x
Breaking News
More () »

Mud Nationals Festival brings thousands of people to East Texas

The 16th annual Mud Nationals Festival kicks off on Wednesday, bringing almost 15,000 people to East Texas.

Fifteen thousand people on 4,500 acres of dirt roads.

That's what you can expect if you're headed to the 16th annual Mud Nationals in Jacksonville.

It's a five day ATV festival, bringing in people from all over the country.

While it doesn't officially kick off until Wednesday, organizer Scott Smith said people are already showing up.

"People start coming in a week early, three or four days early, they start enjoying all the trails before the crowd gets really thick," Smith said.

They have the largest mud park in the country, which brings in huge competitors and vendors.

"The biggest competition we have is the Mud Bog, it's like a circle track where it's side-by-side racing in water that's anywhere from 18 inches to four feet deep," Smith said.

Tammi Brinkman has been coming to the festival since 2007, all the way from Wisconsin.

"We drive about 18 hours to get here," Brinkman said.

She's been riding since she was 12, and said she can race with the boys.

"I used to race, race down here at Mud Nationals many times, and podium-ed many times here," Brinkman said.

She's not the only one who comes year after year.

Kevin Duke has been attending since 2008.

"We ride all the trails, night and day," Duke said. "Just a good place to be."

He said they get there early and stay late, making the most out of their vacation days.

The festival also has live music, parts vendors and food trucks.

Smith said what sets them apart is that you don't just go to watch all the action, you get ot be a part of it.

"The selling point is you get to do all of that, plus you get to ride," Smith said. "There's almost five thousand acres out here with hundreds of miles of trails, you can just go explore all over the place and meet new people."

Admission is $75 per person, and $30 for an RV.

There is still plenty of room at the campsites, you can drive in and register any day during the festival.

►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the KYTX CBS19 News 2 App now.

Have a news tip? Email news@cbs19.tv, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.

Before You Leave, Check This Out