Potts Mountain, VA??

BigSouth

BigSouth

Doesn't play well with others!
Joined
Jun 8, 2011
Location
Shelby, NC
Been invited on a ride here and wanted to know if anybody has recent experience with the trails in this area. Is this a “buggy on 43’s” kinda place or what? From what I’m told, we’d be camping at the Pines Campground, first come first serve, no power, porta-johns, water out of a hand pump. Couple forum write ups had guys mentioning Jeeps on 37’s having a little trouble. Any info would be appreciated.
 
I haven't been in a couple years, but a couple the groups I'm in go there regularly, and recent reports say the ledge has gotten much worse, and requires at least 35s, a locker, and good spotter.. The rest of the park isn't much trouble for stockish builds
 
shawn said:
There's one ledge that's kinda tricky. Most all of it is doable in a stockish TJ with car seats in the back.
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Unless you bin the stock skidplate and bend it back like a 70's beer can pull tab :laughing:

I use to go every year with the trail blazers. Sometimes twice a year to try and get a snow ride in. Keep in mind it's a "state maintained road" so you "need" tags to drive on it.

Lots of videos and pics here but keep in mind things have changed. The spot they're talking about is even worse now but here it is a few years ago:


potts1.jpg


But that's really the most difficult part in the "main road"

Everything else is a bonus off to the side. and there's lots of that after the big meadow

potts3.jpg




potts2.jpg



As far as camping. It's a bare campground with 2 URE style shitters.

potts4.jpg


Kinda tight so watch your mirrors.

Also, on any given week there USE to be a pretty mild homeless problem. Dude on scooter with a tent would be living there for weeks at a time in the summer. Sometimes multiple folks. At one point there was a camper set up there that stayed for quite a while in the very back directly across from the shitter in the back. just depends on if the ranger has run them off. There's only one ranger for that area, and I can't remember how many square miles he told us he had to cover, but it was staggering

No cell service except on the mountain top. Unless you have US cellular. Use to, I'd stop in Mt Airy at the US cellular store next to Lowes hardware and get a penny phone and pre-pay for 30 days. It cost me $60 but I had cell and internet at the campground. That way everyone could call home and let their family know they got there and give them the number in case anyone had an emergency.

When do you plan to go? I'd love to go back, but I'd likely hotel it. Too old for that tent crap :laughing:
 
BigSouth said:
Been invited on a ride here and wanted to know if anybody has recent experience with the trails in this area. Is this a “buggy on 43’s” kinda place or what? From what I’m told, we’d be camping at the Pines Campground, first come first serve, no power, porta-johns, water out of a hand pump. Couple forum write ups had guys mentioning Jeeps on 37’s having a little trouble. Any info would be appreciated.
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Not enough buggy for Potts, Ole Buddy.:huggy:
 
I went last year and it had change quite a bit over the years. The hard ledge has a bypass around it, its just hidden in the woods to the right). You could get a rig on 33s through there if the bypasses are taken. Last year I had a 1:2 success rate on the hard ledge on locked fr 35s YJ. Just have to get the line just right and hit it with alot of skinny pedal.

With a buggy, its going to be pretty mild.
 
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