Best Places to Live for Wheeling

[chachimcnacho]

Two years ago, I was in a similar situation as you are. I was looking to move to somewhere on the mainland that had great trails and places to explore that would be within a 6-8 hour driving distance. Being from Hawaii and stuck on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean all my life, that criteria was especially important.

The areas of interest quickly came down to northern Arizona, southern Utah, southern Nevada, or western Colorado. Though my main target was always Sedona AZ, after arriving, I spent the next three months or so on the road "homeless" checking these areas out for a place to live.
Was seriously considering the Grand Junction Co area, as it's really close to a lot of good stuff. But being from Hawaii, I'm not sure that I could handle the Colorado winters...

There are so much public land here that as long as you are willing to drive some, you'll always have cool places to wheel and explore.

Sedona is amazing. Really enjoy visiting but will admit I’ve mostly just been around the more touristy spots. I’m not afraid of the winters but am aware that I’d have a lot to learn in those environments. Hope you found a new home and are able to enjoy.

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[wibornz]

About three years before I retired, I started saving to buy a Jeep. My wife and I watched this video and it inspired us to Jeep travel.



I ordered a JLUR about two weeks after I retired. When I retired, I left the next day for an ATV trip to the Badlands of South Dakota... basically ordered it when I got back.

Our goal is to wheel from Arizona to Alaska in retirement. My wife retires this year on October. I have been retired since Sept. of 2018.. I picked the JLUR up in Nov of 2018. I already had about six grand of stuff waiting in the garage for the Jeep. I started modding it with 93 miles on it.

Since getting the Jeep, we have collected 32 badge trails from all over the US and wheeled and or camped in the following states: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pensilvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Iowa, and Nebraska, and of course drove through many other states to do this.

My favorite places to wheel are in Utah so far. I love red rock and green trees. I like Moab, the Zion area, Hurricane, the area around Lake Powell, There is just tons of areas to explore. I have been to Moab twice in less than a year.

Colorado is also beautiful. I love the Ouray, Telluride and Silverton area, Breckinridge, Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, Gothic, Gunnison, and Monstrose areas, but they are only great for wheeling for a few months out of the year and coming from Michigan......fuck the snow. I don't mind snow for a day or two, but really want to have a lot less snow in my life.

My wheeling in Arizona has been limited. I can't wait to explore Arizona, along with New Mexico. I have traveled in these areas, but not as much as some of the other spots.

So starting in Jan 2022, we will spend Jan, Feb and March in West Texas, Southern New Mexico, Southern Arizona, and Southern California wheeling and camping. Late March, we will head into Nevada, Northern, Arizona, Northern New Mexico and Utah. We plan to be in Moab for four to six weeks starting in April. Then start into Colorado by June and spend June and some of July in Colorado.... depending on the weather. Mid July, we will start heading north to Alaska. We plan to travel up through Montana, get on the Alaskan Hyw and keep going until we get up to Dead Horse Alaska, Then head back west and enter back into the lower 48 on the west coast. Should be about mid September. Use what is left of September and Oct to explore some of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Then come back across the US to Michigan by mid November. Spend the holidays with family and head back out in January of 23 to pick up stuff that we may have missed or things we want to do again.

I am getting close to bulletproofing the Jeep and having it prepped for long time travel....
We currently tow this camper set up. I towed the camper approx 17,000+ miles last year.

From Rausch Creek in Pennsilvina

West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia

Utah Moab

Wyoming

California.. Rubicon Trail

Michigan

Colorado

Tennesse

Here are some travel pages that I have posted here on this form.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...pennsylvania-picture-heavy-and-so-vids.60433/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...picture-heavy-3-more-badge-trails-done.57960/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...eet-forum-members-in-the-oddest-places.55768/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...west-from-michigan-pic-and-video-heavy.38104/

I have more, but hey this should give you some insight. I am heading to Georgia, Alabama, and Florida next month to go wheeling......

