OHV, dirt bikes/quads and camping near Dallas

Hello all, my parents are blessed to have just retired and are moving out of California (so jealous) and moving to Midlothian, South Dallas. We are avid off-roaders. We ride quads and been riding in desserts and mammoth lakes for as long as I can remember. Where are the best riding areas around Dallas? Preferably keep one way travel under 5 hours on the highway don't want to drive for days. Also are there free or relatively cheap camp sites? Thank you!

 

Welcome! I’m in Waxahachie right next door to Midlothian. Just a fair warning, Texas outdoors is nothing like the large swaths of free public lands out West. Texas lands are overwhelmingly privately-owned. So everything is pay to play.

Anyway, here’s what I can remember off the top of my head:

Bridgeport OHV city-owned park in Bridgeport, TX (1.5 hrs)

Barnwell Mountain Recreation Center in Gilmer TX (2.5 hrs)

Katemcy Rocks in Mason TX (3.5 hrs)

Green Acres Offroad Park in Clayton OK (3 to 4 hrs?)

Brazos Valley Offroad Ranch in Bryan TX (3 to 4 hrs?)

Hot Springs ORV (formerly Superlift ORV) in Hot Springs AR (4 to 5 hrs)

Escondido Draw Recreation Area in Ozona TX (6 to 7 hrs?)

Those are the closest ones I remember. There may be others I’ve forgotten.

 

Just realized you also asked about handlebar/ATV off-roading. Most of the above should allow that but call to make sure (not sure if Katemcy does). There are more OHV parks in TX, LA and OK that are handlebar/ATV only, but I don’t know about them.

 

you will regret the BLM lands, that's for sure.

 

Hidden falls adventure park, although I've never been there.

 

Oh yeah, forgot about Hidden Falls!

 

Um... If MV is so bad, then why not move? What's keeping you here?
For what it's worth, I've lived off of Margarite and La Paz/Olympiad and yeah, there are some things that are not the best, but if I really didnt like it here, I'd get the F outa Dodge. Certainly NOT to Texas though.