Roadtrip ideas to make a little use of 4x4?

[Adieu]

Need me a change of pace and to get away from it all. Bit of an adventure to unwind.

What are some cool places to see, maybe make a little use of 4x4 but nothing too crazy? My skills are more than a little lacking, no mad trails for tricked out jeeps only.


ANY STATE, further from CA the better.

Preferably with greenery and water and shit, desert just does not appeal to me. Also, not real good with extreme heat.

Rivers and grass and trees are more my thing.

Vehicle:
3rd gen SSV 4x4, ranchos, stock SSV skid plates, can bust out the LT bfgs on steelies gathering dust in my garage

No brush guard, although I could get one for something worthwhile

 

[lvcjt702]

Hace you tried Google?[emoji849]

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[lvcjt702]

But seriously. Being in California why not check out the Sierra's. Unfortunately if your trying to get away from the crowds, everywhere is busy. I love Utah but so does everyone else.

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[Adieu]

I hate California almost as much as google lol. I wanna get away from here, not get to know the place

And Utah? Isn't that a desert ********? Or does it have high elevation forests like New Mexico?

 

[lvcjt702]

Now you definitely have to bust out your Googler.

There's a reason the Mormons called Utah Zion. It has more national parks than any other state. It has ******** deserts with amazing vistas. But it also has water everywhere. Skiing, fishing, ohv access. It realy depends on what your "off road" goal is.



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[Adieu]

Not an offroad goal, just justification to put up with V8 mpgs for a few thousand miles and the joy of going somewhere not accessible by your average sedan

Wanna go see some shit I missed last time I rolled thru the 48 states

 

[lvcjt702]

I've always found that to go where the average sedan can't it helps to have a goal. Hunting, kayaking, dirtbiking, whatever. Thats all that I meant.

If you just want to see some shit? I'll stand by my previous suggestion.

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[Adieu]

I dont have any guns, kayaks, dirtbikes, etc.

Last great american roadtrip i did, the one cool time i went off the beaten path, I took the gravel Old (former) Tennessee SR-22 into the Kentucky Bend, almost sank the rental in the Mississippi mud (also a name for a nice cheap beer in an awesome jug, btw), and ran into what seemed like all 17 residents toting shotguns at 7 am there...

Looking for that kind of thing

 

[lvcjt702]

Like I said.

UTAH!!!

Its like the Tennessee of the north. Religion, racism, inbreeding, gun toting locals. You'll love it!

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[Adieu]

You're getting stuff wrong.

The boonies with a different denomination church at every crossroads and what appears to be a running competition for whackiest church sign catchphrase/slogan (ranging from brimstone to irreverent humor to, somehow, both) is GEORGIA.

Tennessee is pretty chill. And Utah isn't actually particularly to the north (?!) of there.

As to Kentucky Bend... that's legally, well, KENTUCKY


Learn your states dude

 

[Black]

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.

 

[Adieu]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[Plati]

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.

 

[Adieu]

Idaho & Black Hills, yup, that's definitely more my style

 

[ExplorerTom]

Google: Alpine Loop Colorado.

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

Done.

 

[Adieu]

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]

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.