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Going East!

CJ-ING-RJ

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So I've been heading west and camping, hiking and overlanding (before it was a thing) in the Rockies every summer for the last twelve years or so. (I live in Iowa) The wife and I thought we would change it up a bit and head East. Now, I'm being told by those that have made the weird decision to head East and have been West. I should be prepared to be disappointed. This is a huge beautiful country and I'm tired of driving across Nebraska twice a year.

Tell me some of your favorite spots! Where can we disperse camp, hike in camp, overland etc? The wife and I are not newbies to the back country. We do not normally pay for a camp spot. We are not against it, if it's worth it. We do have DOGS and they will be with us the whole time, so National Parks are out of the question!!
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dcmdon

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I know nothing about overlanding. I backpack. So my needs are different from yours.

But the white mountains are gorgeous. You might want to see if you can find some stuff to do there.

Also, the national seashore on Cape Cod is also fantastic. You can drive your truck on the sand and camp overnight. The rule for overnight stays there is that you must be "self contained". that's always meant campers. They don't want people pooping in the dunes.

So you may have to show them a potty. Or they allow you to spend the night if you are fishing. So bring a couple of surf rods and you will be fine. That's how we gamed the overnight thing with nothing more than a first gen Monero.

There is gorgeous stuff in the white mountains, but you won't see most of it from a truck. You will need to get out and hike. The Lafayette Loop is amazing.

Dogs are welcome there.

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John in the Woods

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Moose River Plains in NY's Adirondack region. The best hidden gem in the Northeast that I've found. Tons of trails, rivers and lakes, and more than 100 primitive and FREE campsites. Quiet, never crowded.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/53596.html

Stop in and spend an easy week on your way to the White Mountains and Cape Cod (both are amazing @dcmdon) and then head back via some Mid-Atlantic Appalachian stops that are incredible (check with the folks from Va, W.Va, NC, Tennessee, Etc. for more), and you've got a great trip.

(Also, this one's on my 2022 bucket list, so I can't speak to it yet, but it looks amazing: https://ridebdr.com/mabdr/)
 

Kindafearless

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Pennsylvania and Virginia both have some great overlanding spots and some solid offroad trails. We've also found that the Finger Lakes in NY is an amazing area to visit.

Cherry Springs is an excellent dark sky zone if you like the stars.

Bald Mountain makes a great overland stopover point if you are doing the Blue Ridge Parkway (which is beautiful).

Great Hiking, Wine, and Beer around Watkins Glen.

Rausch Creek and AOAA are of course the go to places around here for offroading.

There are a bunch of stops along the whole Appalachian trail where you can jump on and off, and do camping.

If you like fishing, we have several rivers with natural self sustaining trout populations and there is a Salmon run in New York

Tons of others. I moved out here from Colorado, and while I miss the mountains and open spaces of the west, I've come to love the back country of the East Coast.
 

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rharr

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the national forests and state forests of central PA. If you like creek side camping under a canopy of trees and mossy creeks, you can't go wrong.

Also the mt marcy area of NY is pretty amazing to.
 
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CJ-ING-RJ

CJ-ING-RJ

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I love the feed back you all are giving me!!!!! Please keep it coming.

My mom lives near Olean NY, so I have spent some time in that area years ago. I mean years.... I've done a few night in PA along the NY-PA border. But that was so long ago I hardly remember it. Capote Cod will probably be a bit to far out for this year.
I'm looking for a 8-10 day trip. Good hiking, good wheeling. I need to be able to drive 800 miles home afterwards. Good creekside camping.

Thank you all for the input so far. I will be looking up everything you guys suggest!!
 

CMac

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You can easily wheel from Georgia to Maine. I bet dollars to donuts that anyone who tells you east coast four-wheeling sucks or is non-existent..... has never been to the east coast.

https://www.motortrend.com/features...covery-route-in-a-2018-jeep-wrangler-rubicon/

Thousands of articles.... and as many Gaia tracks.... all up and down the Appalachian range. If you had three years you might get to half of them.
 

Jglad15

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Pennsylvania and Virginia both have some great overlanding spots and some solid offroad trails. We've also found that the Finger Lakes in NY is an amazing area to visit.

Cherry Springs is an excellent dark sky zone if you like the stars.

Bald Mountain makes a great overland stopover point if you are doing the Blue Ridge Parkway (which is beautiful).

Great Hiking, Wine, and Beer around Watkins Glen.

Rausch Creek and AOAA are of course the go to places around here for offroading.

There are a bunch of stops along the whole Appalachian trail where you can jump on and off, and do camping.

If you like fishing, we have several rivers with natural self sustaining trout populations and there is a Salmon run in New York

Tons of others. I moved out here from Colorado, and while I miss the mountains and open spaces of the west, I've come to love the back country of the East Coast.
Cherry Springs in Pa correct? State park I believe.
 

Trout Safari

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The North Maine woods. If you are looking for vast remote wilderness, this is the place.
 

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cmb396

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So many places in WV that have great primitive camping and hiking, and some of the best landscapes the East has to offer. Spruce Knob, Blackwater falls near Canaan Valley, Seneca Rocks, Greenbriar Valley, White Sulphur Springs, New River Gorge (largest suspension bridge in the US), and on and on. Plenty of great trout streams and rivers as well if you're into that.
Be weary tho, east region summers are much different than out west. VERY humid in the summer, be prepared for everything you own to be damp the entire time.
 

Summitsearcher

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I'm right behind you! Love the east. I’m from Michigan and we have beautiful places to ⛺. Drummond Island, (sp)Tequaniman Falls, etc. State park’s galore. Dogs welcome. Weather changes after the 15th April usually.
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