Jeremy Walker of Marion in his 1977 CJ7, enjoying one of Crittenden County's newest attractions, Paddy's Bluff Retreat near Dycusburg. (photo courtesy/The Crittenden Press)

If you like the taste of mud, squishing, oozing sounds of big tires gripping through a slimy morass and the teeth-gnashing blare of engines revved up to their brink, then you might just find some weekend therapy at Crittenden County's newest recreational facility.

Paddy's Bluff Retreat opened Saturday to the public. A few dozen bikers and Jeepers took advantage of the off-road attraction near Dycusburg. All gave the new ATV park good reviews.

Developed by John Travis on 650 acres of private property parallel to the Cumberland River, the retreat is part scenic overlook, part camping facility and part mud bog. It's a cross between an RV park and a swamp.

On the highlands, bikers or hikers might pass through a narrow trail high above the swift waters of the Cumberland River. In places it is quite an aesthetic showpiece. In fact, Paddy's Bluff is the site where parts of the movie How the West was Won were filmed many years ago. In the creek bottoms and low lands where backwater has softened the turf and tenderized the creekbanks, there's plenty of challenging holes and hills for the high-endurance ATV enthusiast.

Trails have been bull-dozed through the rough terrain, but some of Saturday's early riders say they prefer to blaze their own. "It¹s going to be tough once we get in here and make some new trails," said Jeremy Whited of Salem, pointing out that he and fellow riders tend to seek virtually impossible paths. Whited broke a front axle Saturday on his rock climber--a machine that looks like a hulked up go-cart with the power of a tank. He and others with similar equipment found entertainment off the beaten path, on bluffs and rocky cliffs that a billy goat would avoid.

"Those things are simply amazing. They're going places that I wouldn't take a log skidder," said Travis, the park's owner and a full-time timber man.

Planning a Visit Paddy's Bluff Retreat $10 per day for driver and ATV $5 each non-driving passenger Special Holiday Packages: Open Weekends from April through October Directions Paddy's Bluff Retreat is Located on Paddy's Bluff Road north of Dycusburg, Ky., in Crittenden County. Dycusburg is located on Highway 70. From Dycusburg, go approximately 2 miles north to Gorman Pond Road. Turn left onto Gorman Pond Road and travel approximately 2 miles to Paddy's Bluff Road. Turn left onto Paddy's Bluff Road and go approximately one-half mile to entrance of ATV park. Questions? Call 270-988-2991 or 270-836-4297 More than 600 acres offers miles and miles of trails, hills and mud holes. Many trails overlook the Cumberland River. The trails range from extreme to moderate in level of difficulty.

"We told them they could run over the smaller trees and make trails where ever they want to go as long as they stay within the boundaries and don¹t damage any mature trees." The park's perimeter trails are fairly well marked, but Travis says he plans to develop some type of mapping system that will better help riders understand the labyrinth of trails that are available. "You can ride around here all day and never go over the same trail twice," he said. "We had about 70 people Saturday and Sunday which wasn't too bad considering it was Easter weekend."

The park will be open every weekend until about October. There are daily use fees and camping is available. A concession stand at the entrance has everything from drinks to burgers and candy. On holiday weekends, Travis hopes to have some type of additional entertainment that will attract overnight campers.

The trails are well suited for almost any type of off-road vehicle. During the opening weekend there was everything from motorcycle riders to non-modified, street-style Jeeps.

Jeremy Walker of Marion took his 1977 souped up CJ7 through some of the toughest mud holes on the place. At one point, the rooster tails of slop and dark water washed through his rig like a tidal wave. Walker and Jeep emerged from the seemingly bottomless pit looking like a light chocolate brownie.

"There's still grit between my teeth," said Walker 30 minutes later as he wiped some of the excess Dycusburg mud off of his arm. The cleanup job was in vain as he was covered from ear to toe with brown ooze.

"It¹s great," he said, the whites of his eyes the only thing still retaining their original color. In contrast, there were a few families there with mom, dad and child on spotless 4-wheelers. They were taking the less-stressful route through the maze of trails.

"We hope to have something for everyone," said Travis. "Once the word gets out, I think we'll be busier."