Wheeling around Chattanooga?

[jwkilgore]

Hello, everyone. The above mentioned area is now indeed off limits. It has been posted by at least 3 property owners - I am one. Those woods & the trail itself is private property. The area I am speaking of is just a short distance off Woodland Way.

We would appreciate it if you would kindly enjoy yourselves elsewhere. I am aware that at least one of the owners will call the law & have arrests made.

Thank you.

Editing to add: Part of the upper "bald" area is privately owned, as well. I have been told, 2 vehicles were towed from there at vehicle owner expense within the past month.

Thank you for posting this. I've avoided the area except for the one exploratory trip mentioned earlier. Links to this thread were posted to a few local Facebook groups.

A couple of comments. To the best of my knowledge through the TN Property Viewer (at the link zoom in to the boundary between Marion and Sequatchie counties then turn on aerial view), the Brow Trail (the rough dirt/rock road between Woodland Way and where Big Fork Road curves away from the brow) is still a private road owned by the developer. It has not been turned over to the government and may never be. I'm assuming you and the other two owners you mentioned own lots along this road. My understanding is that most of the offroading is elsewhere.

There is a public Right Of Way through the area along Big Fork Road. It connects Taft Hwy with Suck Creek Road. But it's all but impassable between the quarry and North Suck Creek unless you have a serious rig.

 

[jwkilgore]

Map of the area. My understanding is that [MENTION=140207]EdwardC[/MENTION] owns one of the lots along Brow Trail. Brow Trail runs between Woodland Way (top of pic) and Big Fork Road (starts at lower left, goes up and to the right).

Big Fork Road has a full Right of Way, so it is a public road. This is indicated by a double parallel line... each line is a property line on one side of the road, with the area between being public property. Brow Trail does not have such a double line... just a shared property line between the brow lots and back lots. My understanding is that most of the off-roading occurs away from the brow line. If my understanding is correct, then EdwardC's declaration only affects his property and the property of two others, which is a very tiny area. It does not serve to "close" the entire Big Fork area.

So we're back where we started. There is a public road, just like the public road up Aetna and through WMAs and such. It's legal to drive that road, although my understanding is that only a serious rig can successfully navigate the stretch between the Quarry and North Suck Creek. Edward has declared his personal property off limits, and apparently there are properties that are fenced, and those decisions should be respected. Otherwise, all of the property up there is private, but whether off-roading is allowed is up to each property owner.

Personally, I prefer to 'wheel where I'm welcome, and if there's even the hint of the property owner not wanting me there I'll just go elsewhere.

 

[TNRunner99]

Anyone been to Aetna Mountain recently? I know it's still open through the Black Mountain neighborhood. I was thinking about going in a couple of weeks but on a Thursday or Friday to hopefully avoid some of the local crowd.
I know some have been pretty crazy up there recently. They set fire to a few vehicles that were left unattended.

 

[EdwardC]

I don't have "a lot". I have 38 acres. My neighbors to the right has almost 60 acres. The neighbor above us has at least 30 acres. If you want a CORRECT map, try tn map.tn.gov/assessment and look over map 030.... names of note will be Pitkin and Konstantinos, you may also find John Headrick.
What you are calling the Brow Trail is indeed, open, to my understanding, as so many people have ownership (acre lots) along that line. That is a long straight.
Going down, the trail to your actual left as you drive is private property. My property lies just over a waterway - past a big rock. Posted with signs, dark blue, neon orange and purple paint on the trees.
I assure you, all areas in question have been surveyed and are private property. There is no legal access between the area of Big Fork Road on Signal Mountain to ANYTHING. When the pavement stops - there is no legal access. The owner will stop trespassers - he will prosecute.
Big Fork Rd on Signal Mtn runs straight off Taft. Owned - when pavement runs out, it is CLOSED.
Trying to be nice - go to the tax maps - private property. Time to stop.
Were it not for the trashing, vandalism, etc., might not have happened.
AND, cables, gates & cameras are being put up. Pix will be turned over to enforcement for prosecution.
I wanted to ask nicely.
Getting cussed at 11 at night by someone on the phone..... other things going on. Please relay the message to your friends. We have had enough.

