Edit: Registration for this event has closed, but this bi-annual event will happen again in the Fall. Contact Cowtown USA to pre-register.

The Ride for America ATV and UTV event offers stunning views of the Ozarks, a family-friendly atmosphere with free food, and entertainment, and a projected 100 riders kicking up dust on roads used in national Rallycross events, with all proceeds going to local Veterans and charitable efforts.

Sounds awesome, right?

Back by popular demand, the Ride for America takes place near Salem, Missouri and is open to all UTVs and ATVs. You’ll ride over 70 miles of gravel, dirt, and pavement in the Mark Twain National Forest before returning for burgers, chips, soda, water, pulled pork, great music, and the company of dozens of like-minded enthusiasts.

Last year’s inaugural event saw 86 registered drivers and nearly 200 total attendees – not only are 2019’s numbers projected to be well above that, the event is now bi-annual, taking place in both Spring and Fall 2019.

With that much food on offer, who’s surprised that more people want in?

The Organization: American Volunteers

The Ride for America is organized by American Volunteers, a Veteran-focused organization based in Salem, Missouri. It’s a group of passionate folks young and old who are dedicated to making the world a better place. For example, there’s a prize awarded to whoever recovers the most trash along the route.

When it comes to organizations like the VFW and American Legion, American Volunteers is different. You can join the outfit and work alongside those veterans as a civilian.

Doug Davis, Cowtown USA

The inaugural event in 2018 was the brainchild of Cowtown USA, a powersports dealership in nearby Cuba, Missouri. The staff at Cowtown employed their knowledge of event coordination and route planning from years of poker runs and charity rides, and they worked with local law enforcement to ensure everything was on the up-and-up. This year the folks at American Veterans took the initiative and hit the ground running, working with local law enforcement to block roads and patrol the route to keep everyone safe.

We went to the first meeting and they already had everything planned out. These people have a real passion for the community and for this event.

Doug Davis, Cowtown USA

The training wheels are off.

The Event: Ride for America

Dent County is one of the few places in Missouri where UTV and ATV riders are allowed on public roads, provided they have the appropriate permit.

Part of your entry fee will go toward that permit so you can enjoy over 70 miles of gravel and pavement without worrying what Johnny Law might think. If you already have a permit, you get $10 off the entry fee of $30 per vehicle.

The Ride for America is all about creating a safe and family-friendly atmosphere. Local law enforcement will be on-hand patrolling the route for breakdowns and blocking busy intersections so groups of UTVs and ATVs can safely cross busy streets.

Schedule and Location

The staging location is Danny Black’s Farm in the Mark Twain Forest, a popular milestone of the 100 Acre Wood Rallycross event.

Schedule: Gates open at 7:00 AM Saturday 5/11/19. The ride will cover about 70 miles of roads, returning to Danny Black’s Farm around 6:00 PM for food and entertainment.

Directions from Salem: Take Highway 19 south to Highway B. Continue 7.8 miles to County Road 5380 (possibly marked as 5580). Turn right and continue for 1.6 miles. You won’t miss the crowd.

Google Maps location: We’ve attended the 100 Acre Wood Rally before and Danny Black’s Farm is right about here.

Entry Fee

The entry fee is $30 per vehicle, not per person. Feel free to pile as many people as you want into your Polaris RZR (within reason) – you’ll all get in the door for a flat $30.

Where the Money Goes

$10 of that goes to your Dent County riding permit; if you already have one, you’ll get $10 off. A portion of that goes toward the food, music, and event itself; the rest goes to American Volunteers to help veterans, support the community, and enable AV to host more events like this in the future.

Ride in the Tire Tracks of Rallycross Legends

Salem, Missouri is no stranger to off-road events. The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is an annual stop on the American Rally Association docket. Now in its 25th year, 100AW has played host to intense battles between Rallycross giants like Team Subaru driver David Higgins, the Hoonigan himself Ken Block, and a huge swath of international competitors.

The rally stages are great. One of the best corners in the Rally is at Danny Black’s Farm, and that’s where we’re taking off from on the ride.

Doug Davis, Cowtown USA

The Ride for America event traverses several official rally stages along its 70-mile route and crosses landmarks like the infamous Cattle Guard Jump. Here’s what that looks like when rally drivers encounter it.

You won’t drive like that this weekend, right? Right?!

Bring Friends, Bring Family

One thing that sets the Ride for America apart is its family-friendly focus. It’s a place for children and adults alike to relax, feel the wind in their hair, and enjoy delicious Ozark cooking in the hills of Missouri, not to mention all the money raised goes directly to a good cause.

Edit: Registration has closed for the Spring event taking place this weekend. If you want to get in on the action, the Ride for America will be happening again this Fall. Contact Cowtown USA at 573-885-6300 to preregister for the Fall event, or visit https://www.cowtownusainc.com/ to check out a list of all the local events happening in the area.

For more information, check out the American Volunteers on Facebook to learn more about their efforts in the local community, or check into the event on the Ride for America event page.