Roadtrip ideas to make a little use of 4x4?

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Black

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Head towards Eagle County Colorado.
Plenty of Campgrounds around vail that will only cost you maybe $10 a night.
Head to Piney River Ranch if you need a shower. Been a few years since I have been but their website looks a bit more fufu than when I was there.
There are some good fire roads one can take all around the area.
Plenty of mountains, trout streams, grass, beautiful views. We spent a week camping and taking the fire trials in my Z71 when it was about a month old and it did just fine.

Bunch of fire roads branch off the main road headed towards Piney River Ranch. Been a awhile since I have been to give specifics but just get there and ask around with the other folks driving 4 wheels drives they’ll hook you up.

While you won’t find the Kentucky folk of the hollers like you’re last trip there are plenty of hippy granola folk out there.

Spend a week getting dirty then head over for a night or two at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch and hang with the likes of Michael J Fox and Garth Brooks. I am sure I ran into other famous people too I just am not one of those Hollywood star struck folks so I would not know many famous people if I saw them.

If you want to get on back to Kentucky well come on.
Give Black Mountain a try
www.blackmountainoffroad.com
Aside from that there are lots of mountain and coal roads out there to explore.
Though you may be surprised at what some rednecks in sedans can do. I had to take the work Tacoma deep into coal country a bunch and it never failed that when I got to the top and it was work just me to get up. Have no fear there was always at least one late 80s early 90s Buick up there and a Thunderbird SuperCoupe.

As for no guns, that is just a world I have never been a part of on a daily basis. As we say around here if you don’t think you’ll need a gun take a pistol, if you think you’ll need a gun bring a rifle, and friends with more rifles, that or just don’t go.

I am always carrying around town. At the cabin I am loaded for bear and the shotgun is never too far off.

If you are really wanting to head cross country New Hampshire is supposed to have an old county road system that folks use for light off roading now. I am still researching that as I would like to head that way.
 
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New Hampshire? I always forget, is that the one where even grandmas in vans and schoolbuses drift and slide all their turns....or was that Vermont?

As to paying for campgrounds...who needs a campground when you got a fullsize truck?
 

Black

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Never been to New Hampshire so not sure.

It’s nice to pay the couple bucks to know you’re in a spot no one is going to bother you.
I generally use a church lot if not a camping spot as most folks don’t bother you.
Nasty tornados came up in Kansas on us one night so I pulled in the self serve car wash and slept there.
 

Flexpedition

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New Hampshire is awesome. Be sure to do the Cog (?) train up Mount Washington. Its incredible. We did the steam train version for the experience. From the observatory at the top you can see miles of log truck roads that your Expedition will do fine on. Seems that the woods in those parts are criss-crossed with trails.
 

Habbibie

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What you're looking for is a state called Idaho, full of forests and the shit you described in your original post.
 

Plati

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What you're looking for is a state called Idaho, full of forests and the shit you described in your original post.
Yeah , Idaho has shit you would like. I'd do the same thing I've been doing every summer for past 3 years ... spin through Colorado, up into Wyoming ... Grand Teton/Yellowstone ... Jackson/Jackson Hole ... over into Idaho and you can do Sawtooth National Recreation Area ... up to Montana ... Swan Valley up to Glacier, stay in Whitefish couple nights, Glacier / Waterton ... up into British Columbia as far as you have time for ... etc etc.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/sawtooths-idaho-road-trip/

Every American should go to Rushmore & DEVILS TOWER is crazy nuts cool, camp in the Black Hills.
I also like the Beartooth Highway!!!
Cody Wyoming ... Cody Museum of the West
Stay at The Hostel @ Jackson Hole ski resort, ride Tram and hike and visit Grand Teton NP

Out west you can camp for free in too many National Forests to count on both hands and feet of everybody in your Expy.

Just make sure your brakes are in good shape and take extra water in case you breakdown.

If you go to Montana, state law requires you to have a firearm and ammo.

If you try to stay at National Parks lodging, booking a room is near impossible at this late date .... unless you go online and look for the following day. people cancel all the time and it opens up last minute. I have great luck with that.

Problem with this trip is FIRES.
The west catches fire every August and burns until snow quenches it.

If you set as a singular goal to camp at Bowman Lake in Glacier NP and accomplish that, you have will have achieved total enlightenment & you'll have that going for you, which is cool.
 
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Idaho & Black Hills, yup, that's definitely more my style
 

ExplorerTom

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Google: Alpine Loop Colorado.

It's in an area known as "Switzerland of Colorado".

Done.
 
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Google: Alpine Loop Colorado.

It's in an area known as "Switzerland of Colorado".

Done.

Whoa that is pretty awesome looking

Am i fully equipped for it as long as I don't go wild and attempt anything stupid, or just for the easy parts?
 

Plati

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Shiiiit. The Alpine Loop is in the ballpark of what I'm looking for. Hadn't gotten to discovering it yet. Thanks. Looks like something a 4WD Expo can handle. Key phrase to is "Scenic Byway". Lots of those around out west but you have to get off the Interstate highway to experience. Good tires advised and drive careful , being up in the mountains - weather can be a life threatening factor. Methinks there's some serious fires going on around there at the present time? No Grizzlies though I don't believe.

I'm loaded with all kinds of supplies including MRE's & water. I think this year I'll get a SPOT as a backup. This is why I have the Expo and no travel trailer. Lean mean back roads machine.
 
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