 

[Zandcwhite]

We are planning either northern Arizona or northern New Mexico for retirement. Close enough to moab and Ouray for weekend trips. Big bear trails are amazing and still close by. Even beach trips are doable in a weekend. Amazing trails and scenery all around the state, Sedona in just spectacular. All the benefits of CA without taxes and regulations on everything. CO was in the discussion until the liberals took over there too. Massive price increases and stupid gun laws followed. Weather is perfect, no humidity, winter highs usually in the 50's, summer highs usually below 90⁰. The bans on gas engines have already spread from CA to the pacific north west to the east coast. I won't retire to a place that won't let me buy a v8 wrangler or trx that they finally started building. The most amazing factory vehicles of all time finally hit the market and they want to dictate that we can't buy them come 2035? Pass.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Obviously, the west is best.

There are many states with lots of public land out west. I believe AZ has the most public land of any state. NV has to be up there too. Central and northern NV is pretty remote and desolate, with mountains and trails. Of course Utah has Moab and many other wheeling places.

But if I were you, I'd be looking at cost of living in various states/locales, along with your desires for wheeling, climate, crime, rural/suburban/metro, etc., basically your daily social life expectations. We recently retired and a major consideration is protecting our hard earned wealth from the huge tax burden of CA.

 

[MichaelAnthony]

About three years before I retired, I started saving to buy a Jeep. My wife and I watched this video and it inspired us to Jeep travel.



I ordered a JLUR about two weeks after I retired. When I retired, I left the next day for an ATV trip to the Badlands of South Dakota... basically ordered it when I got back.

Our goal is to wheel from Arizona to Alaska in retirement. My wife retires this year on October. I have been retired since Sept. of 2018.. I picked the JLUR up in Nov of 2018. I already had about six grand of stuff waiting in the garage for the Jeep. I started modding it with 93 miles on it.

Since getting the Jeep, we have collected 32 badge trails from all over the US and wheeled and or camped in the following states: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pensilvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Iowa, and Nebraska, and of course drove through many other states to do this.

My favorite places to wheel are in Utah so far. I love red rock and green trees. I like Moab, the Zion area, Hurricane, the area around Lake Powell, There is just tons of areas to explore. I have been to Moab twice in less than a year.

Colorado is also beautiful. I love the Ouray, Telluride and Silverton area, Breckinridge, Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, Gothic, Gunnison, and Monstrose areas, but they are only great for wheeling for a few months out of the year and coming from Michigan......fuck the snow. I don't mind snow for a day or two, but really want to have a lot less snow in my life.

My wheeling in Arizona has been limited. I can't wait to explore Arizona, along with New Mexico. I have traveled in these areas, but not as much as some of the other spots.

So starting in Jan 2022, we will spend Jan, Feb and March in West Texas, Southern New Mexico, Southern Arizona, and Southern California wheeling and camping. Late March, we will head into Nevada, Northern, Arizona, Northern New Mexico and Utah. We plan to be in Moab for four to six weeks starting in April. Then start into Colorado by June and spend June and some of July in Colorado.... depending on the weather. Mid July, we will start heading north to Alaska. We plan to travel up through Montana, get on the Alaskan Hyw and keep going until we get up to Dead Horse Alaska, Then head back west and enter back into the lower 48 on the west coast. Should be about mid September. Use what is left of September and Oct to explore some of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Then come back across the US to Michigan by mid November. Spend the holidays with family and head back out in January of 23 to pick up stuff that we may have missed or things we want to do again.

I am getting close to bulletproofing the Jeep and having it prepped for long time travel....
We currently tow this camper set up. I towed the camper approx 17,000+ miles last year.

From Rausch Creek in Pennsilvina

West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia

Utah Moab

Wyoming

California.. Rubicon Trail

Michigan

Colorado

Tennesse

Here are some travel pages that I have posted here on this form.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...pennsylvania-picture-heavy-and-so-vids.60433/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...picture-heavy-3-more-badge-trails-done.57960/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...eet-forum-members-in-the-oddest-places.55768/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...west-from-michigan-pic-and-video-heavy.38104/

I have more, but hey this should give you some insight. I am heading to Georgia, Alabama, and Florida next month to go wheeling......

Dang bro I guess I missed you again I just left that area for work up north. I am back in the WV area currently...

 

[mark090852]

Curious about your opinion on how often you get to go play due to the snow. We moved from KS to the Denver area to be closer to the trails only to find out they are shut down 9 months out of the year. LOL

Do you get to wheel that much?

