Hey Everybody,
as i stated in other posts before, me and my Fiancee recently purchased a used 4Runner TRD-Pro and we plan to start using it to go see some of the area where we live, which is the Western North Carolina, starting from the Piedmont area.
I posted recently asking for possible Safe Trails to go on, but i haven't gotten much of a response... so i started searching Online in many different sites, and i have found several nice places that should be nice to go visit, but in reality, i have been only in one of these Trails back in the days when i had a Defender 90.
But this 4Runner is our Family Car and we will be traveling with Kids OnBoard, so we really have to keep it in the mild stuff that the TRD-Pro can pass without any risks, we won't be doing any rough Off Road, Mudding or Rock Crawling, but we will go around Trails with moderate Obstacles we can easy overcome with our TRD-Pro while enjoying some nice overlooks and have a nice PicNic with the family in a beautiful nature area.
SO... here is the list of places we found out about OnLine, question is:
HAVE ANY OF YOU BEEN IN THESE TRAILS, AND ARE THEY SAFE?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WARNING: the following Coordinates are expressed in [ Latitude, -Longitude ] format which works on Cell Phones
some GPS use the Coordinates in [ Degrees Minutes Seconds ]
but there are even other Formats Possible.
Make sure you go to the Following Link to Convert Coordinates:
- Convert Coordinates -
you will for sure find the type of Coordinates your GPS uses
make sure you mark em down before you begin your journey
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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1238 PISGAH LOOP SCENIC BYWAY
= Old NC 105 Lineville NC -> Marion NC
{begins @ 35.771991, -81.902834 }
{ends @ 35.951321, -81.934590 }
>for the videos i have seen online, this is a gravel highway with beautiful overlooks along the way, but technically you can even do it with a normal car, provided you drive slow<
--- --- ---
1365^1409 BUCK COVE
= Tellico Creek Road , Franklin NC
-> Briartown Church Road , Topton NC
{Tellico Creek Road @ 35.2738078, -83.5201401 }
{Briartown Church Road @ 35.2595272, -83.6061716 }
>this is supposed to be a residential area and there are some nice homes along this gravel road, but for what i understood it should present any extreme challenge<
--- --- ---
BIG LAUREL GAP
= Curtis Creek road, Old Fort NC -> Burnsville NC
{begins @ 35.6667720, -82.1876850 }
{ends @ 35.736466, -82.192837 }
>i am not sure, i found videos where it seems just a Gravel trail, but then i have seem some more challenging forest passages, any insight on this trail?<
--- --- ---
1407 BALD KNOB RIDGE
= Maple Grove Church Road, Lenoir NC
-> NC 90, Colletsville NC
{begins @ 35.906390, -81.697202 }
{ends @ 36.031512, -81.707333 }
>this is supposedly a very very long trail with supposedly some awesome views of the mountain, i was unable to find any detailed video on how the whole trail goes on, but it should be a nice place to go around... has any of you been here before?<
--- --- ---
1328 WILSON CREEK GORGE
= Playmore Beach Road , Lenoir NC
-> NC 90 , Mortimer NC
-> Roseboro road , Lineville NC
{Playmore Beach Road @ 35.8856718, -81.6892464 }
{Roseboro road @ 36.0519360, -81.8529588 }
>this is the trail that takes you through the Ghost City of North Carolina, although there are 3 in total and are nearby, but supposedly Mortimer NC is an abandoned town that is creepy to visit and reachable with a very easy going off road<
--- --- ---
DRY FALLS LAKE SEQUOIA DAM
= Arnold Road, Highlands NC
-> Lake Sequoyah Dr, Highlands NC
{Dead End @ 35.050929, -83.221791 }
>this trail takes you to the Dry Falls where you can even walk behind the fall itself, the only issue is that it is a one way trail and there is no explanation of how hard it is to get there... has anyone in the Forum been there before?<
--- --- ---
1537 BUCK CREEK
= Panther Mountain Rd, Highlands NC -> Panther Ridge road, Highlands NC
-> Highlands Gate Dr -> Cardinal Ridge Dr, Highlands NC
{Panther Mountain Rd @ 35.126874, -83.221095 }
{Cardinal Ridge Dr @ 35.123938, -83.279041 }
>i read some blog entries of People that say this Trail is really beautiful, but it presents some mild challenges, yet there is no grade on this trail, so makes me wonder if it's safe or not for a family trip: any insight on this trail would be appreciated<
--- --- ---
403 HEINTOOGA ROUND BOTTOM RIDGE
= Balsam Mountain Road , Charleston NC
{one way @ 35.573377, -83.180108 }
>this is an actual State Ranger Maintained scenic one way road, it's safe for any car with a bit higher ground clearance and AWD or 4WD traction, so we will probably do it this summer<
