URE is kinda pointless to visit anymore

Hitchhiker

Active Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2008
Location
Wake Forest, NC
Aside from all of the fun parts of the loop being closed the parts that are open look like a disney kids park ride. A long section had huge unsightly guard rails or 6x6 fences 1 or 2 feet away from the trail. Destroys the entire concept of getting off of a road to me and my group. Why couldn't they have at least set them back a bit so you don't feel like you are riding on a train track.

The trails that are left have all steadily been reduced to gravel/clay roads. I'm at a loss as for where I'm going to use to entice people to come out and go wheeling now. URE has been my go to spot for a day trip with dirt and rocks.

Might be time to sell the jeep and buy an ATV instead.

Sorry to all the trail workers and people trying hard to keep it alive, no disrespect intended. These are just the thoughts going through my head after this last trip I organized.
 
Opinions vary, everybody cannot be pleased. I suggest you drive to another ohv area that is more to your liking. Maybe you would rather drive 5 hours to Harlan or farther?

Maybe you shouldn't complain about what is available and be thankful that it's there...
 
I will field this.... Here is your answer like it or not. The reason the gaurd rail and fence is so close to the trail is that people do not tread lightly. We have had to do this because people do not stay on the trails. Education is the long term answer to get the trails back to nature but until then we have to 100% backing on educated wheelers, well you may have to get an utv....
 
I can understand both sides to it. I think it all starts when somebody has to bypass somebody, now every other rig follows and now the whole thing gets wrecked.
 
I understand your feelings and responses. Like I said, I'm disappointed. I wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't like going there too.

Yes, Harlen is a likely destination. It's a good 6 hours from our house's though which means taking a day or two off and that translates into fewer trips I can talk people into.

Just wanted to add we aren't in excessive vehicles either, anywhere from 2-4 inches of lift and 33-35" tires. It's not like we are driving buggys and complaining how easy it is there.
 
even with the barriers in place,if the forest service would let nature take it's course it could be a decent place to wheel. sometimes you just feel like easing around and relaxing in the woods but sometimes you would like to use 4 wheel drive.
 
The only trail I even care to run anymore is Daniel. Not much else to provide a challenge
 
telemike said:
If all the users would Tread Lightly, we would not need barriers.

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Yet some choose not to.
What now?
If i hear the "big tire guys tear it up" debate, i'm gonna puke.
And i NEVER go off trail @ URE.
 
redneckcj5guy said:
Yet some choose not to.
What now?
If i hear the "big tire guys tear it up" debate, i'm gonna puke.
And i NEVER go off trail @ URE.
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What now you ask ?

I will tell you. WE need to work together to get our trails back. How you ask ?

TEACH people when you are out there about how much you would like to see the trails back the way they were 25 years ago. Cause they were alot nicer then. MOST people back then had MORALS and would do the right thing and the only thing the work people like Scott / JC / others like me would have to do is maintain what was open. Now WE have to shut trails down on these workdays and block off illegal bypasses that people insist that they need.

TEACH people how to Tread Lightly also while you are out there. Most peole do not know what that is or care what it is, but enough people talk to them about it and it will get into their brain we hope. Until everyone understands Tread Lightly we will continue to HAVE to put up these ugly guardrails and fencing. WE do this to try and keep these trails open for the next generation to enjoy. I have been going there since the mid 80's, so i have enjoyed the heck out of them. I will continue to do so till i am dead or in my death bed. Or they close them down.

AND finally bring some friends out to these workdays so you can see what we are doing and why we are doing it, and then you also have a chance to break bread with the USFS reps also.

Finally please understand this also. When these trails were first built they were never made for the vehicles we have out there now. We had dirtbikes and 4x4's with maybe a 33 inch tire being the biggest. It was more a family trail system that people could just go thru nice and slowly and enjoy the forest for what it is. They were never built to really have a technical sections to them. They were just built for more families to have a place to come to and go into the forest that we have there.

And finally , right now we are fighting to be able to keep Daniel open. They have not came out and said it yet, but there are a bunch of us on here that know this will be the next trail to get shut down unless we do the right thing and work on keeping people on the trail and not making it wider than it is already getting. You will have a wake up call here soon this next year once ( hopefully ) Kodak rock opens back up. See how much you are going to lose width wise up there.
 
The place has definitely changed since I started going there in 1990. I absolutely hate the guard rail too, and don't think it belongs on a trail system, but if that is what someone in the FS thinks is necessary to keep the trails open, then I'll deal with it.
 
