Where are they now?? **offroad parks & destinations of the past (and updates?)

[Janster]

It’s been many years since we’ve done any offroading (back in 2000….) but the memories are always in the back of my mind.
Must of the places we’d been no longer exist…. Although, I’m seeing some positivity for the future.

Paragon Adventure Park - in Hazleton, PA. This was one of the original offroad parks in PA before Rausch Creek. It closed in 2007 - something about a Cargo Airport was supposed to be built? Ha….. that never happened!! I’m seeing news of Catawissa Recreation Area being developed over that same tract of land. https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateForests/FindAForest/Weiser/Pages/CatawissaRecArea.aspx

Of course… Rausch Creek Offroad Park still exists….(Pennsylvania) My husband and I (and the clubs we belonged to) helped cut some of the trails at Rausch Creek. Lots of memories…. https://www.rc4x4.org/

Upper Tellico ORV…. Went there twice and it was awesome!! Too bad it’s closed for good to motorized vehicles.

AOAA is another park in the hills of PA…….Never been there and not sure I ever will. My offroading days are behind me. https://www.aoaatrails.com/

So…what’s old…what’s new….. any offroad type ‘news’ to share?

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[azmojave]

One of my favorite trails, Trail 42 in AZ, was closed for 19 years due to a brush fire and finally reopened back in April. Then what happened? Another brush fire
So it was closed again. Luckily the forest service let it open back up recently because the fire didn’t destroy the entire trail this time. I’ve been volunteering with a local group to fill in washouts to make the area better for everyone. Keeping trails open is hard work but worth it to me.

 

[PBCounty]

Anything that was in South Florida is now a golf course or zero lot line community. I used to have to ponder where I was going / debate with friends where we were going every day....and I mean every day - because we had so many damn places to go within only a few minutes from our neighborhood - and hence we went every day. Now, we pretty much only have one place nearby, and it's not really designated for recreational off-road, but you can do it.

 

[Jaxmax]

AOAA, is some place you should try and hit before saying my off-roading days are behind me, there are a lot of very easy fun trails to do there, and the place is pretty well run and reasonable cost. Some of us on here went up there this year it was great. You do not have to be lifted with big tires to do a lot of the trails. I’m almost 68 and never going to stop moving and doing, until I stop moving! Post in the mid Atlantic forum next year you want to do an easy day there ,we’ll show up….Jack

 

[Jeepdoggydog]

I really miss the Lion's Back in Moab.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

There used to be an offroad park near Altus OK (SW corner) called the Copper Mines. They were only open for 5 years or so. Wild bunch out there. I'm pretty sure the owner still plays out there with his closest buddies. There was another place north of there called Buzzard Canyon. No Idea if that's open still. Monkey Creek west of Wichita Falls, Tx is pretty much invitation only now last I heard

 

[azmojave]

I really miss the Lion's Back in Moab.

I did that twice before it closed. Quite a thrill

 

[Janster]

I really miss the Lion's Back in Moab.

Ohhhh...yea, that's another one.

I flew out to Moab back in 2000ish with the TTORA group.
I never experienced Lions Back ... but seeing it from ground level, was extremely impressive. Photos & videos don't do it any justice. I'm not sure I'd want to drive up that thing....it'd scare the shit outta me!!!

 

[Cburd61]

We used to go to Frazier park in California, back in the 70’s. I moved cross country in ‘80, so I’m not sure it’s still even open. We used to love camping out there, and panning/dredging in the creek that ran through it for gold and gems.

 

[O-Face]

Upper Tellico was awesome back in the day. I went a few times in my brand new TJ with the OE donuts. That place is what really gave me the bug to build Jeeps bigger and better.

 

[Rusty PW]

AOAA, is some place you should try and hit before saying my off-roading days are behind me, there are a lot of very easy fun trails to do there, and the place is pretty well run and reasonable cost. Some of us on here went up there this year it was great. You do not have to be lifted with big tires to do a lot of the trails. I’m almost 68 and never going to stop moving and doing, until I stop moving! Post in the mid Atlantic forum next year you want to do an easy day there ,we’ll show up….Jack

I'll be 69 in March.

 

[TheOpa]

AOAA and Rausch are good. Forum members have met there a few times and Jeep holds an Adventure Academy event once a year at AOAA. Like Jack said, if you or anyone else wants someone to meet up with either of those places just start a post in the mid Atlantic region forum and people will show up.

 

[Fabtech Motorsports]

No mention of the original Katemcy Rocks in Texas?
I did it with the Ultimate Adventure in 2007!!!
We were in the Optima JK, that is when it first came out.

 

[GI Grandpa]

Back in the day there were forest service roads all over NH and most are now closed to motorized travel. Here in Colorado, we have lost hundreds of miles of trails since I came here in 2003. The same has happened in Utah, Nevada, California, etc. That is why we need to support groups like the Blue Ribbon Coalition BlueRibbon Coalition | ShareTrails or here in Colorado organizations like COHVCO Home - COHVCO and in Utah groups like Utah Public Lands Alliance – Preserving Public Lands for Public Use Another way is joining a local clubs or state organization that actually boots boots on the ground to help maintain trails and fight these closures.

 

[KevinC]

Tellico...the closest thing us living in the Southeast had to bragging we built a Jeep that could rock crawl with the best out west. Trail 9, Helicopter Pad, and Lower 2 were awesome.

I remember the Jeepsunlimited.com Right Coast Run we put together every year. Met some great people.

Now I often wonder how a Gladiator would do on these types of trails.

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