--- --- ---
1100 COURTHOUSE FALLS
= Chestnut Creek Road , Balsam Grove NC
{dead end @ 35.247888, -82.888026}
>another dead end road, that forces you to go back but i have no clue how wide it is or what sort of obstacles there are in it, furthermore the fact that is some maps this is listed as a National Forest Road, which for what i read, it requires you to have a permit sticker on the car to be allowed to Drive it in there, but i am not sure of this as some people say the permit is required only for NON Road Legal Vehicles, so it should be OK to go there with your daily driver car<
--- --- ---
1182 PISGAH FOREST TRAIL
= Hurricane Creek road , Clyde NC
-> Max Patch Road , Clyde NC
{begins @ 35.723326, -83.026519}
>this is a public access road, dangerous to enter into as it turns off the Interstate with no exit lane so it's easy to get rear ended as you try to make a right turn from the middle of the highway, plus for what i understood it becomes a National Forest Road and requires an yearly pass to be purchased from the North Carolina National Forest Service, but i am not sure if road legal vehicles need the permit; it has some mild challenges, but it is easily doable with any 4WD vehicle and even AWD as long as they have a decent ground clearance as there are some water creek crossings as well as some rocks to get over<
--- --- ---
37023 GOLDEN VALLEY
= Roper Hollow Road , Morganton NC
-> Hackberry Dr
-> Pine Ridge Dr , Casar NC
{roper hollow rd @ 35.592554, -81.773675 }
{pine ridge dr @ 35.562942, -81.642625 }
>i am not sure this trail is still open, some people online say it washed off really bad and became unpracticeble after 4-5 miles into the trails, other said they encountered park rangers that told them to be very careful not to go off trail because it's very likely to roll down the hill, but supposedly it has beautiful views of the Golden Valley, which i live really close to, but i never been in it... anybody has been here recently?<
--- --- ---
GORGES STATE PARK
= Chestnut Mountain Road off road trail
Sapphire NC / Jocassee SC
{Dead End @ 35.088612, -82.951644 }
>this trail seems confusing: for what i understood by other videos and photos, this trail is fairly simple and it has some mild rock crawling and some tight bridges to pass, but nothing too extreme, but then, at some point, it becomes a tough off Road Trail and forces you to turn around unless you have some very tough Off Road buggy, yet the trail, according to some comments, is a one way road, so you shouldn't turn around... any ideas what is going on in this trail?<
--- --- ---
1737 WAYEHUTTA =
= Moses Creek Road Cullowhee NC 1740 -> Wayehutta Rd 1731
{begins @ 35.3286143, -83.1119062 }
= Chastian Creek Road , Cullowhee NC 1745
{begins @ 35.3166786, -83.0615990 }
= Caney Fork Road , Cullowhee NC 1737
{begins @ 35.327545, -83.040326 }
>this place is a crossing of 3 different trails that have different difficulties, but what it is not clear to me is if you can go through while avoiding the extreme rock crawling sections where you need at least 35" tires and long suspensions to go through... can i drive from one end to the other following an easy route, or am i forced to turn around? and which of the 3 is the very hard off road one?<
--- --- ---
1372 GEOCHACHE BLOWING ROCK OFF ROAD
= Richland Road , Lenoir NC
-> Blackberry Road
{begins @ 36.095988, -81.599467}
WARNING: this Trail is officially Private and accessible only by Residents, but you can request permission to access to the Residents themselves, be nice and they let you go
>i have done this with the Land Rover Defender 90 i used to have, it is quite a challenging trail, but it is doable, except a certain point in which you need to crawl up some big rocks and it is a very tough spot to go up to... yet i have seen videos of other 4 Runners going up there, with some difficulties, but they made it up there, and once you make it up, the other rocks are much easier to overcome and the creeks are never too dip, but i doubt i would go up there on the Family Car, even though i know any TRD can easily do it<
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This is all i found so far... as you can see, i put the GPS Coordinates of the Beginning and End of each Trail, i hope you guys find it useful in case you wanna go somewhere, but also, PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE, i know there are some brave souls that love to hard test their Off Roaders, but as i said, i plan to go around in Family Trips and it would be nice to know if the trail is safe, and i could you you, brave explorers, to let us know if we're good to go!
