Took my Ranger out for a little drive today

mtbikernate

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Not sure I can call it "offroad" because I was driving on a road that showed on both Google and GaiaGPS. Still, it definitely required some clearance and 4wd. Doubt any Subies would be headed up that way. Had a couple nice creek fords, some steep, loose, rocky climbs, good fun.

Didn't get any pics while driving the rougher stuff, as the wife was not tolerating it well. Oh well. It was fun.

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Not sure I can call it "offroad" because I was driving on a road that showed on both Google and GaiaGPS. Still, it definitely required some clearance and 4wd. Doubt any Subies would be headed up that way. Had a couple nice creek fords, some steep, loose, rocky climbs, good fun.

Didn't get any pics while driving the rougher stuff, as the wife was not tolerating it well. Oh well. It was fun.

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Where's this? Looks like a good time! Any camping nearby?
 
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mtbikernate

mtbikernate

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Where's this? Looks like a good time! Any camping nearby?
I did more or less the route this guy did. There are some campsites out there. Pretty good one near the bigger of the creek fords. Some more on the easier gravel around the overlook. That's where I encountered a loose hound dog that didn't want to let me pass. Owner didn't seem to GAF.

 

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I did more or less the route this guy did. There are some campsites out there. Pretty good one near the bigger of the creek fords. Some more on the easier gravel around the overlook. That's where I encountered a loose hound dog that didn't want to let me pass. Owner didn't seem to GAF.

I sub'd to this guy...I did part of it too...
 

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I actually watched that guys video a couple months ago, so that shot from the lookout was very familiar. Hope to camp in the area next time I’m in the area.
 
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mtbikernate

mtbikernate

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I actually watched that guys video a couple months ago, so that shot from the lookout was very familiar. Hope to camp in the area next time I’m in the area.
I stumbled across this video a bit more recently when I was looking for something else. Pretty cool find, as it's only an hour or so from home. I had looked at the spot on maps before and wondered about it. So it was nice to see some video. Would have been nice if he showed some of the tougher spots, though, as if I had seen those, I probably would have come out with a buddy instead of my wife.

the construction of the Harmon Den bridge definitely impairs access to the viewpoint from the "easy" side. You can do it, but you have to suffer through the traffic, which is pretty bad right now (you can see the eastbound backup in my pic). Approaching from the TN side, you have to deal with it twice to go home due to the detour. But coming from the NC side, you have to deal with it twice to access the site. Gonna be a real pain in my ass to access one of my favorite spring wildflower hikes in a few months. Might need to find an alternate hike location.

At least if you're coming from TN, the exit prior puts you fairly close to the fun 4wd section.

The stop sign at Harmon Den Rd. to the eastbound I-40 lane is a bit iffy. Traffic doesn't stop as it rolls through. The bridge is gone, and all traffic takes the ramps. So getting out requires you to go from a dead stop on an incline with a lip onto that freeway traffic that's probably moving about 50mph.

As such, the campsites should probably be easier to get until that bridge project is done. Probably includes the sites on the other side of I-40, headed towards Max Patch, as well.

I thought the drive through the mellow gravel roads in Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park was super nice, though. Passed a few trailheads for hiking trails and had a very concerned-sounding young lady stop and ask me if the trailhead she was looking for was up ahead. Those roads can be pretty busy during the elk rut, though. Lots of tourons driving like idiots through Cataloochee.
 

Fattirz in NC

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I stumbled across this video a bit more recently when I was looking for something else. Pretty cool find, as it's only an hour or so from home. I had looked at the spot on maps before and wondered about it. So it was nice to see some video. Would have been nice if he showed some of the tougher spots, though, as if I had seen those, I probably would have come out with a buddy instead of my wife.

the construction of the Harmon Den bridge definitely impairs access to the viewpoint from the "easy" side. You can do it, but you have to suffer through the traffic, which is pretty bad right now (you can see the eastbound backup in my pic). Approaching from the TN side, you have to deal with it twice to go home due to the detour. But coming from the NC side, you have to deal with it twice to access the site. Gonna be a real pain in my ass to access one of my favorite spring wildflower hikes in a few months. Might need to find an alternate hike location.

At least if you're coming from TN, the exit prior puts you fairly close to the fun 4wd section.

The stop sign at Harmon Den Rd. to the eastbound I-40 lane is a bit iffy. Traffic doesn't stop as it rolls through. The bridge is gone, and all traffic takes the ramps. So getting out requires you to go from a dead stop on an incline with a lip onto that freeway traffic that's probably moving about 50mph.

As such, the campsites should probably be easier to get until that bridge project is done. Probably includes the sites on the other side of I-40, headed towards Max Patch, as well.

