TRS Event TRS 25th Anniversary Fall Adventure - Land Between The Lakes - September 5th – 8th, 2024

[Curious Hound]

There is always room in primitive camping.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

There are forest roads which are pretty easy going for a normal street vehicle. The "offroad park" is Turkey Bay

Turkey Bay OHV Area in Land Betwen The Lakes

Load up your rifles, pistols, archery gear and targets and head out to the free Golden Pond Target Range at Land Between The Lakes.

www.landbetweenthelakes.com

 

[Uncle Gump]

Tent camping only where we are staying.

It was a hot humid mess when I hot there and set up. The rest of the time it was really pleasant. I got a tent site with electric... and ran a fan at night. I was pretty comfortable other then when I first got there.

I'm sure there are other places to stay but couldn't tell you much about it.

I'm sure you could run a 4 wheeler at turtle bay orv park. I would look at there website for specifics. I don't think your 4 wheeler would work for the scavenger hunt... but you could do that with a rwd truck for most all of it. Just a bunch of state forest roads. I know Jim is looking to find some more challenging trails for group rides.

The only meals we do as a group is Friday night campfire pizza... and we did biscuits and gravy one morning. Not sure we're even doing that this year... but it was good... and I hope so. No homemade ice cream this year... it's a bunch of work and pretty expensive.

If you decide to camp with the group... I'm sure they can fit you in... tent site with electric might be questionable. But they didn't totally fill up last year if I remember right.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Thete was plenty of space around us for primitive camping. There's also RV sites if you want to bring a camper. The site wouldn't be right next to us, but we'd be in the same campground.

We didn't really do much offroading. We hit a lot of gravel roads and saw the sights. Myself and @Robertmangrum.rm found a pretty rough forest road that was pretty challenging and @bobbywalter and @Mattman347 went to Turkey Bay and did some actual offroading.

Bring your ATV if you want. Do your own thing, or just explore and see the sites in your 2wd. We all get back together in the evenings. It's a good time.

The weather was really comfortable and it was cool and comfortable at night. If you get to warm, I know where you can find a fan, but you'll probably need an extension cord.

 

[JoshT]

We didn't really do much offroading. We hit a lot of gravel roads and saw the sights. Myself and @Robertmangrum.rm found a pretty rough forest road that was pretty challenging and @bobbywalter and @Mattman347 went to Turkey Bay and did some actual offroading.

Bring your ATV if you want. Do your own thing, or just explore and see the sites in your 2wd. We all get back together in the evenings. It's a good time.

The weather was really comfortable and it was cool and comfortable at night. If you get to warm, I know where you can find a fan, but you'll probably need an extension cord.

Sounds good on the roads. I'll actually be in a V8 AWD swapped Ranger, likely still with the stock 4.10 open differential. At this point I don't know if it'll be on 32" tires (used & going on shortly) or on dropped down to 2wd height and on ~29" street tire (where I want to be), but either should handle some dirt road fine. What I don't want to do is get off on any real trails and break the truck three states from home.

Really don't know what I want to do if I go. Mostly an excuse to get away from home, spend some time out of state, and (as a bonus) meet some of the people I've been chatting with online for years.

Yeah, I've gotten too used to the creature comforts over the last decade or so. Tent is a possibility, and generator rules for the primitive camping or KOA in general. I'll look to see if I can find anything on their website. Can definitely scrounge up a fan and long extension cords. I'll be investigating tent AC units in the coming weeks as well as one of those portable power station battery things.

There is a recreation rental center here on base that rents out campers among other equipment, but I don;t know if any are small enough to tow with the Ranger. I'll be looking into that over the next week or two. If it were an F-250 meet and greet I could just borrow my parent's camper and drive it. I'll want to be in my Ranger for this one and I can't pull both with the F-250. Have considered a toy hauler for that, but the budget definitely isn't there.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Sounds good on the roads. I'll actually be in a V8 AWD swapped Ranger, likely still with the stock 4.10 open differential. At this point I don't know if it'll be on 32" tires (used & going on shortly) or on dropped down to 2wd height and on ~29" street tire (where I want to be), but either should handle some dirt road fine. What I don't want to do is get off on any real trails and break the truck three states from home.