 

[EdwardC]

Wonder if that was the same peeps that dragged a boat up & set fire to it? Could have been the same peeps that shoved a white truck out of the trail a few weeks ago? Could even, those peeps that had their trucks towed at vehicle owner expense, recently. Anything ring a bell?

 

[jwkilgore]

[MENTION=140207]EdwardC[/MENTION], First of all, most of the guys here are responsible wheelers. If a property owner doesn't want off-roaders, we stay away. While there I never came near your property. I went up there once out of curiosity and then left. Because of all the "No Tresspassing" signs I would have likely never gone back even without your post here. So maybe back off the harshness a bit when posting on this forum.

Second, as a property owner myself, I will defend your rights to protect your own property. If trespassers are using a trail to illegally cross your property, then by all means gate it. Be careful stretching cables, though, because if some idiot racing through on an ATV gets decapitated by a thin cable stretched across the road you will likely find yourself in court.

But third, just because you own property in the area that DOES NOT give you the right to shut down public right-of-way. If you'll look at the top of the image I posted you'll notice it is a screen shot from the same web site you declared as a "CORRECT" map (This one: http://tnmap.tn.gov/assessment/). It clearly shows the public row. I had aerial imagery turned on. If you turn off aerial imagery it clearly shows a white "road" line running between the double property lines I marked. I don't have time now, but I'll post another image later. There is a continuous public road ROW running between Taft Highway and Suck Creek Road. Even if the government stops maintaining a road it remains a public right of way unless specific legal actions are taken to transfer the rights to the adjacent property owners.

If the local land owners try to block the public road there will likely be another lawsuit just like the one for the road up Aetna. The people trying to close the road lost there, and they will lose here.

Edit to add: I apologize for misunderstanding where your property was located; I didn't find it earlier because appears that you have purchased the land since Jan. 1. The current owner is shown as Cooper. Looks like a husband and wife (I won't post your name here, but it is public record), but it also has "ETAL" which means "and others". The TN Assessor's map shows that between you and the two others you mentioned, the majority of the popular riding areas are officially posted. Big Fork Road is still a public right-of-way, and even though it isn't a public ROW Brow Trail is still open for traffic. But as long as both you and your neighbor agree, you have every right to block that trail that marks the boundary between your properties.

 

[EdwardC]

Perhaps I was too harsh.

It does tend to make a person angry, tho, when their vehicle gets shoved a good 3 feet by another vehicle which is trespassing. The truck was dentless, until that happened.

We are not attempting to shut down a public right-of-way. The area in question is private property, as are several trails that some individuals keep going over.

 

[EdwardC]

To clarify, this is part of the area I am referring to and the blatant disregard:

https://www.facebook.com/clevelandj...646080251460/1677877442494988/?type=3&theater

I know the exact rock the vehicles are entering over - in the back is what some are calling Brow Trail. About 30 feet from that rock, my property begins. Yellow no trespassing signs can be seen in some of the photos, as can the paint markings on the trees.

Each and every vehicle which continued across that rock at the beginning, trespassed. They clearly ignored the signs.

Again - the area is private property. I have already made screen shots of the vehicles and taken much information. If they want to take down the pix - I already have the evidence. Even trespass will get one a pic in Just Busted.

"Door Dinger" is private property, as well. Please stop tearing up the land in this area. If you are seeing the No Trespassing signs more than once - You Are Trespassing.

 

[TNRunner99]

To clarify, this is part of the area I am referring to and the blatant disregard:

https://www.facebook.com/clevelandj...646080251460/1677877442494988/?type=3&theater

I know the exact rock the vehicles are entering over - in the back is what some are calling Brow Trail. About 30 feet from that rock, my property begins. Yellow no trespassing signs can be seen in some of the photos, as can the paint markings on the trees.