I thought the drive through the mellow gravel roads in Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park was super nice, though. Passed a few trailheads for hiking trails and had a very concerned-sounding young lady stop and ask me if the trailhead she was looking for was up ahead. Those roads can be pretty busy during the elk rut, though. Lots of tourons driving like idiots through Cataloochee.
Thanks for the great post! I’ll have to check this place myself. I’m also a Mtn biker and backpacker. I live in Charlotte but almost always end up in the Wilson Creek Wilderness area when I want to get out of town. I need to mix it up more and discover new amazing places in this geographically diverse state.
 
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mtbikernate

mtbikernate

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Thanks for the great post! I’ll have to check this place myself. I’m also a Mtn biker and backpacker. I live in Charlotte but almost always end up in the Wilson Creek Wilderness area when I want to get out of town. I need to mix it up more and discover new amazing places in this geographically diverse state.
I need to explore the Wilson Creek area a bit more. Haven't really made any trips out there yet. I keep hearing that there are campsites where I can take my teardrop camper (not an offroad camper) for some boondocking.
 
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wanted33

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Not sure I can call it "offroad" because I was driving on a road that showed on both Google and GaiaGPS. Still, it definitely required some clearance and 4wd. Doubt any Subies would be headed up that way. Had a couple nice creek fords, some steep, loose, rocky climbs, good fun.

Didn't get any pics while driving the rougher stuff, as the wife was not tolerating it well. Oh well. It was fun.

51778093200_c40a2a6152.jpg


51778093280_5a258eae3d.jpg


51777850964_a6eb7c9b80.jpg
I may have missed it, but where would be the best entrance coming from Concord (Charlotte area)? I'd love to get my Jeep up there in the spring. Thanks for the tip my Tar Heel brother.
 
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mtbikernate

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I may have missed it, but where would be the best entrance coming from Concord (Charlotte area)? I'd love to get my Jeep up there in the spring. Thanks for the tip my Tar Heel brother.
head into the Cataloochee Valley side of Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park, and then take the "Old Cataloochee Turnpike" north out of the park. Of course the road signs in the park don't tell you that's the name of the road. The video shows the section of road that's the actual 4wd section. No signs on the ground to speak of, even though google has a road number labeled. I basically just visually matched what displayed on the map with where I expected to go.

It was the first time I had used GaiaGPS through the head unit and it worked well. I had kinda wanted to try plotting a route on the website to follow for the drive but didn't like the interface. Plus I also noticed that the 4wd road was not mapped especially accurately. It was probably for the best that nothing started flipping out on me, trying to tell me to get back on the road when I most definitely never left it.
 
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wanted33

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head into the Cataloochee Valley side of Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park, and then take the "Old Cataloochee Turnpike" north out of the park. Of course the road signs in the park don't tell you that's the name of the road. The video shows the section of road that's the actual 4wd section. No signs on the ground to speak of, even though google has a road number labeled. I basically just visually matched what displayed on the map with where I expected to go.

It was the first time I had used GaiaGPS through the head unit and it worked well. I had kinda wanted to try plotting a route on the website to follow for the drive but didn't like the interface. Plus I also noticed that the 4wd road was not mapped especially accurately. It was probably for the best that nothing started flipping out on me, trying to tell me to get back on the road when I most definitely never left it.
Thank you sir. I'll get it mapped out. This is one of the most beautiful area of the Smokey Mountains in my humble opinion. And, there are so many little roads to explore. I remember one of ours, let's turn here moments was. After driving for about an hour, I could swear I heard banjo music. :) We were driving my Dad's 4wd Subi, and I certainly didn't want to break it. So we kept to the better back roads after that.
 
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mtbikernate

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Thank you sir. I'll get it mapped out. This is one of the most beautiful area of the Smokey Mountains in my numble opinion. And, there are so many little roads to explore. I remember one of our, let's turn here moments was, after driving for about an hour, I could swear I heard banjo music. :) We were driving my Dad's 4wd Subi, and I certainly didn't want to break it. So we kept to the better back roads after that.
That's honestly the only corner of the park that I've actually visited, and I've been there a few times now. I can do without the crowds.

I saw a group of 3 jeeps heading the opposite way I was going on the old cataloochee turnpike. They all had some mods, and they looked a little too clean, honestly. I don't think they took the same 4wd road that I did. haha.
 
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I’m less than 30 minutes from Wilson’s Creek, maybe we need a get together on some dirt roads. Up for anything that doesn’t limb stripe the truck.
 
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mtbikernate

mtbikernate

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I’m less than 30 minutes from Wilson’s Creek, maybe we need a get together on some dirt roads. Up for anything that doesn’t limb stripe the truck.
I'm pretty amazed with as narrow as this stuff got that there was no pinstriping.
 
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I live just south of Raleigh and our club is planning a trip out there.
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