Lots of historical stuff, lots of scenic stuff. My 40yo V8 swapped truck rolls on 31's, was 4 states from home and without going into Turkey Bay I never even locked in the front hubs. If you are lowered there are lots of fun curvy paved roads too.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

The forest service roads are numbered. The 100 roads are the most maintained and get harder as the numbers go up. 200s get less maintenance and 300s can get rough and challenging. That beingbsaid I don't thinknyou are allowed to drive non tagged ATVs on these routes.
Turkey Bay is a an OHV park. It goes from mild to wild with the turn of a corner haha. ATVs of any type are welcome there. I do believe 4 wheelers and dirt bikes require helmets. Plus anyone under the age of 16 is supposed to wear one as well. I've been a few times though, and never seen anyone enforcing the rules. Last time I was there there were a group on dirt bike with no helmets riding all over the park. ( no motorcycle helmet law in KY) The park has it in rules but again I never seen it enforced.
I have heard of people getting fined on the FS roads for not staying on the trail. Recently there was a group who posted on FB doing doughnuts and climbing hills that were off the side of the FS roads. They got a nice letter in the mail and a 500 dollar fine. They used the tag numbers off their social media to track them down.
That all being said it's a beautiful place that you could explore for days without worrying about breaking your Ranger. My common thought is that if I don't feel comfortable there is no shame in turning around. Would love to see ya there.

 

[Snoranger]

Ok, so I want to come, but I can't make any solid plans until closer to time.

What's the night time weather like there during that time of the year. I'm typically sleeping with a room temp to in the mid to low 60s and won;t even think about tent camping here in GA during the summers. (Not that I've tent camped at all since my time in Boy Scouts.) Was thinking about a cabin rental, but they will likely be booked well before I can commit to going. Also investigating the possibility of a renting a small camper, but will probably be a little late in the game to rent a spot for that as well. Is there any limitation on the capacity for primitive camping area? If I do tent camp, will I still be able to make a reservation a month before?

If I can;t reserve that late is there other lodging nearby, even places in national forrest type areas that allowinw camping anywhere there's a wide spot? I know the national forrests here in GA have areas like that.

Food planning it will only be me, unless I make some big life changes between now and then. Single guy and no buddies I'd want to invite. Also have to watch what I eat due to the diabetus. I don't want anyone planning food around me, a few days of eating bad won't kill me. Just don't count me in for sweets and desserts.

I'm sure that there will be some off-roading excursions during the event. I think I saw mentione of an off-road park. Do those areas allow ATVs, particulary a Honda Rancher? If so, are there any riding gear requirements? I'm not going to wheel the truck I drive, but I might bring my 4 wheeler along to hit the trails, haven't used it for more than hunting trails since I got it.

You don’t want to wheel your daily driver…

This pic was taken after driving around on forest trails half the day. We we’re pretty far from paved roads. If I turned to the left a little the was a Toyota Camry parked next to us. That’s the type of “off road” most of the trip was.

 

[Curious Hound]

We run a scavenger hunt that encourages people to get out and find/see things. It’s a fun area.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The forest service roads are numbered. The 100 roads are the most maintained and get harder as the numbers go up. 200s get less maintenance and 300s can get rough and challenging.

It seemed like a lot of the roads were in better than average condition because of logging in the area too. Like they had been improved to get log trucks in and out of the area.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

It seemed like a lot of the roads were in better than average condition because of logging in the area too. Like they had been improved to get log trucks in and out of the area.

I'm going out there for a meet and greet/trail ride next weekend. So I'll be able to scout out some easy trails for everyone. I will be site seeing this trip. So I could share some maps that I know would be safe for stock 2wd vehicles too.

 

[SenorNoob]

You don’t want to wheel your daily driver…

Why not? Where's the fun in that? LOL

On a more serious note, I'll be alone. Brittney doesn't want to camp. I also put in for Sunday night off. I watched my boss approve it and add it to his calendar, but HR hasn't put it in the system yet.

As far as weather is concerned, it'll likely be pleasant, however; living in Tennessee has me convinced mother nature has hot flashes and chills. I've seen it snow out Halloween here and had Christmas dinner cooked on a collection of grills cause the house was too hot.

 

[JoshT]

You don’t want to wheel your daily driver…

Well it isn;t exactly my daily driver, but I don't want to wheel my only mode of transportation there and back. Unforseen failures on the road is one thing, intentionally putting it into places more likely to break it is another. I plan to drive the truck up, I don't intend to be bring it back on a uhaul trailer. Besides this is being turned into a street truck, I just don't know how far it will have progressed towards that by then.

Weather will probably be ok for tenting it. I'll have to dig out the tents and camping gear and see how it goes a time or two before summer hits. Maybe two more weeks of wrenching on the V8 swap, then I might try a few nights at a local park. Then there might be a long weekend in NGA at the beginning of May. If I can handle those in a tent, I should be able to do Kentucky in September, especially with a fan.

Fortunately the job I have now almost gurantees that I can get away from work for the trip, just too much happening in life to do the same. Most likely I'll be able to go, that's how I'm planning right now anyway.

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

You don’t want to wheel your daily driver…

Well that's a problem.... My ranger is my only vehicle.
Why not though?

Also Jim, count me in tentatively. I won't know for sure until I get closer to the date, but I should be able to come.
Just to clarify, as this is my first time doing something like this, we plan for and bring our own food save for the campfire pizza, correct?

 

[SenorNoob]

Off-roading has a very high risk of damage.

And yes.