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Full Weekend Driver Passes
Dixie Run 33 is just 3 weeks away......
Are you ready?
We are all super excited that there’s just 3 weeks to go before the best trail riding of the year is finally here once again. Can you believe it? Crazy how time flies. One more reason to not miss out on a great weekend like Dixie Run!
This year along with being at AOP for the first time, we have a bunch of amazing new sponsors on board to support SFWDA for our 33rd Annual Dixie Run weekend festival!
Our schedule of events is filled with fun for the whole family. Whenever you take a break from the trails, you’ll find lots more to do. The comprehensive schedule is now published on our SFWDA.org/dixierun website so you can plan out your full weekend from beginning to end.
Speaking of trails, did you know our Ride Signups Are Now LIVE! Once you have purchased your tickets, we encourage folks to go and Register our Guided Rides before they’re all full. Guided trail rides at a Southern event are an incredible experience. We have amazing excursion rides into beautiful and interesting nearby destinations. We also have small groups departing frequently through the morning and afternoon out onto the AOP trails. Don’t worry you don’t need to have experience to join in. Basic safety equipment, and a sense of adventure is all thats required. Once they’re gone they’re gone. We only have a limited number of experienced volunteer guides to lead groups.
That’s not all. We also have a brand new food truck coming out to take care of everyone’s appetite for lunches and dinners through the weekend. But wait there’s more.....Want to go FAST, or watch others try? How about a Southern Shootout race up the mountain side and under the lights? Friday night it’s ON! There’s a line for all types of rigs, easy - extreme, so everyone’s invited to come give it a shot. Prizes will be awarded for top finishes. Speaking of prizes, oh yeah, we also have a HUGE RAFFLE Saturday that is a must with a ton of prizes to take home! Not only can you win some amazing products just for buying a raffle ticket but all proceeds go right back to our Members, and our core mission of Conservation and Education to protect and preserve our OHV trails.
There is a LOT going on at Dixie Run 33! Don’t miss out on a weekend full of fun! In case you haven’t been to AOP recently there is no better time to explore their new 150+ Acre expansion with newly added trails and a freshly included connector loop trail around the perimeter of the park. So much to see and so much to do. What are you waiting for.....
All RV slips are long gone but there is still plenty of dry / primitive camping throughout. There are also a few local hotels which do still have a few rooms if you hurry.
Book Now, and we’ll see you at Adventure Off Road Park!
Join SFWDA this coming Memorial Day Weekend for our 16th Annual Trailfest. Weather forecast is looking great for and the trails are primed and ready for some action. It will be hot so be sure to bring sunblock, and lots of water for your coolers while out on the trails.
Wristbands and Tickets will all be available to everyone at the Main Gate, including those who pre-ordered. Due to an issue with our windshield stickers we withheld mailing tickets.
So, if you have already purchased online your tickets have been prepared for pick up, and you can find your envelope at Will Call.
Each person with a paid admission will receive a raffle ticket for our Main Raffle Saturday night. You can purchase additional tickets at $1 each and increase your chances at winning some amazing prizes from Top Sponsors like BFGoodrich, and WARN, and lots more. This you wont want to miss!
Accommodations - If you are staying at hawk Pride and do not already have an RV slip or a Cabin reserved, not to worry. There is a TON of great dry and primitive camping. You will be directed to appropriate spot or general vicinity upon arrival. Open camping is first come otherwise. See you all soon!
Registration & Tech Inspection
Schedule for Gate Operations -
16th Annual Trailfest 2019
Friendly Reminder *
All OHV's must pass a basic Safety Tech Inspection
Required :
Safety Belts, Fire Extinguisher, First Aid kit, Secure Battery
Optional : Cooler, Winch, Recovery Equipment, Body Anchor Points, CB Radio, Body Armor, Trail Map or GPS
* Thursday - Gate will be open to General Public All Day (must pay additional parks daily use fees)
Vendor Check In & Setup 12 Noon-8 PM
* Friday - Gate Open 8 AM - 8 PM
* Saturday - Gate Open 8 AM - 5 PM
* Sunday - Gate Opens 8 AM
Join SFWDA this coming Memorial Day Weekend for our 16th Annual Trailfest.
Trailfest is 3 days and nights worth of fun for the whole family! Explore miles and miles of amazing off road trails. Camping from tents to RV's are all welcome, with hot showers and bath facilities. Dinner on Saturday night. Free Top Notch Off Road Educational Courses, and a TON of Guided Trail Rides. This is all included!
Most importantly though you're supporting a core mission that benefits us all in the Off Road Community. All proceeds from our 501.c4 not-for-profit Association fund our Grants Program. Adopted to assist Parks, Clubs, and the whole Off-Road Community in an effort to preserve OHV trail access in the Southeast Region and educate others on Best Practices. We are proactively fighting to ensure our sport thrives on for many future generations.
