New ATV park proposed for Long County

LONG COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - An all-terrain vehicle park may be in the future for Long County. At Tuesday night’s commissioners meeting, the proposal came before the commission as part of public comment. The Emimax MotorPark ATV park has plans, and it will be up to the County Commission to approve or deny at future Commission meetings.

Greg Daw, a resident of Long County and longtime ATV park attendee, says he has spent years driving across the county enjoying other ATV parks and the camaraderie that comes along with it. He says the recent closure of Savage Trails left something missing in the area.

“Everybody rides dirt roads here, it gives kids a chance to hang out, it gives adults a place to go hang out,” Daw said. “We have a complete plan put together for the park, went to the EPD, we went there yesterday actually, we are trying to do everything the right way,” he said.

Daw says they already have plans for insurance, law enforcement involvement, trail plans and a blueprint for the facilities. He is just waiting on the go-ahead from the county.

He says that in addition to bringing something fun to the county, he estimates the park will generate about $500,000 in taxes.

According to Daw’s findings, a 2025 Bureau of Economic Analysis report on outdoor recreational satellite accounts noted that the ATV sector specifically saw a 43.5% growth in economic value in 2023. The outdoor industry contributed $27.3 billion to Georgia’s economy.

Emimax Motorsport said it purchased a large amount of land in Long County previously owned by Robert Parker. Daw says the site is over 60 acres.

Daw said protecting wetlands and creeks within the ATV park requires “thoughtful planning and strict environmental safeguards to balance recreation with conservation.” He said they have spoken with the Environmental Protection Division as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with local environmental departments for permits and impact assessments.

“There is a right way and a wrong way to do things and we wanna make sure we get this done the right way,” he said.

He says that if approved the site will adhere to available, regularly monitored water quality and habitat health standards to ensure long-term stability. He also says that law enforcement and the fire department will cooperate.

Daw also states that in 2025 there were 42 investigated ATV accidents, resulting in 64 serious injuries and 14 fatalities. Of these incidents, two were documented at ATV parks. The key contributing factors, according to his findings, were inexperience among young operators and a lack of proper safety equipment. He says this park will help with these issues by offering educational rides, helping with safety equipment and having maintenance facilities on site.

He says that they anticipate around 500 visitors per weekend and expect to avoid a traffic impact. They will not all arrive in separate vehicles, and some families will have children. He claims that there will be minimal effect on the state highway where the entrance is located.

He is asking that the area be rezoned from AG5 to commercial.