Best places to wheel in the US

[jwkilgore]

Any one know of any places in NC to do a little off road ! I just got my 4 runner and want to tear it up

Join Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA.org, also on Facebook) and/or one of their local affiliate clubs. A good organization for responsible 'wheeling that is active in environmental stewardship along with political activism (keeping trails open). They just helped with a cleanup at Uwharrie last weekend.

And I hope you were just typing exuberantly... unless you are on your own personal land, "tearing it up" is the best possible way to get off-road trails closed permanently.

 

[Unner]

Anywhere out west if you're looking for public land to wheel on. You never see people out west posting pics of the "Off-road park" they went to this weekend and paid money to wheel at, whereas that's about all us east coast guys get...

 

[thegipper]

Black mountain trail in AZ is nice.

 

[jwkilgore]

Even in the east and southeast there are places to wheel almost everywhere, they just aren't publicised and only locals know about them. Many are illegal (trespassing, whether signed and enforced or not), while others are simply public roads that are no longer maintained. I can think of over a half dozen locations within an hour of me varying from unmaintained FS roads to old timber roads to groomed and mapped parks with rated trails and access roads.

• Two pay-to-play parks (Adventure Offroad Park and Aetna Mountain Adventures), with a third being planned. AOP is organized and groomed with marked and rated trails like a ski resort. AMA is a place you can go to get muddy. Easy roads to extreme "bounty" trails.
• One large Wildlife Management Area, Prentice Cooper, with a mix of maintained and unmaintained roads where OHV riding (ATV and 4WD) is officially allowed during parts of the year. Easy to moderate trails.
• Several areas in north Georgia that are on National Forest land, but they are only for ATV's and motorcycles. Also they are pay-to-play, but it's only a small daily or yearly access fee.
• A couple of public but unmaintained roads through other small Wildlife Management Areas; driving down the road is legal (and challenging), but driving off the road is illegal.
• One little known, very challenging, and absolutely beautiful ride along old timber company roads with multiple wet crossings, caves, springs, and hidden waterfalls (Coppinger Cove). Lots of rock gardens; it's about at the limit of my ride and skill level without to much risk of body damage.
• And several places that are very popular with the drunk rednecks who ignore the "No Trespassing" signs.

Before I started wheeling again last year I'd only heard of the popular and notorious illegal places. I'm slowly searching for and finding other trails and roads in north Georgia and Alabama. It takes time, and you have to work at it, but you can find places anywhere.

 

[thebrotherinlaw]

Since I'm in Asheville N.C. I can give you some insight into the North Carolina side of things. I belong to two local clubs. The Flats and The Shop in Marion NC. Check them out on NC4x4 or facebook. If you come this way I would be glad to take you for the day. We also like going to Windrock offroad park in Oak Ridge Tennessee and Black Mountain ORP in Harlan KY. Those two places are off the hook! It's very entertaining just getting to watch those crazy rock bouncers! While you are in the area you could also swing by Gulches in S.C. It is mostly a mild park with some extremely difficult sections too. Uhwarrie is also close by and I know you would love the national forest roads in the Gorge on the Tennessee and North Carolina state line. It's not uninhabited like out west but we have enough to keep you busy.

 

[live_discover]

Live in washington and you can wheel in washington, oregon, and idaho! All beautiful places to wheel. If you get really bored make a weekend trip to cali if you want.

 

[pliance04]

Oregon is great and there is a bunch of micro breweries around as well, for after the long day of sitting in the 4runner, Tacoma, etcs comfortable seats