Thank you to anyone that contributes
and if you know of other places to go in the Western North Carolina area, please post the Trail Number, Street Name and possibly, the GPS Coordinates... we'll be happy to share our experience on those trails too.
CIAO
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GO TEST YOUR SKILLS AT UWHARRIE OFF ROADING PARK
This Info has been Updated on (11/10/2019)
UWHARRIE NATIONAL FOREST OHV
the advantage of going to an Off Roading Park, is that you can always find someone to help you if you need it,
the disadvantage is that you give up the "exploring factor" as all the trails loop back to the same parking lot,
but if you, like me, already did a couple of easy exploratory trails and want to go to test a bit your skills and your car limits,
going to a place like this is the safest manner to do so as there are many trails.
SO HERE IS THE JUDGEMENT I GIVE TO THE TRAILS BASED ON MY 4RUNNER TRD-PRO ON 33" TIRES
SLAB PILE trail 79 (officially rated as MODERATE)
this was really an easy Trail on a Dry Day and pretty fun to follow, it's all Dirt/Clay mainly, there is a lot of humps that allow you to test the clearence of your vehicle without damaging it...
great to get warmed up, doable by pretty much any type 4Runner even on stock tires
WOLF DEN trail 89 (Officially Rated as EASY)
add a few rocks to the Dirt/Clay of the previous trail, and you have it there is a lot of humps that allow you to test the clearence of your vehicle without damaging it and you will encounter some rocks which, you can easily drive around them if you don't wanna go over them...
great to get warmed up, doable by pretty much any type 4Runner even on stock tires
FALLS DAM trail 96 (Officially rated as MODERATE)
honestly this was a quite simple Trail, there are a few rocks here and there, but nothing that required the capability of a TRD-Pro or the 33" tires i have on mine...
another great trail to do with pretty much any 4Runner and good manner to get warmed up to go see some good views
SAWMILL trail 93 (officially rated as MODERATE)
this was a bit challanging, but honestly it was harder to get to the beginning of this trail as you reach it by following rail 92
i feel pretty confident that any 4Runner TRD will be able to do it, but remember that to the beginning of this Trail, you gotta do another one
ROCKY MOUNT LOOP trail 92 (officially rated as MODERATE)
you gotta have 33" tires ... the Rocky Mount Loop is the circular trail that surrounds the whole Off Road Park, and as you follow it, you encounter pretty much all the other trails, so generally speaking, you never do the full loop and the Loop has sections that are pretty easy to go forward even on a stock TRD, and almost all obstacles can be drove around
but there are some tougher passages that can't be avoided.
It is very Rocky, and in a couple of occasions i had to turn on the ROCK MODE on my TRD-Pro, i raccomand you being on 33" tires of you wanna do this, i did see people managing to push through on 32", but it was painful to watch as they rock back and forth, and try to bump forward to go over the obstacle.
the hardest spot is a really tight passage between a pointy rock and a tree, you'll have to fold a mirror, and patiently work your way around it
DUTCH JOHN trail 90 (officially rated as DIFFICULT)
i went there yesterday (11/09/2019) on a perfect day, where the ground was almost perfect with just a little bit of humidity to give grip, but not too dry to lift a cloud of dust.
My TRD-Pro on 33" tires bottomed out twice ad i had to use all the tricks in my TRD-Pro get myself unstuck: ROCK MODE, Diff Locks, etc.
We made it to the bottom of the gorge, where there is the Creek, and the next thing was the famous Trench the water has dug in the years.
