Two permits are required and one of them is not sold here. You need a free NPS ORV permit and a Texas State ORV decal from TPWD Customer Service on (512) 389-8917.
Permit required — The NPS ORV permit is free. Apply by email to [email protected] or in person at Park Headquarters. Annual permits run 1 January to 31 December and must be renewed each year. You also need a Texas State OHV decal, bought separately through Texas Parks & Wildlife on (512) 389-8917.
🔴 ATV operators need a Texas safety certificate under Section 663.031 of the Texas Transportation Code. This catches out-of-state riders who have never needed one.
Guide
About this area
• 275 acres, about 10 miles of riding, on the northwest side of Lake Meredith • Hard-packed trail and creek bed, with sandy, muddy and rocky sections • Elevation 2,900–3,000 ft — which is why the rule is 'stay below 3,000 ft' • Mostly intermediate; some beginner ground, very little expert. Few steep hills, small jumps…
Camping
• Primitive dispersed camping on site
• Picnic tables, BBQ grills and vault-evaporator toilets
• 🔴 No drinking water and no hookups — bring everything
• ⚠️ Not bookable: Blue Creek offers no reservations through Recreation.gov, it is first-come
• Shared with equestrian campers
Facilities
• Vault-evaporator toilets
• Picnic tables and BBQ grills
• Primitive camping on site — dispersed, and shared with equestrian users
• 🔴 NO drinking water · no flush toilets · no hookups
• Gasoline is 5–20 miles away; water and RV services 20–30 miles
Full agency description
Blue Creek is 275 acres of hard-packed trail and creek bed on the northwest side of Lake Meredith, about 10 miles of riding at 2,900 to 3,000 feet in the Texas Panhandle. It is one of the few places in Texas that officially takes dune buggies and sand rails alongside bikes, quads and unregistered 4x4s, and it is free to ride — but you need two permits, and riding is confined to the creek bed itself. It is also shared with horseback riders, so it is not a place to come around a blind bend at speed.
At a glance
Quick facts
Best season
Open daily, year-round
Camping limit
No drinking water. Vault-evaporator toilets only.
Managing agency
National Park Service — Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
Permit status
Permit required
Access
Getting there
FM 1913 — the way inEntrance
Blue Creek sits on the northwest side of Lake Meredith off FM 1913. From Amarillo: Loop 335 North, then Hwy 136 North to Fritch. From the north: FM 1913 from the Dumas Highway or FM 1913 from US-287. Come in off 1913 — do NOT navigate to the middle of the area.
Shared use with horseback riders so yield and slow down.
🔴 Blue Creek off-road use is in the creek bed only. Riding outside the creek bed is not permitted.
Stay within the cutbanks of Blue Creek and Rosita and below 3,000 ft elevation.
🔴 You need two permits and one is not sold at the park.
Show all 18 area-specific rules
🔴 ATV operators also need a valid Texas safety certificate.
Where you can ride in the area.
One decal is required per VIN and you need the year, make, model and VIN to apply.
Texas OHV decal is required on public land, costs $16 and is valid for one year. It applies to non-street-legal motorcycles, ATVs and 4x4s on any public land in Texas. Street-legal vehicles and private land are exempt.
Riding public land in Texas without the decal risks a citation and a fine of $25 to $500.
🪖 Texas requires riders under 18 to wear a DOT-standard helmet and eye protection. Adults are not required to but should.
Texas riders under 14 may only ride with a parent or authorized adult. Ages 14 to 17 may ride alone but must have completed a state-approved ATV safety course.
🎫 You need both an NPS ORV Permit for Lake Meredith and a Texas State OHV decal. Riders get caught out having only one.
🎫 The NPS permit is free but you must apply. Submit the application to [email protected] or in person as you cannot buy it at a gate.
The annual permit runs 1 January to 31 December and it is not twelve months from the day you buy it. Buy one in November and it dies on 31 December.
🎫 Texas State OHV decal is from Texas Parks & Wildlife Customer Service at (512) 389-8917.
🪖 Helmets and eye protection are required for every rider with no age exemption. This is stricter than Texas state law so everyone wears one.
All ATVs must have a whip and flag.
Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife Texas OHV Program Transportation Code 663.031 — tpwd.texas.gov
Standard OHV rules (3)
Common equipment, registration and trail-use rules still apply.
Ride to the highest safety standard, not the legal minimum. A helmet, eye protection, a flag and proper gear are what get you home.
Spark arrestor is required on all vehicles.
Safety flag must be solid red or orange, minimum 6 x 12 inches, no more than 10 inches from the top of the whip. It can be a pennant, triangle, square or rectangle.
Permits
Permits & registration
Permit required
Day pass
NPS ORV Permit is free but you must apply in advance.
Permit and registration details
The NPS ORV permit is free. Apply by email to [email protected] or in person at Park Headquarters. Annual permits run 1 January to 31 December and must be renewed each year. You also need a Texas State OHV decal, bought separately through Texas Parks & Wildlife on (512) 389-8917.
State residents
Texas residents need a Texas State ORV decal to ride the Lake Meredith OHV areas.
Out-of-state riders
Out-of-state riders need the Texas State ORV decal regardless of where you live, and ATV operators additionally need a Texas-issued safety certificate. Buy the decal from TPWD Customer Service at (512) 389-8917 before you travel.
Permit rules change. Confirm with the managing agency before you ride.
Trip support
Fuel, food & local help
Local fuel notes (3)
Gasoline is 5–20 miles out; water and RV services 20–30 miles.
Sanford and Stinnett are the nearest towns, and Amarillo is about 52 miles by road.
Fill before you turn onto FM 1913.
Pump gas & diesel
NOTHING ON FM 1913 — fuel before you turn offfuel
Top off before the last stretch · FM 1913 runs a long way with nothing on it, and there is no water or fuel at Blue Creek. Fill up before you commit to the last 18 miles.More
Top off before the last stretch · FM 1913 runs a long way with nothing on it, and there is no water or fuel at Blue Creek. Fill up before you commit to the last 18 miles.
Fritch / Sanford — closest to the lakefuel
Closest town to Lake Meredith · Nearest fuel to the recreation area. Park HQ is at 419 E. Broadway in Fritch if you need the office.
Area information is informational only and may be inaccurate or out of date. Verify access, weather, closures, permits and hazards before and during any trip. See Terms.
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