OK, all of you folks that live in PA, or near by, be sure to contact these folks and see if we can help, or at least let them know we want this new ORV park to be completed. Here's all the info I have for now:


Future Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Park in Pennsylvania!

“You just don’t see this everyday” says Pearse Umlauf, Founder & CEO of the National Off-Road Association. “We see many trails being closed across the United States, most recently the Upper Tellico OHV area, but it’s very rare to see new trails being open”.

Northumberland County located in central Pennsylvania has decided to do just that; open over 6,000 acres of old coal mining land to the public for the intended use of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation.

“The Northumberland County Commissioners deserve a thumbs-up and our full support on this project”, says Off-Road Hall of Famer, Mark A. Smith and Founder of Jeep Jamboree USA. “Years ago in California, El Dorado County officials got involved with keeping the Rubicon Trail open and today it generates an estimated 30 million into the local community. Now that’s an investment worth making”.

Barry Yorwarth a local resident of Northumberland County spearheaded this idea a few years ago. He has been working closely with county officials to help them make this project a reality. “I got the idea back in 2005 when I was the co-pilot for Tom Lawlor at the Top Truck Challenge in Hollister Hills, CA”, says Yorwarth, “I said to myself; we’ve got some land like this back in Pennsylvania, why can’t we do something like this?”. Barry’s dad bought him his first Jeep (CJ-5) when he was just 13 years old. Today Barry owns (5) Unimogs and a few Jeeps. “The park is designed to be open for all motorized users not just full-size vehicles, everyone’s welcome. The county is planning to have onsite camping as well as parking for RV’s”.

“It’s great to see the County Commissioners of Northumberland take such a proactive leap forward” states Pearse Umlauf. “The local communities and residents will benefit tremendously from the development of this park. The park is an economic “center of commerce” for local businesses not to mention the potential jobs it’ll create. OHV enthusiasts from across the United States will flock to this new park just for the opportunity to run new trails. This park will allow individuals to recreate in a safe, dedicated environment.”

To learn more about the National Off-Road Association, please visit www.nora-usa.com.

Cool :smiley_thumbs_up: I hope they make this a great place to go. I'm sure there will have to trails designed and made. 6000 acres is alot of park to play in.

ATV's use it now, but an actual off road park would be very cool. It's like old strip mines, so already pretty rough.

Don't forget the sites that are up and have been in operation. I've only wheeled Beaver Run (in a CJ), but there are a few others like Rock Run and there's another one around Eau Claire. Also Rausch Creek, but I'm not sure what they'd have for Patriot trails. The few guys I know who've wheeled there trailer down buggies.

Joe, I tried to look at the places you talked about, can;t find anything other than ATV trails, nothing like Jeep trails, except Rausch Creek? Can you give me some links, or any more info, please?

I don't have any links, but I'll search. As I said, I've wheeled Beaver Run in Wampum, PA and I know guys who've wheeled around Eau Claire. It was called Outback something or other. I also know guys from our local club who've wheeled Rock Run in Patton, PA and are going again in a couple weeks. There is wheeling out there. What's Patriot friendly is the question.

Don't forget about all the trails at the Boy Scout Camp (or oil company land) near Bradford. They only let wheelers back there sparingly because they don't want things torn up too much. A group of Patriots wouldn't pose as much of a risk of land damage as the knarlier rigs would. As I said before, someone who's actually run trails in Patriot would make the best contact and be able give assurances on the Patriot's capabilities. That's not me. I probably could offer to be trail help with my CJ5 with its winch if need be, but our summers can be pretty busy.

http://www.outbackoffroadadventure.com/

http://www.beaverun.com/dirt_days.php

http://www.rockrunrecreation.com I think I was mistaken saying some friends had already wheeled there. I think this is the first season for OHV's. There are a few guys talking about heading down there in early May. I'll get a report if they go.

Beaver Run's policy the last few years has been you could run there almost anytime you got a group of at least 10 vehicles together for a ride. You didn't have to schedule during their Dirt Days, but you needed to set up your run in advance. They we're flexible and easy to work with. Our "leader" was able to finagle a discount as well. There was also free primitive camping available.

OK, I think we need a local trail run now, that one place sounds pretty good, although too far from Potter county.

This one place is near by Pittsburgh, we should get a few folks together for this one, although they don't have any Dirt Days scheduled yet, looks like a good place for folks with no experience to go learn. Here's a little from their web page:

Want to take your 4x4 vehicle off-road in a legal, safe environment designed to test your skills and your build? BeaveRun Dirt Days gives you that opportunity! From mild to wild, we offer trails that are designed to teach off-road 101 to full on black level challenges that will keep even the seasoned wheeler busy!

At Dirt Days we organize run groups based on vehicle prep and driver skill level. The run groups are lead by our team of professional trail guides that teach you how to use your vehicle to the fullest. We give you a full team of spotters and recovery personal to make your day as fulfilling as possible. From winch safety and recovery technique to teaching you how to use traction control and lockers.

BeaveRun's trails have hosted a number of clubs and groups from your local 4x4 club to search and rescue. Dubbed as one of the best training grounds on the East Coast! This OHV will not disappoint! Come out and join us on the Trails!




General Guidelines & Rules for BeaveRun Dirt Days
* RSVP is requested - With your RSVP please include your contact info and vehicle type.

* Be On Time - Please allow time for travel and respect the time the ride is to start.

* Keep them in your sights - When riding on a trail, do not let the person behind or in front out of your site. Keep the group together.

* Pack a lunch - Bring food & non-alcoholic beverages. Feel free to bring your own food and please pick up any trash that you may see on the trails.

* TREAD LIGHTLY! Travel "as slow as possible and as fast as necessary". It is important that we have as little impact on the trails as possible.

* Listen to our guides- BeaveRun guides will help spot you through challenging obstacles. Let them know if you require special assistance.

* Ask for help - It's ok to ask for help or a spotter to get over an obstacle; same goes for a strap. Getting stuck is part of the sport and working as a team to help others is why we are here.

* Children & Pets need to be safe - This means they must be monitored by their parent/guardian at all times! Make sure your pet is strapped in securely. Pets can get hurt from bouncing around just as easily as humans can.

* No moving obstacles or Modifying the trails - We have specific paths and obstacles on the trails at BeaveRun. Some people have a habit of making the trail work for them instead of employing a recovery system or driving technique to get them through an obstacle.

Trail Selection

* Level 1 - Get your tires dirty, mild challenges, intro to off-road. Certainly not "easy". Great for stock or light modified trucks.

* Level 2 - The majority of our trails and challenge spots. Lift, Locker and Skids strongly recommended.

* Level 3 - Equivalent to black level trails at other OHV. These are our higher end challenge spots. Totally wild!

Getting mighty anxious to hit more trails, my tires have a nasty factory aftertaste and crave sweet earthy goodness, lol. Answer me this or I won't go: When do they open? haha

Here's a place in Virginia. http://www.bigdogsoffroad.com/index.html. A bunch of folks from my local club go down here several times a year. I've never been there because I don't like to flat tow my CJ for more than a couple of hours. Everyone seems to love this place.

Erie Jeep People recently ran Rock Run in Patton, PA so it's definitely open for 4x4's. I think HRJA is also planning a run there.