Well, it used to be doable with my TRD-Pro on 33" tires, and it probably could do it even now, but it's very risky:
This year heavy rains cut down the trench in a steep V and there are very big deep ruts... even right before the Trench there were ruts soo big that even Jeeps Wranglers were avoiding it by driving though the bypass because they were getting tilted excessively.
I Drove myself in the bypass road and got to the Bottom of the Trench, but this is where i folded and turned back.
The Trench is not avoidable there was people getting pulled out by winch on cars that were similar to mine, you gotta have a well articulated vehicle to go up that trench now, and i believe the Dutch John Trail should be re-rated as (EXTREMELY DIFFICULT), i raccomand 35" tires and well spaced out wheels to avoid flipping.
DICKEY BELL trail 91 (Officially rated as EXTREMELY DIFFICULT)
i didn't do it, although other people did it on other 4Runners with 33" tires, they raccomand to be on 35", and i didn't feel like i could do it without scratching and damaging our family car, so i would suggest anybody that goes there to avoid it unless they are doing it with a Car that is not their Daily Driver.
DANIEL trail 390 (EXTREMELY DIFFICULT)
this is where Rock Crawlers go up with 37-40" tires... not raccomandable for any 4Runner
<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>^<^>
Addition... BIG ADDITION
I managed to speak with someone off of Youtube, he posted various Videos OffRoading in the Cherokee Forest, along the boarder between North Carolina and Tennessee, and he gave me the different Road Names he has been into...
so i went online and i mapped a few possible nice Routes across the Cherokee Forest;
just beware to STAY IN TRAIL, don't go on side Tracks because they are all private Properties and locals don't hesitate to use their Right to defend their Land, so as long as you stay in the main Roads listed below, you will be just fine:
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CHEROKEE LOOP [12 miles: about 1 hour]
Google Maps
(from HWY 321)
Poga Road, Butler TN
{36.278051, -81.987097}
Heaton Branch Road STRAIGHT
{36.273407, -81.991796}
White Oak Road LEFT
{36.261787, -82.005371}
Walnut Mountain Road RIGHT
{36.2414443, -82.028825}
{36.253329, -82.044577} follow Walnut Mountain LEFT
Little Stoney Creek Road STRAIGHT
{36.263698, -82.057244}
{36.3119086, -82.0726213}
ends into HWY 321 Butler TN
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ACROSS CHEROKEE [18 miles: about 1.5 hours]
Google Maps
Dennis Cove road, Hampton TN
{36.281296, -82.154215} (from HWY 321)
Laurel Fork Road, STRAIGHT
{36.257728, -82.110262}
Walnut Mountain road RIGHT
{36.263698, -82.057244}
Heaton Branch Road LEFT
{36.253329, -82.044577}
{36.263238, -82.018755} follow Heaton Branch RIGHT
Poga Road
{36.273407, -81.991796}
{36.278051, -81.987097}
ends into HWY 321 Butler TN
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DOWN CHEROKEE [15 miles: about 1.5 hours]
Google Maps
(from HWY 321)
Little Stoney Creek Road, Butler NC
{36.3119086, -82.0726213}
Walnut Mountain road STRAIGHT
{36.263698, -82.057244}
{36.253329, -82.044577} follow Walnut Mountain RIGHT
{36.2414443, -82.028825} follow Walnut Mountain RIGHT
Buck Mountain Road LEFT
{36.205755, -82.002698}
Clawson Hollow Road LEFT
{36.190369, -81.990126}
Miles Field Road STRAIGHT
{36.177584, -81.981535}
{36.167538, -81.994922}
ends into HWY 19 Elk Park NC
again: MAKE SURE YOU STAY ON THE INDICATED ROADS, do not take any Side Trails, they are Private Properties!!!
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I would like to point out that there is another nice road in this area, for who ever likes to cross Creeks, it is:
TRAIL 341
Witt Road , Tellico Plains TN
Begins @ { 35.258976, -84.340457 }
Ends @ { 35.336946, -84.307257 }
You cross a series of Creeks that are not excessively deep usually and it's a mild challange... i didn't include it in the initial list because it is in Tennessee, but come on... it's just on the boarder!
as i stated in other posts before, me and my Fiancee recently purchased a used 4Runner TRD-Pro and we plan to start using it to go see some of the area where we live, which is the Western North Carolina, starting from the Piedmont area.
