"I'm fond of telling people that when God created the universe he gave the state of Utah the most beautiful scenery to be viewed anywhere and, as an afterthought, he threw in the world's best ATV trails," said Mannigel. "That's my genuine feeling. When you add the amazing local people of Fillmore you get the country's best ATV jamboree."

Mannigel will be making his now-annual 2,000-mile trek from Wisconsin to Fillmore for the 19th Annual National ATV Jamboree on June 19-24. He will not be alone in this town of 2,000, which once served as the state's first capitol.

Jamboree officials expect to surpass last year's total of 350 participants. Not bad for an event that started in 1987 when a group of residents got together to figure out a way to draw visitors.

The then-recently completed state Paiute ATV Trail, with heads just outside of Fillmore, presented a natural draw, with more than 200 miles of loop riding and access to more than 300 miles of public ATV trails and roads. The National ATV Jamboree was born, making it the first such event in Utah, and possibly in the country.

Many other cities and counties across the nation have adopted the idea and riders can now find group events like the one in Fillmore throughout the year.

The National ATV Jamboree remains Utah's only summer riding event; all of the others are during school, which prevents many families from participating. Riders ages 8-16 who have completed Utah's Know Before You Go OHV Education Course are welcome to ride in the jamboree.

"We don't have a lot of young kids, but we do see a lot of couples with teenagers or older couples with their grandchildren," said jamboree co-chair Sherry Shepard. "We try to do things that appeal to all ages."

In addition to offering more than 30 guided rides from Fillmore (some require pulling the machines on a trailer to other trail heads), the National ATV Jamboree also includes a parade, a kids ATV rodeo, mud bog and ATV pull competitions, a GPS treasure hunt, a progressive dinner with stops in Chalk Creek Canyon and a ladies ride.

About 70 percent of the participants each year are returnees, according to Shepard. Riders come from Arizona, Nevada, Texas, California and Colorado and as far away as France, England and Canada.

Wherever they come from, it seems Fillmore has a special connection with ATV riders. Shepard lists a number of riders who have bought a home in Fillmore after taking part in the National ATV Jamboree.

"We had a guy come from New York. Before he left for home he had purchased a lot and ordered a home," she said. "This is some amazing country for a lot of people. I had a guy turn to me during a ride and ask, 'Whose land am I on right now?' He couldn't believe it when I told him, 'Yours.' That was a new thing to him."

Volunteers, starting with a 20-person jamboree committee, do all the organizing - and guiding. There are no official numbers, but organizers believe "a couple hundred thousand" is pumped into the local community during the event.

Leaders work to change rides to avoid repetition from year to year and they are always open to new ideas. Shepard said there were at least three participants scheduled for this year's event who are in charge of putting on other ATV jamborees across the country.

For state land management and off-road agencies, the jamboree provides a welcome chance talk about safe and ethical use of ATV's on public land.

Fishlake National Forest Service officials address the riders on the first night and remind them that responsible off-road use now means there will likely be access in the future. State Parks officials also say the jamboree is a good time to connect with riders about concerns, issues and ideas.

"Our biggest concerns are always for the safety of riders and for protection of the environment," said Fred Hayes, off-highway vehicle program coordinator for Utah State Parks and Recreation. "From the state's position, jamborees are a great way to introduce people to how and where they should ride. All the rides have guides and there is a lot of peer pressure to ride the right way at these events."

Contact Brett Prettyman at brettp@sltrib.com or 801-257-8902. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.