I don't get to wheel up in the high country around Ouray, Telluride, and Silverton after the end of October. However, in the Moab area, snow is only a factor a very small part of the time. It's usually sunny and dry a good portion of the winter, so there are many wheeling options available.

 

[Spdu4ia]

Just another Colorado thing to think about is the cost of living is getting so high every minute you wait its gonna cost you more to move here. IMO totally worth it!

 

[dchemphill1]

Anywhere! Then I get more Jeep time getting to my destination.

 

[chachimcnacho]

About three years before I retired, I started saving to buy a Jeep. My wife and I watched this video and it inspired us to Jeep travel.



I ordered a JLUR about two weeks after I retired. When I retired, I left the next day for an ATV trip to the Badlands of South Dakota... basically ordered it when I got back.

Our goal is to wheel from Arizona to Alaska in retirement. My wife retires this year on October. I have been retired since Sept. of 2018.. I picked the JLUR up in Nov of 2018. I already had about six grand of stuff waiting in the garage for the Jeep. I started modding it with 93 miles on it.

Since getting the Jeep, we have collected 32 badge trails from all over the US and wheeled and or camped in the following states: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pensilvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Iowa, and Nebraska, and of course drove through many other states to do this.

My favorite places to wheel are in Utah so far. I love red rock and green trees. I like Moab, the Zion area, Hurricane, the area around Lake Powell, There is just tons of areas to explore. I have been to Moab twice in less than a year.

Colorado is also beautiful. I love the Ouray, Telluride and Silverton area, Breckinridge, Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, Gothic, Gunnison, and Monstrose areas, but they are only great for wheeling for a few months out of the year and coming from Michigan......fuck the snow. I don't mind snow for a day or two, but really want to have a lot less snow in my life.

My wheeling in Arizona has been limited. I can't wait to explore Arizona, along with New Mexico. I have traveled in these areas, but not as much as some of the other spots.

So starting in Jan 2022, we will spend Jan, Feb and March in West Texas, Southern New Mexico, Southern Arizona, and Southern California wheeling and camping. Late March, we will head into Nevada, Northern, Arizona, Northern New Mexico and Utah. We plan to be in Moab for four to six weeks starting in April. Then start into Colorado by June and spend June and some of July in Colorado.... depending on the weather. Mid July, we will start heading north to Alaska. We plan to travel up through Montana, get on the Alaskan Hyw and keep going until we get up to Dead Horse Alaska, Then head back west and enter back into the lower 48 on the west coast. Should be about mid September. Use what is left of September and Oct to explore some of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Then come back across the US to Michigan by mid November. Spend the holidays with family and head back out in January of 23 to pick up stuff that we may have missed or things we want to do again.

I am getting close to bulletproofing the Jeep and having it prepped for long time travel....
We currently tow this camper set up. I towed the camper approx 17,000+ miles last year.

From Rausch Creek in Pennsilvina

West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia

Utah Moab

Wyoming

California.. Rubicon Trail

Michigan

Colorado

Tennesse

Here are some travel pages that I have posted here on this form.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...pennsylvania-picture-heavy-and-so-vids.60433/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...picture-heavy-3-more-badge-trails-done.57960/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...eet-forum-members-in-the-oddest-places.55768/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...west-from-michigan-pic-and-video-heavy.38104/

I have more, but hey this should give you some insight. I am heading to Georgia, Alabama, and Florida next month to go wheeling......

That’s incredible @wibornz! The video was definitely worth the watch. Appreciate that. It’s crazy how far and how many places you’ve taken your rig. Thanks for the descriptions and tips. I know I’ll be a handful when I can retire - I don’t sit still well! I really like the idea of traveling to explore other areas in addition to having a good “home base”. Good luck planning your epic trip. I’m looking forward to reading your travel pages.

 

[Jabarsetti]

Colorado Hands down. the last 2 years I've lived here has been Amazing, even just little day trips. Unfortunately, I'm retiring this year and my wife want's to move back to Oklahoma(her home state). So come June I'll be dreaming of CO Mtn trails in Norman, OK. BTW, google Oklahoma Jeep trails. there's like 2 places to go in that state!

 

[mark090852]

Just another Colorado thing to think about is the cost of living is getting so high every minute you wait its gonna cost you more to move here. IMO totally worth it!