I posted recently asking for possible Safe Trails to go on, but i haven't gotten much of a response... so i started searching Online in many different sites, and i have found several nice places that should be nice to go visit, but in reality, i have been only in one of these Trails back in the days when i had a Defender 90.
But this 4Runner is our Family Car and we will be traveling with Kids OnBoard, so we really have to keep it in the mild stuff that the TRD-Pro can pass without any risks, we won't be doing any rough Off Road, Mudding or Rock Crawling, but we will go around Trails with moderate Obstacles we can easy overcome with our TRD-Pro while enjoying some nice overlooks and have a nice PicNic with the family in a beautiful nature area.
SO... here is the list of places we found out about OnLine, question is:
HAVE ANY OF YOU BEEN IN THESE TRAILS, AND ARE THEY SAFE?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WARNING: the following Coordinates are expressed in [ Latitude, -Longitude ] format which works on Cell Phones
some GPS use the Coordinates in [ Degrees Minutes Seconds ]
but there are even other Formats Possible.
Make sure you go to the Following Link to Convert Coordinates:
- Convert Coordinates -
you will for sure find the type of Coordinates your GPS uses
make sure you mark em down before you begin your journey
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1238 PISGAH LOOP SCENIC BYWAY
= Old NC 105 Lineville NC -> Marion NC
{begins @ 35.771991, -81.902834 }
{ends @ 35.951321, -81.934590 }
>for the videos i have seen online, this is a gravel highway with beautiful overlooks along the way, but technically you can even do it with a normal car, provided you drive slow<
--- --- ---
1365^1409 BUCK COVE
= Tellico Creek Road , Franklin NC
-> Briartown Church Road , Topton NC
{Tellico Creek Road @ 35.2738078, -83.5201401 }
{Briartown Church Road @ 35.2595272, -83.6061716 }
>this is supposed to be a residential area and there are some nice homes along this gravel road, but for what i understood it should present any extreme challenge<
--- --- ---
BIG LAUREL GAP
= Curtis Creek road, Old Fort NC -> Burnsville NC
{begins @ 35.6667720, -82.1876850 }
{ends @ 35.736466, -82.192837 }
>i am not sure, i found videos where it seems just a Gravel trail, but then i have seem some more challenging forest passages, any insight on this trail?<
--- --- ---
1407 BALD KNOB RIDGE
= Maple Grove Church Road, Lenoir NC
-> NC 90, Colletsville NC
{begins @ 35.906390, -81.697202 }
{ends @ 36.031512, -81.707333 }
>this is supposedly a very very long trail with supposedly some awesome views of the mountain, i was unable to find any detailed video on how the whole trail goes on, but it should be a nice place to go around... has any of you been here before?<
--- --- ---
1328 WILSON CREEK GORGE
= Playmore Beach Road , Lenoir NC
-> NC 90 , Mortimer NC
-> Roseboro road , Lineville NC
{Playmore Beach Road @ 35.8856718, -81.6892464 }
{Roseboro road @ 36.0519360, -81.8529588 }
>this is the trail that takes you through the Ghost City of North Carolina, although there are 3 in total and are nearby, but supposedly Mortimer NC is an abandoned town that is creepy to visit and reachable with a very easy going off road<
--- --- ---
DRY FALLS LAKE SEQUOIA DAM
= Arnold Road, Highlands NC
-> Lake Sequoyah Dr, Highlands NC
{Dead End @ 35.050929, -83.221791 }
>this trail takes you to the Dry Falls where you can even walk behind the fall itself, the only issue is that it is a one way trail and there is no explanation of how hard it is to get there... has anyone in the Forum been there before?<
--- --- ---
1537 BUCK CREEK
= Panther Mountain Rd, Highlands NC -> Panther Ridge road, Highlands NC
-> Highlands Gate Dr -> Cardinal Ridge Dr, Highlands NC
{Panther Mountain Rd @ 35.126874, -83.221095 }
{Cardinal Ridge Dr @ 35.123938, -83.279041 }
>i read some blog entries of People that say this Trail is really beautiful, but it presents some mild challenges, yet there is no grade on this trail, so makes me wonder if it's safe or not for a family trip: any insight on this trail would be appreciated<
--- --- ---
403 HEINTOOGA ROUND BOTTOM RIDGE
= Balsam Mountain Road , Charleston NC
{one way @ 35.573377, -83.180108 }
>this is an actual State Ranger Maintained scenic one way road, it's safe for any car with a bit higher ground clearance and AWD or 4WD traction, so we will probably do it this summer<
--- --- ---
1100 COURTHOUSE FALLS
= Chestnut Creek Road , Balsam Grove NC
{dead end @ 35.247888, -82.888026}
