Bushwhacking/Driving Off-Trail

[tehfrr]

Any advice on how to find places where it would be legal/acceptable to blaze your own trail?
The closest Ive found to that experience so far would probably be old logging or mining roads that very rarely see traffic.
(old logging road in pic)

Sponsored

 

[AcesandEights]

You might try here:
https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ohv_maps.shtml

At least where I live, if it's Forest Service land (FS), and it's not on the map you better not be driving there. Again, where I live, on FS land, you may only drive on roads/trails listed in the motor vehicle use map. It doesn't matter if the road "exists". It must be listed. Yes, I had this conversation with a FS rep where there was a road, but it wasn't listed. I was told implicitly, that I could only travel as far as was listed on the map and the rest of the unmarked road was illegal to travel.

 

[YJGUY]

Pretty tough to open up new trails on public land. I'd assume you'd have to have to coordinate with your local forestry group/officials.

I'd imagine you'd face some fines if you just started cutting trees randomly to blaze a new trail. It may also impact groups using already marked trails in the area. It would give folks who want to shut down public land use for motorized vehicles more ammo to sway leaders to do so.

Maybe you can make friends with someone who owns some private property and is willing to let you cut trails.

 

[tehfrr]

Ok yes, to reiterate, do not want to break laws/piss off the off-road community in general/ get land shut down.

My assumption is you pretty much need to either own land yourself or have a buddy that owns a bunch of land. I ask because maybe there’s something I’m not considering

 

[music293]

You could also reach out and make in-roads (pun intended) with local forestry services to offer to cut/bushwhack trails that they need to make or maintain. I don't know how often they need something like that, but then they don't have to, and you get to, ya know? Best of luck!

 

[Sidspider]

Look for a local club, they’ll know the good spots and can show you the ropes. They’ll also know the mod friendly dealers.

 

[Gaffer]

Any advice on how to find places where it would be legal/acceptable to blaze your own trail?
The closest Ive found to that experience so far would probably be old logging or mining roads that very rarely see traffic.
(old logging road in pic)

Don't do it. Tread Lightly.

 

[TheBirdie72]

One of the most fun and unique places ever to go off-roading is actually a closed golf course if you can ever get the opportunity. Did that a few times years ago with a few buddies that owned some pretty off-roady trucks in Florida. The owner closed the golf course because he sold the land to some developers (they were just going to bulldoze it all anyway in a few months), and would let us “crazy kids” take vehicles out there for $20/day/vehicle. It was a blast. Plowing through old sand traps, driving through water hazards, and all the hills and stuff - great fun if you can do it! And the cart paths made getting around the property otherwise pretty easy. ?

 

[AcesandEights]

Golf course! I did that with dirt bikes. Hit some irrigation pump or something and woke up with a busted patella, haha. Good times.

 

[ABRubi]

Golf course. At night. No lights. Downhill. Engine off. In neutral. Hand brake so brake lights would not come on. Kids do the dumbest things.

 

[daboink]

Three on the tree in our 62 International pickup. driving in the woods of a soon to be developed residential development. Burned up the liquid clutch and spent the rest of the day getting pulled out by a Farmer with his tractor! A fun adventure looking back. Lucky the Farmer was there! My 392 would have been a great deal more fun!

 

[CopperMtnGuy]

My local club works with a land owner to clear trails on his land. We pay a nominal fee (like $20 a trip) and it helps him pay the property taxes on it. And he gets to sell the lumber from the trees we cut down so that helps out too. Maybe try to find some arrangement like that? Trail cutting is a ton of work, but fun to figure out how you want the trails to be. The ones we've already cut are a blast, but there's always more to do.

Sponsored