Keep in mind that the Western Slope area around Grand Junction is much more affordable than the Front Range area or the resort towns in the high country. Plus, GJ is a great central hub area for so many great wheeling adventures.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I like the Rockies a lot. Colorado has a low income tax and has an exclusion buffer of up to $24k of Social Security and pensions. While I had long thought of retiring to Colorado, things have changed so much there that I no longer want to live on the front range like before. Grand Junction was a thought. But, with so many liberals in the state, I think the low tax rate days are numbered.

 

[Headbarcode]

In the interest of the process of elimination, you can go ahead and put a big scratch mark through new York. Some playing around at work is the only option that doesn't run the risk of getting the Jeep confiscated and looted in an impound yard, all while spending thousands in the court system. A 3-4 hour run to PA is the nearest opportunity to have fun with it.

 

[skovac2]

About three years before I retired, I started saving to buy a Jeep. My wife and I watched this video and it inspired us to Jeep travel.



I ordered a JLUR about two weeks after I retired. When I retired, I left the next day for an ATV trip to the Badlands of South Dakota... basically ordered it when I got back.

Our goal is to wheel from Arizona to Alaska in retirement. My wife retires this year on October. I have been retired since Sept. of 2018.. I picked the JLUR up in Nov of 2018. I already had about six grand of stuff waiting in the garage for the Jeep. I started modding it with 93 miles on it.

Since getting the Jeep, we have collected 32 badge trails from all over the US and wheeled and or camped in the following states: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pensilvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Idaho, Iowa, and Nebraska, and of course drove through many other states to do this.

My favorite places to wheel are in Utah so far. I love red rock and green trees. I like Moab, the Zion area, Hurricane, the area around Lake Powell, There is just tons of areas to explore. I have been to Moab twice in less than a year.

Colorado is also beautiful. I love the Ouray, Telluride and Silverton area, Breckinridge, Crested Butte, Mount Crested Butte, Gothic, Gunnison, and Monstrose areas, but they are only great for wheeling for a few months out of the year and coming from Michigan......fuck the snow. I don't mind snow for a day or two, but really want to have a lot less snow in my life.

My wheeling in Arizona has been limited. I can't wait to explore Arizona, along with New Mexico. I have traveled in these areas, but not as much as some of the other spots.

So starting in Jan 2022, we will spend Jan, Feb and March in West Texas, Southern New Mexico, Southern Arizona, and Southern California wheeling and camping. Late March, we will head into Nevada, Northern, Arizona, Northern New Mexico and Utah. We plan to be in Moab for four to six weeks starting in April. Then start into Colorado by June and spend June and some of July in Colorado.... depending on the weather. Mid July, we will start heading north to Alaska. We plan to travel up through Montana, get on the Alaskan Hyw and keep going until we get up to Dead Horse Alaska, Then head back west and enter back into the lower 48 on the west coast. Should be about mid September. Use what is left of September and Oct to explore some of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Then come back across the US to Michigan by mid November. Spend the holidays with family and head back out in January of 23 to pick up stuff that we may have missed or things we want to do again.

I am getting close to bulletproofing the Jeep and having it prepped for long time travel....
We currently tow this camper set up. I towed the camper approx 17,000+ miles last year.

From Rausch Creek in Pennsilvina

West Virginia

North Carolina

Virginia

Utah Moab

Wyoming

California.. Rubicon Trail

Michigan

Colorado

Tennesse

Here are some travel pages that I have posted here on this form.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...pennsylvania-picture-heavy-and-so-vids.60433/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...picture-heavy-3-more-badge-trails-done.57960/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...eet-forum-members-in-the-oddest-places.55768/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...west-from-michigan-pic-and-video-heavy.38104/

I have more, but hey this should give you some insight. I am heading to Georgia, Alabama, and Florida next month to go wheeling......

Where in Tennessee was that last picture?

 

[HeresRonnie]

Not sure how the northwest is for retirement but I love it for wheeling and the outdoors. I’ve lived in Oregon and Washington and this is an amazing area with an unlimited amount of trails and wilderness to explore. Also a stones throw from British Columbia which has a ton of wheeling opportunities as too. I don‘t see myself living in any other place. The northwest is must visit for any nature lover.

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