And no ATVs on the trails

Wintergreen is all about living among the mountains. And it’s also about living with golf. And ATVs are sold as a great way to travel on trails through the backwoods and golf carts are how you travel around golf courses, therefore…

Sorry, but no. Personal golf carts and ATVs (or similar utility vehicles) are not allowed on Wintergreen roads, walking paths, or trails, says Wintergreen Police Chief Dennis Russell.

“Even with our speed limit on most all Wintergreen roads at 25 MPH, our roads still do not provide a safe environment for golf carts to move about on the roadways with cars and trucks. You can walk, ride a bicycle, and even ride a horse along Wintergreen’s roads, but golf carts and ATVs are not allowed,” Russell says.

“It’s easy to understand why some might ask about this. There are well-known golfing and retirement communities in the U.S. with roads built for moving from point A to B via golf carts. They are very popular. But Wintergreen is simply not built to handle that kind of traffic safely. And the walking trails here are not wide enough to handle two-way golf cart traffic with walkers and bike riders,” explains Russell.

It’s illegal to drive unlicensed golf carts, utility vehicles, and their single operator version All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) on Wintergreen’s roadways, with the exception of the designated crossings at the golf courses, Russell says, pointing to the Code of Virginia. The hiking trails are built and maintained for only foot traffic Wintergreen’s Covenants and Restrictions say.