to host any time.

Here is their email update from last night. The radio idea I get... but what percentage of vehicles run Comms? I could see having a handheld rental for those without maybe? The outboard fire extinguisher will need to change. How many Daily Driver, insured rigs have an external fire extinguisher mounted? I'd guess near zero.

Yeah I thought the two fire extinguisher requirement was ridiculous. Should be either/or. Nobody with a regular vehicles have an external fire extinguisher.

 

[jeepers29]

I think they want the buggy types more than the DD.

 

[Downs]

I think they want the buggy types more than the DD.

Judging from the rules they're slanting it more towards overlanding ish and more "normal" sized vehicles they're limiting tire sizes and what not.

It's 9 square miles and going to be expensive. I'll just push on to a national Forrest.

 

[jeepers29]

Judging from the rules they're slanting it more towards overlanding ish and more "normal" sized vehicles they're limiting tire sizes and what not.

It's 9 square miles and going to be expensive. I'll just push on to a national Forrest.

If it is anything like the the part of the canyonI did a Jeep Jamboree at, it will not be catering to overlanderish DD. I agree, with continuing on to the forest or mountains.

 

[mister_root]

Merus Hike and Bike Membership - $297
1000 Memberships Only
Be part of the initial members who will become Legacy Members!

• 1 Year Membership
• Free park access for 2 people in your vehicle for the Year
• Private VIP gate entrance to the park. No long public lines to get in
• Early Access to the park and trails before the official public opening date. Access the Park Starting Thursday, May 6th
• Merus Adventure SWAG pack with t-shirts, stickers, and other goodies
• Access to the Merus online community with Monthly Digital Meetups and a variety classes to help you be better prepared and equipped for adventure.

Merus Adventure Club Membership - $1497
750 Memberships Only
Be part of the initial members who will become Legacy Members!

• 2 Year Membership
• Free park access for 2 people in your vehicle for 2 Years
• Early Access to the park and trails before the official public opening date. Access the Park Starting Thursday, May 6th
• 10% off all lodging options
• 1/2 off Pass to all Merus Mini Parks and Activities (as they are developed and open)
• 1 day of FREE professional off-road driving instruction at our driving school by Off-Camber
• Merus Adventure SWAG pack with t-shirts, stickers, and other goodies
• Access to the Merus online community with Monthly Digital Meetups and a variety classes to help you be better prepared and equipped for adventure.
• This Membership can be re-sold through Merus Marketplace since there are only 750 that will EVER be issued at this park. You get 25% of the funds of the sale back to you in year 1 and 10% back in year up to the last 6 months of of the membership.

Merus Summit Club Membership - $4997
250 Memberships ONLY!
Everything you need for a true VIP experience at Merus Adventure!

• 3 Year Membership
• Free park access for 4 people in your vehicle for 3 Years
• Early Access to the park and trails before the official public opening date. Park access starting Thursday, April 1st
• First access to new trails as they are being developed and cut for 30 days.
• Private VIP gate entrance to the park. No long public lines to get in.
• 25% off all lodging options
• 2 Days FREE Vehicle Rental (starts year 2)
• 2 Days FREE Bike Rental (starts year 2)
• Free Pass to all Merus Mini Parks and Activities (as they are developed and open)
• 2 days of FREE professional off-road driving instruction at our driving school by Off-Camber
• Merus Adventure SWAG pack with backpack, t-shirts, stickers, and other goodies
• Access to the Merus online community with Monthly Digital Meetups and a variety classes to help you be better prepared and equipped for adventure.
• This Membership can be re-sold through Merus Marketplace since there are only 250 that will EVER be issued at this park. You get 30% of the funds of the sale back to you in year 1, 20% in year 2, and 10% in year 3 up to the last 6 months.

 

[mister_root]

Day prices are $50 per vehicle, $12 per person, and $17 for a tent camping site. So if you go for 5 weekends or so a year, the Adventure membership "makes sense."

Still a lot of money though.

 

[OutdoorTxs]

$50 per vehicle to go down to the off road trails. Hike & bike day pass is just the $12.
Camping is $17 tent site and $45 rv hooks ups.

Palo duro canyon is like $20 rv site with a $65 yearly state park pass.

 

[Boostpowered]

Stuff loses my business when they charge yearly, like jacobs plain gun club when they went from $20 a day to shoot to a yearly membership i stopped going there and built my own firing range in my back yard, haven't been back since.

 

[Boostpowered]

I've seen a few parks in tx and Oklahoma do this membership thing and they get really snobby and end up closing. Some that come to mind is big red offroad park in Oklahoma and katemcy rocks

 

[Offroadnutz]

6500 acres? One trip and you have seen everything there is to see there...I cant see paying big money for something like that when I can go to any national forest for free and have endless places to explore.

 

[grubworm]

$50 per vehicle to go down to the off road trails. Hike & bike day pass is just the $12.
Camping is $17 tent site and $45 rv hooks ups.

Palo duro canyon is like $20 rv site with a $65 yearly state park pass.

i'll take 2

yeah, this obviously isn't going to be for everyone, but it could be good for some. i've paid a lot more at times and got a lot less....
at least someone is trying to do something and nobody is being forced to pay and go there, besides....this is pretty much the first i've seen of something like this. it will definitely need tweeking and maybe this will lead to some other places doing some cool things...gotta start somewhere!

if it is bullshit, word on social media will go out quick and it will sink after the first year or so

 

[Boostpowered]

Something just says scam about it to me. It is very vague, the website has no links to click for more info or the links are dead. None of the rigs in their video have texas plates. Land isn't even closed on till March 1st but taking memberships already. I think I'll wait a few years and see where they sit.