I think the guard rail system sucks too but it is needed thanks to stupid people. I'm now gonna be a mocking bird on this thread cause its been well stated previously why things are the way they are.
I will say this though, isn't a 1 hour drive to URE worth just getting out in the woods either way? A bad day on the trail beats a good day at work any day.
Uwharrie isn't challenging at all, but it's a beautiful place that's local and has a lot to offer. Due to trail closings and it being so small anyway, I've been learning other things the forest has to offer rather than just the OHV system. You should check it out as well.
The closings and guard rails do suck but if you just get fed up, stop going, then more people stop going, it never changes.
Maybe you should come check out a work day and see what we are about. It never feels like work and its great to meet people that love this hobby and love to help out. It's up to us.
I think in time if we grow our volunteer numbers and get everyone on board with Tread Lightly we will get new trails, and hopefully harder ones too. But that all starts with people making a difference, not getting discouraged and saying it ain't worth it. I want Uwharrie to be open to my kids years from now and that all starts now.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I think the guard rail system sucks too but it is needed thanks to stupid people. I'm now gonna be a mocking bird on this thread cause its been well stated previously why things are the way they are.
I will say this though, isn't a 1 hour drive to URE worth just getting out in the woods either way? A bad day on the trail beats a good day at work any day.
Uwharrie isn't challenging at all, but it's a beautiful place that's local and has a lot to offer. Due to trail closings and it being so small anyway, I've been learning other things the forest has to offer rather than just the OHV system. You should check it out as well.
The closings and guard rails do suck but if you just get fed up, stop going, then more people stop going, it never changes.
Maybe you should come check out a work day and see what we are about. It never feels like work and its great to meet people that love this hobby and love to help out. It's up to us.
I think in time if we grow our volunteer numbers and get everyone on board with Tread Lightly we will get new trails, and hopefully harder ones too. But that all starts with people making a difference, not getting discouraged and saying it ain't worth it. I want Uwharrie to be open to my kids years from now and that all starts now.
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Very well said. It does have a lot more to offer than just trails. I can go there for 5 days on vacation and not do the same thing twice . Granted I also have horses, hiking boots, watercraft, dirt bike, mountain bike, and of course 4x4. Then there is just sitting around the fire for hours watching TV. ( Fire is my TV )

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Very true. I went down this past weekend and never hit the trails till Sunday and only for a few minutes then. I spent some time swimming, teaching my buddy's 2 year old how to fish, and most of the time sitting around a fire just talking. There is a lot more to Uwharrie than just wheeling!
 
77GreenMachine said:
Very true. I went down this past weekend and never hit the trails till Sunday and only for a few minutes then. I spent some time swimming, teaching my buddy's 2 year old how to fish, and most of the time sitting around a fire just talking. There is a lot more to Uwharrie than just wheeling!
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Was out there Saturday. Could of went by where you were and said hey if I had known.
 
Yeah after we split from the meeting at arrow head a didn't see anyone else.
Me, Curtis and JC got the back hoe going good except for brakes. Got the new exhaust welded up and in place. That thing is just a few steps away from being ready to work.
 
Yep, by the time i got back over to Scott's place everyone was gone.
 
I know i'm new here and haven't been there in about 19 years or so but i'm going to offer my opinion anyway. Back home in WV they have closed most of the place for me to go. It got so bad that within a 3hr drive we had one place to go (Private Property) and the rules and regulations were so tough that if it even looked like a rut starting they would close the trail for awhile and repair it.

So I personally would prefer guard rails and other crap to dealing with a private park or nothing at all.
Just my 0.01$
 
Hi I went yesterday, first time since last Nov. Yes the place is pretty tame but it is what we have in our area. One area that has potential is the rocky hill clime on Dicky Bell. Looks like three lines of approach. I guess that is the best replacement for Kodak Rock. But I'm guessing if it gets wider it would be in line to be blocked off. On the bad, same ole story there was a lot of trash out there. Some areas looked like hippies camped there because of all the trash. I'll pick up a stray beer can but refuse to clean up anyone's lazy-@ss mess.
 
I am thankful that we have URE so close to us. Sure it isn't full of challenges, but it is run by the USFS, not a private park. The trail system needs to be tame enough to allow a multitude of users, be somewhat self-sustaining, and to limit possible injuries. I'm actually surprised that Daniel is still open given the amount of traffic it sees now. We need to keep working together to ensure the future of this sport. There are way too many in gov't positions who want to shut ORV trails down for no good reason.
 
We went Saturday for the first time in years. Went to test out our XJ. A lot has changed and there were not many 4x4's there as was in the past (maybe 15 at the most) Lots of ATV's and dirt bikes... LOTS... Rocky Mtn Loop was a good little challenge. But when we got around to the other side close to the parking area and found the big gravel dumped on the trail and fresh timber guard rails just a few feet off the "trail" it was a little disappointing. No way to pass if you met another wheeler and just took the "nature" out of it. I think they could have just stacked a few fallen logs along side the trail like on other parts and used the money that was spent on those "not so cheap" timbers in other places. But just our opinion.

BUT it will not detour us from going back more often. Still love the atmosphere and the camping. And we are grateful it is even still open to wheel. Not sure why Kodiak was closed but would be nice to see it back open...
 
Jeeplvr1 said:
But when we got around to the other side close to the parking area and found the big gravel dumped on the trail and fresh timber guard rails just a few feet off the "trail" it was a little disappointing. No way to pass if you met another wheeler and just took the "nature" out of it. I think they could have just stacked a few fallen logs along side the trail like on other parts and used the money that was spent on those "not so cheap" timbers in other places. But just our opinion.

BUT it will not detour us from going back more often. Still love the atmosphere and the camping. And we are grateful it is even still open to wheel. Not sure why Kodiak was closed but would be nice to see it back open...
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To put it bluntly, they had to put up timbers or guardrail because far too many people are far too self entitled and have proven they can't stay on the marked trail. The same goes for the RML closure. As it has been said many times, if all the users of the trail system had respect for and followed the rules these problems wouldn't exist. I for one appreciate the FS spending money on guardrail in lieu of trail closure
 
The fallen tree's might work elsewhere but do not work here for some reason. People just move them out of the way. Even if they have to winch them. So the volunteers / USFS put up the other stuff to help keep our trails open. It all falls back to Tread Lightly. If everyone followed those principles then we would not have most of the issues we have today out there.
 
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