Learn More about our Grant program and how it directly benefits us, and how you can put it to use. https://www.sfwda.org/grants
The Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway (DBBB) is a high clearance 4wd route comprised of improved and unimproved county and public roads over 100 miles long centered around the scenic Red River Gorge and Daniel Boone National Forest in eastern Kentucky.
Back in 2016 SFWDA started developing a strategy to allow public access to all of the DBBB trails. We have already made great strides on physical trail improvements, in addition to reclaiming trails that were illegally blocked and barricaded by residents. We also Digitally mapped this great trail, and placed maps on kiosks throughout the trail system.
The fact is we are very close to setting a new precedent on the matter with a Summary Judgment in the works now. This would be a HUGE victory for us and the OHV Community as a whole for future land access battles. It’s been a costly battle though. Our own SFWDA Grant Program has been vital to get us this far. Our current expenses on the DBBB alone in 2016 were $8,477 then in 2017 $26,006 and now in 2018 we’re already at $36,075. Our last legal bill alone was over $18,000. It’s all well worth it when we claim victory. This is why we are asking for your help. A small donation today will ensure we can finish the fight and preserve these amazing trails forever. Scroll to the bottom of this message of this link to learn more and donate now.
www.sfwda.org/dbbb
More about the DBBB.
* The DBBB is of moderate difficulty and open to licensed vehicles only. It is designed for entry level off-roading and providing a safe and rewarding driving experience.
* Historically, this area of Kentucky hosted the Jeep Jamboree for many years, as far back as 1969. In 2004, a travel management rule change by USFS closed off many of the routes and ended the organized events.
* Tourism was a huge part of the rural economy of the area and the loss of access equaled a drop in economic input both direct and indirect.
* Since the mid-2000's, a concerted effort between SFWDA members, five local counties, and USFS resulted in the DBBB. Some of the important routes previously utilized by the Jeep Jamboree are now open and drawing organized events and support.
* The DBBB was launched in 2016. SFWDA supported the development of a digital map of the DBBB which allows users to navigate these beautiful 4wd roads with smart phone technology. The DBBB Facebook page has over 3200 followers and some posts have reached 10k.
* The roads are part of the historical county transportation systems which make the right-of-ways county property and allows access to the public.
* A few recent challenges to the public access of these roads have arisen due to the increased traffic of the DBBB. None have resulted in a loss of access due to support from the counties and SFWDA's grant program, which has provided generous financial support in the form of legal fees and road maintaining resources.
* There are 50-100+ miles of expansion of the DBBB planned to meet the growing need of the OHV community for entry level experience.
* The DBBB is within 5 hours drive of the northeast megalopolis which represents 17% of the US population or roughly 50 million Americans. It is also convenient to southern states as well.
* Future financial support of the DBBB is critical to sustaining and growing these world class OHV opportunities. We have recently filed for a Summary Judgement which along with our ongoing efforts have become a considerable investment.
We are seeking additional financial resources to complete our battle for access via public roads to the DBBB. If you would please consider a donation today to help support and to preserve trail access for future generations.
Hurry..... All Online Registration Closes April 30th.
We have just launched registration for all of our 2018 Guided AOP Trails & Scenic Excursion Rides for Trailfest 2018. Please grab your spot now. We will leave this up and running until the 30th of April when all online tickets and pre-registration will cease. You can still register at the ride staging area during the event if spots are still open. We are limiting each group to just 15 rigs, for everyone's best interest. Don't wait, register for your rides now!
Advanced Moderate Group all lined up and ready to hit the trails....
Check out the Full Schedule and more details about the rides on our ride info page.
https://www.sfwda.org/guided-rides-info-registration/
Join us on Saturday, March 10th for the first SFWDA Meet & Ride of 2018.
We'll xplore this new privately owned
OHV park together.
$10 per person over 12 - March 10, 9AM - RSVP Online
In case you haven't heard there's fresh dirt to ride on, right here in our backyard!
Busted Knuckle Off Road Park, located just 45 miles from Chattanooga is privately owned and in part by a fellow off road enthusiast. BKORP already offers miles of well marked and mapped full size 4x4 trails. CartoTracks has already completed smart maps, so its super easy to navigate. Most of the park can be tackled by a stock Jeep. There are a few challenging rock obstacles and waterfalls which can be quite challenging for those who want to try them.
- On-site check in will open at 8:00 AM Central Standard Time
- Our SFWDA meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 AM
- Trail rides will begin by 10:00 AM and wrap up around 5-6 PM
- Admission for this special event is just $10 per person, payable by CASH only at the gate
- Kids 12 and under are always free!
The owners and staff from the park itself along with the local "Scenic City 4 Wheel Drive Club" of Chattanooga, TN will host the event and provide guided Trail Rides throughout "Busted Knuckle Off Road Park".
Haven't been yet? No worries, we've got you covered, with guided trail rides throughout the park.
Here is what the new BKORP is like?
