Treasure Lake's ATV Trailhead Just Got Funded. Why Does the Ride to Benezette Wait Until Spring?

"This grant is a major step forward for Treasure Lake and for legal ATV recreation in the PA Wilds."

Edward L. Clark Jr., general manager of the Treasure Lake Property Owners Association, said that to The Courier Express after the association won a $1 million state grant in September for an ATV trailhead at Cayman Landing. The ATV route itself isn't new. Riders have had a legal way from Cayman Landing to downtown Benezette since 2024. What Treasure Lake never had was a front door built for them. The grant pays for that front door, on its own road off Bundy Settlement Road.

The timing also explains why the trailers have thinned out. The state-road links that complete the ride to Benezette closed for the year on Sunday, September 27, and they won't reopen until late May 2027.

The Route Was Finished Before the Parking Was

The Trail of Dreams started in Elk County. Elk County Riders formally created it in July 2018 to connect Elk County communities by ATV, using township roads and trails on private land. According to the timeline published by Visit PA Great Outdoors, Benezette Township opened all of its township roads to ATVs in summer 2021. Jay Township followed by ordinance that October. In spring 2022, Sandy, Horton and Huston townships opened the roads that carry the route from Elk County down into Clearfield County and Cayman Landing.

The last gap closed in May 2024. That's when PennDOT opened 0.8 miles of SR 555 between Gray Hill and downtown Benezette to legal ATV and UTV travel, and the same timeline calls the Cayman Landing to Benezette route "a reality." An Elk County Riders account of an officials' ride puts the distance from Cayman Landing to the Elk Country Visitor Center at 23.6 miles. The KOA's own listing describes the same trip by car as a 45-minute drive.

The visitor center is at 134 Homestead Drive in Benezette. From Treasure Lake, that turns elk country into an easy day trip on four wheels.

The Campground at the South End Doesn't Allow ATVs

Cayman Landing is home to the DuBois / Treasure Lake KOA Holiday, which has more than 130 campsites and over 20 deluxe cabins. The KOA's listing is direct about one rule: "Personal boats, watercraft, go-carts, ATVs, and fishing are prohibited." Its guests reach the campground by driving about 5 miles through Treasure Lake's residential area.

So the trail's southern end sits beside a family campground where ATVs aren't allowed, and the only way in is a drive through the community. The grant is built around that problem. Phase 1 creates a dedicated entrance from Bundy Settlement Road, and the TLPOA's release, as reported by The Courier Express, says the finished trailhead will have "controlled access that separates trailhead traffic from campground operations." The same release says the Bundy Settlement Road entrance is meant "to reduce conflict with campground traffic."

The scale of the rides shows why informal parking wasn't keeping up. The Courier Express reported that large Elk County Riders events routinely draw 700 to 900 participants, which puts pressure on informal parking areas. The club's own records match. The Colors of Elk County ride drew 762 riders in October 2022, and Fun in Spring Run drew 848 in August 2023. A rider survey cited in the release drew 357 responses, with a strong preference for camping and a willingness to pay for parking.

What the $1 Million Actually Pays For

The award comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' All-Terrain Vehicle and Snowmobile Grant Program. GantNews reported it on September 20 in an announcement from Rep. Mike Armanini, whose 75th District covers parts of Elk and Clearfield counties.

According to the release, Phase 1 covers:

1. The main access road from Bundy Settlement Road
2. A gated entrance
3. A turnaround loop
4. The first parking area, surfaced with aggregate and laid out as pull-through spaces for trucks, trailers and frequent turns
5. Water service, security cameras, landscaping and stormwater features designed around mapped wetlands

The completed trailhead is planned to have about 240 pull-through truck-and-trailer spaces, a welcome center and picnic areas. The TLPOA will own, operate and maintain it, the same way it already runs the lakes, golf courses, campground and public safety. Clark also told The Courier Express that he expects "a direct lift in KOA business: more overnight reservations, longer stays, and stronger weekend and event occupancy" from riders who will have a legal place to stage, ride and camp.

No groundbreaking date has been announced. The release says construction timing will follow DCNR grant agreement requirements, final design and permitting.

Why the Full Ride Pauses Until Late May

The Trail of Dreams is made up of road segments with different rules, and the state-road segments run on a fixed calendar. PennDOT's September 9, 2026 announcement added five Fox Township connectors to the Trail of Dreams: South Kersey Road, Irishtown Road, Brandy Camp Road, Toby Road and all of Kylers Corner Road. Those connectors are open in daylight only, during DCNR's riding season from the Friday before Memorial Day through the last Sunday in September.

On the calendar, the 2026 window for the connectors closed Sunday, September 27. The next one opens Friday, May 28, 2027, the Friday before Memorial Day. The SR 555 link into downtown Benezette follows the same May through September pattern. That means the full 23.6-mile ride into Benezette is a late spring through early fall trip.

The township roads work differently. A DCNR pilot report to the General Assembly says municipal and township roads "can be used year-round," but only roads a township has opened to ATVs by ordinance are legal to ride. Each township's ordinance governs its own roads, so a road open in one township may not be open in the next. Elk County Riders has held winter rides before. Its Winterfest drew 371 riders in February 2023 and 223 in February 2024. The club's most recent posted 2026 ride, Colors on October 11, started from 632 Boone Mountain Road in Kersey.

The campground runs on a similar calendar. The KOA lists its season as May 1 to October 24, so it is now past its posted closing date, and its listing says the family cabins close for the season November 1.

Before You Trailer Out in Spring

The trailhead connects to the regional route. Riding on Treasure Lake's internal roads is a separate question, and the trailhead plan as reported doesn't address it. The TLPOA office is the place to ask about the community's own roads, and the KOA's posted ban covers the campground.

Beyond the trail's own rules, DCNR requires registration for ATVs ridden off the owner's property, except machines used only for business or agriculture. Riders on land they don't own or lease also need liability insurance and must carry proof of it. DCNR's ATV riding page lists what riders must carry with them or on the vehicle, including the certificate of registration, proof of liability insurance and an affixed registration plate. Its riding rules page says helmets must be securely fastened and that ATVs may use only roads designated and posted for ATV use, with local ordinances able to add their own requirements. The state's registration page has the current forms. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice, so check your own machine and coverage with DCNR and your insurance agent before the season opens.

Elk County Riders describes the route on its Trail of Dreams page and lists organized rides on its pre-registration page. The Bundy Settlement Road entrance will start to take shape once the design and permits are approved.

If you own near Bundy Settlement Road or Cayman Landing and want to know how the new trailhead could affect your property's value, the team at Nelson Realty follows Treasure Lake's projects closely and can give you a free home valuation based on what's changing nearby.