>another dead end road, that forces you to go back but i have no clue how wide it is or what sort of obstacles there are in it, furthermore the fact that is some maps this is listed as a National Forest Road, which for what i read, it requires you to have a permit sticker on the car to be allowed to Drive it in there, but i am not sure of this as some people say the permit is required only for NON Road Legal Vehicles, so it should be OK to go there with your daily driver car<
--- --- ---
1182 PISGAH FOREST TRAIL
= Hurricane Creek road , Clyde NC
-> Max Patch Road , Clyde NC
{begins @ 35.723326, -83.026519}
>this is a public access road, dangerous to enter into as it turns off the Interstate with no exit lane so it's easy to get rear ended as you try to make a right turn from the middle of the highway, plus for what i understood it becomes a National Forest Road and requires an yearly pass to be purchased from the North Carolina National Forest Service, but i am not sure if road legal vehicles need the permit; it has some mild challenges, but it is easily doable with any 4WD vehicle and even AWD as long as they have a decent ground clearance as there are some water creek crossings as well as some rocks to get over<
--- --- ---
37023 GOLDEN VALLEY
= Roper Hollow Road , Morganton NC
-> Hackberry Dr
-> Pine Ridge Dr , Casar NC
{roper hollow rd @ 35.592554, -81.773675 }
{pine ridge dr @ 35.562942, -81.642625 }
>i am not sure this trail is still open, some people online say it washed off really bad and became unpracticeble after 4-5 miles into the trails, other said they encountered park rangers that told them to be very careful not to go off trail because it's very likely to roll down the hill, but supposedly it has beautiful views of the Golden Valley, which i live really close to, but i never been in it... anybody has been here recently?<
--- --- ---
GORGES STATE PARK
= Chestnut Mountain Road off road trail
Sapphire NC / Jocassee SC
{Dead End @ 35.088612, -82.951644 }
>this trail seems confusing: for what i understood by other videos and photos, this trail is fairly simple and it has some mild rock crawling and some tight bridges to pass, but nothing too extreme, but then, at some point, it becomes a tough off Road Trail and forces you to turn around unless you have some very tough Off Road buggy, yet the trail, according to some comments, is a one way road, so you shouldn't turn around... any ideas what is going on in this trail?<
--- --- ---
1737 WAYEHUTTA =
= Moses Creek Road Cullowhee NC 1740 -> Wayehutta Rd 1731
{begins @ 35.3286143, -83.1119062 }
= Chastian Creek Road , Cullowhee NC 1745
{begins @ 35.3166786, -83.0615990 }
= Caney Fork Road , Cullowhee NC 1737
{begins @ 35.327545, -83.040326 }
>this place is a crossing of 3 different trails that have different difficulties, but what it is not clear to me is if you can go through while avoiding the extreme rock crawling sections where you need at least 35" tires and long suspensions to go through... can i drive from one end to the other following an easy route, or am i forced to turn around? and which of the 3 is the very hard off road one?<
--- --- ---
1372 GEOCHACHE BLOWING ROCK OFF ROAD
= Richland Road , Lenoir NC
-> Blackberry Road
{begins @ 36.095988, -81.599467}
WARNING: this Trail is officially Private and accessible only by Residents, but you can request permission to access to the Residents themselves, be nice and they let you go
>i have done this with the Land Rover Defender 90 i used to have, it is quite a challenging trail, but it is doable, except a certain point in which you need to crawl up some big rocks and it is a very tough spot to go up to... yet i have seen videos of other 4 Runners going up there, with some difficulties, but they made it up there, and once you make it up, the other rocks are much easier to overcome and the creeks are never too dip, but i doubt i would go up there on the Family Car, even though i know any TRD can easily do it<
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This is all i found so far... as you can see, i put the GPS Coordinates of the Beginning and End of each Trail, i hope you guys find it useful in case you wanna go somewhere, but also, PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE, i know there are some brave souls that love to hard test their Off Roaders, but as i said, i plan to go around in Family Trips and it would be nice to know if the trail is safe, and i could you you, brave explorers, to let us know if we're good to go!