Nestled in a cove just outside downtown Stevenson, sits Busted Knuckle Off Road Park. 600+ acres of classic North Alabama terrain. Rocky hills and rising hardwood benches cover the perimeter of the property with a long, open valley running through the center. We have a little of everything, from casual trails to the most extreme hill climbs in the Southeast. Located right on Highway 117, entrance and exit to BKORP is a breeze, even for semi trucks, with plenty of open area for parking. If you've never been here before, come see what all the fuss is about. If you have been here before, come check out the many new trails!
Primitive Camping is available on the park campground. You may arrive on Friday to setup camp and depart on Sunday if you prefer.
Busted Knuckle Off Road Park
17376 AL HIGHWAY 117
Stevenson, Alabama 35772
Smart Digital Maps Available from Cartotracks.com
CartoTracks has just created a brand new, GPS-enabled smart map of the park!
Click on the map image to take you to CartoTracks where you can get the new Hale Mountain map that will work on your smartphone, tablet, or iPad without cell signal but show you a blue dot indicating your location on the map.
SFWDA Member Discount of 15% off when you use your promo coupon code at checkout. (See Member Rewards)
It's time....
Ticket Sales are Going Live!
June 15th at 7 AM Central or 8 AM Eastern
We're about to launch our 31st Annual Dixie Run. Tickets will be going on sale online through September 17th with a discount available through August 1. So why wait? You can actually save $10 just by registering online, but only if you hurry!
-Calling all Volunteers in NC; Uwharrie National Forest Upcoming Work Day with the USFS Jan. 28, 9am
A quick note from Theresa Stevens Savery (Terry), on behalf of the National Forests in North Carolina, Uwharrie National Forest
Uwharrie is one of the few remaining public trail systems in the eastern US.
Hi Everyone – I wanted to send out the message about the January 28th Work Day. We’ll meet at 9 am at the Uwharrie Hunt Camp. We’ll work on armoring several wet areas on the trails with rock from Cotton Place TH, Dutch John TH and from sources on the trail. We’ll also put up some short sections of guardrail or the old log barricades up. If you have a trail trailer, pickup truck or other vehicle that can be used to haul rip-rap, large gravel, posts and guardrail please bring it that weekend. Also, if you’re chainsaw certified please bring your PPE and saw, etc. because we might not get out to the trails before then and with the storm this weekend we might have some trees come down on the trails.
Thank you everyone for your continued support. I appreciate it very much. Bye - Terry
Theresa Stevens Savery (Terry),
MS Forest Resources / Watershed Management
District Recreation Staff Supervisor
Forest Service
National Forests in North Carolina, Uwharrie National Forest
p: 910-576-6391 x102
c: 910-975-0274
f: 910-576-4171
tsavery@fs.fed.us
789 NC Hwy 24/27 East Troy, NC 27371
www.fs.fed.us
Caring for the land and serving people
Some photos taken from a recent work day cleanup in 2016. These events are all about volunteers working to ensure our trail access is preserved. being proactive and preventative. Working cooperatively as enthusiasts with the USFS.
From an email blast communicated by our friends at the USFS. This is an open invite for anyone looking to get more involved.
Join SFWDA and the USFS for the first of four collaboration workshops focused on developing a plan that will be used to create a proposed action for the Foothills Landscape. This is a great opportunity to share your views, discuss ideas, and interact with other members of the collaboration community and Forest Service employees -- a time to roll up our sleeves and really get down to work.
From the USFS;
We have had quite a jam-packed fall on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. The unseasonably dry weather has kept us busy fighting wildfires up north and attending to insect outbreaks down south. These pressing demands demonstrate even more that the need has never been greater for strategic, holistic, large-scale and long-range planning for a healthy, resilient forest. And we can't do it alone.
The Community Conversations this past fall gave us an overview of the attitudes, values and beliefs of community members. Now, looking forward, we need to begin to design on-the-ground actions that address the widespread resource challenges in an integrated way and on a scale that results in enduring impacts.
What to Expect Next:
Collaborative Workshops
We are planning four workshops before the end of August. These workshops will be focused on developing a plan that will be used to create a proposed action for the Foothills Landscape. This is a great opportunity to share your views, discuss ideas, and interact with other members of the collaboration community and Forest Service employees -- a time to roll up your sleeves and really get to work!
Our first upcoming workshop:
January 31st and February 1st
Lumpkin County Parks and Rec Community Center located at 365 Riley Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Learning and Sharing
Please take a moment to check out the thoughtful comments and robust discussions shared during the recent Community Conversations at www.tinyurl.com/FoothillsLandscape. The online forum for comments, discussions and sharing pictures worked so well during the Community Conversations we are going to use it again. In between the workshops you will be able to start discussions, post ideas and add comments on the restoration goals, treatment locations, and methods of treatment.
Also, share this update with others and encourage them to sign up to receive emails on the collaborative effort.
Thank you for helping make sure we are working together to do the right work in the right places for the right reasons.
The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests provide the finest outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resources in Georgia. Featuring nearly 867,000 acres across 26 counties, thousands of miles of clear-running streams and rivers, approximately 850 miles of recreation trails, and dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas, and other recreation activity opportunities, these lands are rich in natural scenery, history and culture. The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.