Need a creative way to keep people from driving through my yard

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Mar 15, 2013
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So we have an HOA. A rather screwed up and corrupt one but anyhow I have joined the board and am trying to make changes. That being said my property buts up to a lake access where anyone can use it to put a boat in or fish ect. Before I lived here my family was here my grandparents owned it since 1972. My family always maintained the property ect. I laid down some new gravel over where gravel has always been since I'm allowed to use it as a parking area. That's been the agreement since we cut it and maintain it. For a long time it was closed as a boat launch but now it's kind of free game. Well I came out today to find someone had drove about 15 foot into my yard so they could turn around. The neighbors boat is on the public access but the board doesn't seem to want to make him move it since he is a big wig and doesn't live here full time. His boat makes it harder for people to turn around and while it makes no sense to me to drive all the way to the lake folks insist on doing so.
There are 3 boat launches in our subdivision and they aren't highly trafficked. So I'd like a way to keep people from driving in my yard. Can't be a fence since they won't allow lake side fencing and no fencing over 4ft so needs to be something creative that will serve the purpose without looking like a fence or wall or structure. Past my porch on the right side is where they drive through so if I could do something to deter that from porch to lake that would be great. Probably about 50 foot or so.
His boat is circled in red I used that picture to show that guys boat is on access property but they still don't seem to care. I don't either really until it's causing a crowded situation where people are driving next to my porch and yard . The tree with the arrow pointed at it is my property line. The neighbors property line is about at the big tree on the left side of the picture (most forward one). Anyway give me some ingenious ideas. Thanks everyone!
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How about putting in a garden wide enough and plenty long. You could plant flowers. It would look nice, and 99.99 % of people will not drive through it to get to the lake. If the soil was soft enough it could even stop the idiot who tries to drive through it. You could put in a deep pit filled with something that will give and then put the soil on top of that so it gives if anyone drives over it.

Most HOA will not get mad if you plant a nice long garden of flowers along the access of your property. Though it may be hard to chose the flowers to have enough of them in bloom at all given times. If flowers will not work, maybe other plants that the HOA will find nice to look at, but in reality are a deterrent for anyone to drive through. Even hedges may work. A coupe who lived next to me had small pine trees that they pruned very often, and they never got tall. They were nice looking tipi shaped plants that stayed small for many decades. I think they pruned them every time they mowed the grass.
 
The flower bed idea isn't bad but it would have to be pretty big. And with the cost of wood I'm not sure how easy that would be. I haven't measured it but it's a good 50ft long.
 
Large decorative rocks.

This is what I did a few years ago to keep neighbors from parking off the long shared driveway and making it a mud pit.

Once the rocks where in place, later we got the HOA to spring for trees and we planted three trees the length of the problem area. But the rocks did the trick, the grass recovered and it's not a hassle any more.
 
Will a tree or shrub line work? If whatever you choose allows 3-5’ spacing, choose the smallest distance. They’ll get way over 4’. Arborvitaes perhaps? If it’s a wet site, choose a salix hybrid.

Too bad there can’t be a fence. I know of a similar situation, but they have a fence all along the public access.
 
My inclination would be to install just enough natural looking obstacles to encourage people not to cross into your property. A 4 x 4 bird feed post and bird bath, a large rock or two, several large planter pots with flowers. Maybe a small tree or bush. A lawn island?

If you are dealing with idiots, then more aggressive deterrents will be needed.
 
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Any chance you can park a vehicle across it to block it? We have a massive 4th of July fireworks display in my neighborhood. It gets pretty crazy. And it draws in a ton of people. If you don't block off your yard, you will end up with it full of partiers. My neighbor tries to rope his off with caution tape but ultimately it gets knocked down and people park on his lawn. I end up parallel parking all of my vehicles across the end of my driveway and yard to keep people out. Seems to work okay-ish.
 
The least expensive thing would be a sign, "Please don't drive on the grass". If it don't work you aren't out much and can move on to rocks or flowers etc....
 
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