Thank you to anyone that contributes
and if you know of other places to go in the Western North Carolina area, please post the Trail Number, Street Name and possibly, the GPS Coordinates... we'll be happy to share our experience on those trails too.
CIAO
~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~
GO TEST YOUR SKILLS AT UWHARRIE OFF ROADING PARK
This Info has been Updated on (11/10/2019)
UWHARRIE NATIONAL FOREST OHV
the advantage of going to an Off Roading Park, is that you can always find someone to help you if you need it,
the disadvantage is that you give up the "exploring factor" as all the trails loop back to the same parking lot,
but if you, like me, already did a couple of easy exploratory trails and want to go to test a bit your skills and your car limits,
going to a place like this is the safest manner to do so as there are many trails.
SO HERE IS THE JUDGEMENT I GIVE TO THE TRAILS BASED ON MY 4RUNNER TRD-PRO ON 33" TIRES
SLAB PILE trail 79 (officially rated as MODERATE)
this was really an easy Trail on a Dry Day and pretty fun to follow, it's all Dirt/Clay mainly, there is a lot of humps that allow you to test the clearence of your vehicle without damaging it...
great to get warmed up, doable by pretty much any type 4Runner even on stock tires
WOLF DEN trail 89 (Officially Rated as EASY)
add a few rocks to the Dirt/Clay of the previous trail, and you have it there is a lot of humps that allow you to test the clearence of your vehicle without damaging it and you will encounter some rocks which, you can easily drive around them if you don't wanna go over them...
great to get warmed up, doable by pretty much any type 4Runner even on stock tires
FALLS DAM trail 96 (Officially rated as MODERATE)
honestly this was a quite simple Trail, there are a few rocks here and there, but nothing that required the capability of a TRD-Pro or the 33" tires i have on mine...
another great trail to do with pretty much any 4Runner and good manner to get warmed up to go see some good views
SAWMILL trail 93 (officially rated as MODERATE)
this was a bit challanging, but honestly it was harder to get to the beginning of this trail as you reach it by following rail 92
i feel pretty confident that any 4Runner TRD will be able to do it, but remember that to the beginning of this Trail, you gotta do another one
ROCKY MOUNT LOOP trail 92 (officially rated as MODERATE)
you gotta have 33" tires ... the Rocky Mount Loop is the circular trail that surrounds the whole Off Road Park, and as you follow it, you encounter pretty much all the other trails, so generally speaking, you never do the full loop and the Loop has sections that are pretty easy to go forward even on a stock TRD, and almost all obstacles can be drove around
but there are some tougher passages that can't be avoided.
It is very Rocky, and in a couple of occasions i had to turn on the ROCK MODE on my TRD-Pro, i raccomand you being on 33" tires of you wanna do this, i did see people managing to push through on 32", but it was painful to watch as they rock back and forth, and try to bump forward to go over the obstacle.
the hardest spot is a really tight passage between a pointy rock and a tree, you'll have to fold a mirror, and patiently work your way around it
DUTCH JOHN trail 90 (officially rated as DIFFICULT)
i went there yesterday (11/09/2019) on a perfect day, where the ground was almost perfect with just a little bit of humidity to give grip, but not too dry to lift a cloud of dust.
My TRD-Pro on 33" tires bottomed out twice ad i had to use all the tricks in my TRD-Pro get myself unstuck: ROCK MODE, Diff Locks, etc.
We made it to the bottom of the gorge, where there is the Creek, and the next thing was the famous Trench the water has dug in the years.