Each and every vehicle which continued across that rock at the beginning, trespassed. They clearly ignored the signs.

Again - the area is private property. I have already made screen shots of the vehicles and taken much information. If they want to take down the pix - I already have the evidence. Even trespass will get one a pic in Just Busted.

"Door Dinger" is private property, as well. Please stop tearing up the land in this area. If you are seeing the No Trespassing signs more than once - You Are Trespassing.

Dude we get it already. None of us are on your property so no one is to blame here. I'm sorry about your situation and I hope you find a resolve.
Please take your posts elsewhere. This isn't what this thread is for, but we do appreciate the information about the trail being closed. That's all we needed.

 

[ugamurph]

I may be a little late to the game here. But, as [MENTION=88967]TNRunner99[/MENTION] said, this thread is not for promoting illegal trail riding or for misdirecting accusations about illegal trail riding (Those were all Jeeps in that FB post. This is a Toyota specific site.) This thread is for planning to get groups together to enjoy the great outdoors in areas that are legal such as off road parks, Coppinger Cove, and other areas that are not private property or posted.

With that being said, let's get this thread back on track.

Who's going to GSMTR this month?

 

[TNRunner99]

Who's going to GSMTR this month?

I'm hoping to get up there that Thurs. or Fri. Can only do a day ride. You know of anything special those days? Or who will be riding?

 

[ugamurph]

I'm hoping to get up there that Thurs. or Fri. Can only do a day ride. You know of anything special those days? Or who will be riding?

There's a burger cookout Thursday evening. I'll get there on Wednesday and will be staying until Sunday. Call or text me before you come up and you can follow along with whoever I ride with.

 

[TNRunner99]

There's a burger cookout Thursday evening. I'll get there on Wednesday and will be staying until Sunday. Call or text me before you come up and you can follow along with whoever I ride with.

Ok Sounds good. I will get in touch with you later on then.

You getting the e-locker in for the ride?

 

[ugamurph]

Ok Sounds good. I will get in touch with you later on then.

You getting the e-locker in for the ride?

No e-locker for this one. I hope to install it soon though. I need to decide whether to re-gear the rear to 4.10 or get the 4.30 from the 99 that I pulled the rear axle from. I can get my hands on a new set of rear gears for a good price, but then I have to have the other stuff for the install. It's only money, right?

 

[TNRunner99]

No e-locker for this one. I hope to install it soon though. I need to decide whether to re-gear the rear to 4.10 or get the 4.30 from the 99 that I pulled the rear axle from. I can get my hands on a new set of rear gears for a good price, but then I have to have the other stuff for the install. It's only money, right?

I hear ya. I've got to replace my rear springs and deciding if I want to try an e-locker retro fit or go with an air locker since I have my ARB Compressor installed now. Should only cost pennies haha

 

[Chuckles89]

Ooohhhh it's a race to see who can get their e-locker installed first now! lol :roll:

 

[TNRunner99]

Ooohhhh it's a race to see who can get their e-locker installed first now! lol :roll:

Oh I'm a long way from getting anything started. It's only an idea right now.

 

[Chuckles89]

Oh I'm a long way from getting anything started. It's only an idea right now.

Well, mine is still attached to the 4Runner at my friend's junkyard lol

 

[Chuckles89]

Oh I'm a long way from getting anything started. It's only an idea right now.

Shoot, I thought I was replying to ugamurph ound:

 

[Schady44]

Anyone been to Aetna Mountain recently? I know it's still open through the Black Mountain neighborhood. I was thinking about going in a couple of weeks but on a Thursday or Friday to hopefully avoid some of the local crowd.

I know some have been pretty crazy up there recently. They set fire to a few vehicles that were left unattended.

TNRunner99.... I was Just up there last weekend. Good time and there were a ton of people up there. I plan to be going up in coming weeks. Want me to give you a shout?

This weekend however I'll be pulling the gas tank and welding on the upper and lower control arm brackets I ripped off right before the PB hole.