Well, it used to be doable with my TRD-Pro on 33" tires, and it probably could do it even now, but it's very risky:
This year heavy rains cut down the trench in a steep V and there are very big deep ruts... even right before the Trench there were ruts soo big that even Jeeps Wranglers were avoiding it by driving though the bypass because they were getting tilted excessively.
I Drove myself in the bypass road and got to the Bottom of the Trench, but this is where i folded and turned back.
The Trench is not avoidable there was people getting pulled out by winch on cars that were similar to mine, you gotta have a well articulated vehicle to go up that trench now, and i believe the Dutch John Trail should be re-rated as (EXTREMELY DIFFICULT), i raccomand 35" tires and well spaced out wheels to avoid flipping.
DICKEY BELL trail 91 (Officially rated as EXTREMELY DIFFICULT)
i didn't do it, although other people did it on other 4Runners with 33" tires, they raccomand to be on 35", and i didn't feel like i could do it without scratching and damaging our family car, so i would suggest anybody that goes there to avoid it unless they are doing it with a Car that is not their Daily Driver.
DANIEL trail 390 (EXTREMELY DIFFICULT)
this is where Rock Crawlers go up with 37-40" tires... not raccomandable for any 4Runner
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Addition... BIG ADDITION
I managed to speak with someone off of Youtube, he posted various Videos OffRoading in the Cherokee Forest, along the boarder between North Carolina and Tennessee, and he gave me the different Road Names he has been into...
so i went online and i mapped a few possible nice Routes across the Cherokee Forest;
just beware to STAY IN TRAIL, don't go on side Tracks because they are all private Properties and locals don't hesitate to use their Right to defend their Land, so as long as you stay in the main Roads listed below, you will be just fine:
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CHEROKEE LOOP [12 miles: about 1 hour]
Google Maps
(from HWY 321)
Poga Road, Butler TN
{36.278051, -81.987097}
Heaton Branch Road STRAIGHT
{36.273407, -81.991796}
White Oak Road LEFT
{36.261787, -82.005371}
Walnut Mountain Road RIGHT
{36.2414443, -82.028825}
{36.253329, -82.044577} follow Walnut Mountain LEFT
Little Stoney Creek Road STRAIGHT
{36.263698, -82.057244}
{36.3119086, -82.0726213}
ends into HWY 321 Butler TN
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ACROSS CHEROKEE [18 miles: about 1.5 hours]
Google Maps
Dennis Cove road, Hampton TN
{36.281296, -82.154215} (from HWY 321)
Laurel Fork Road, STRAIGHT
{36.257728, -82.110262}
Walnut Mountain road RIGHT
{36.263698, -82.057244}
Heaton Branch Road LEFT
{36.253329, -82.044577}
{36.263238, -82.018755} follow Heaton Branch RIGHT
Poga Road
{36.273407, -81.991796}
{36.278051, -81.987097}
ends into HWY 321 Butler TN
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DOWN CHEROKEE [15 miles: about 1.5 hours]
Google Maps
(from HWY 321)
Little Stoney Creek Road, Butler NC
{36.3119086, -82.0726213}
Walnut Mountain road STRAIGHT
{36.263698, -82.057244}
{36.253329, -82.044577} follow Walnut Mountain RIGHT
{36.2414443, -82.028825} follow Walnut Mountain RIGHT
Buck Mountain Road LEFT
{36.205755, -82.002698}
Clawson Hollow Road LEFT
{36.190369, -81.990126}
Miles Field Road STRAIGHT
{36.177584, -81.981535}
{36.167538, -81.994922}
ends into HWY 19 Elk Park NC
again: MAKE SURE YOU STAY ON THE INDICATED ROADS, do not take any Side Trails, they are Private Properties!!!
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I would like to point out that there is another nice road in this area, for who ever likes to cross Creeks, it is:
TRAIL 341
Witt Road , Tellico Plains TN
Begins @ { 35.258976, -84.340457 }
Ends @ { 35.336946, -84.307257 }
You cross a series of Creeks that are not excessively deep usually and it's a mild challange... i didn't include it in the initial list because it is in Tennessee, but come on... it's just on the boarder!
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