Windrock park...must do/see

Pennsylvaniaboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Chambersburg, PA
So a group of us are traveling to windrock in october. We will get in wed night, wheel Thursday-Saturday, drive home Sunday. We have a cabin etc.

What trails are a must do for capable rigs? I have seen the train, tunnel, rattlerock, etc.

Are there area sights and such? I have seen the old jail tha you can get to from trails?

Other things that we are interested in...distilleries, resturants, etc?
 
obullfish said:
Big Ed’s pizza
Walden’s Ridge trail
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This.

I recommend calling the pizza in and bringing it back to camp. It’s even better after it has time to “set” kinda like a lasagna

And Waldens Ridge is a nice feather in the cap.
 
There is a distillery and restaurant at the Brushy Mountain Prison (good food). A little past the prison on Hwy 116 is Brushy Mountain cafe (great burgers). If you go to the north side of Windrock around Caryville Flats, you can drive down into Rocky Top. Several good restaurants there, try La Fiesta Mexican.

Great views on G53 at the overlook and the radar base.
 
As said, the prison is awesome. We had a former guard as our tour guide; Food is good, their “moonshine” sucks. You can follow p1 to g5, hit g6 and follow it to the paved highway, turn left and go a few miles and the prison will be on your right in a couple miles I believe. Rigs without tags are allowed on that highway. (If you turn left, you’ll find the wash plant on your right and the abandoned train is behind it.
trail 15 is awesome, when you finish 15, you can turn left and head up to little school bus. 22 is a nice easy ride. If you’re there on a weekend, expect lots of SXS traffic.
depending on your definition of capable, every black or black and red trail is a good ride. Some of the blue trails are pretty easy, others have some fun obstacles. Green is pretty easy all the way around, save one section of G6- which is completely rutted out and actually kinda tough if there has been a lot of rain.
the coal creek cafe has decent food and a Mac and cheese burger that is awesome. (And cheap beer if you hit their specials right) closed on Monday's I believe.
dowload their app, and use it-the paper map sucks. The app has a dot that will show your location.
 
I have visited Walden's ridge once (see avatar) I'd like to go again, But,...Not sure of directions. "I think" turn left out of Windrock Gap campground, till end of road (stop sign), Then left for "X" amunt of miles( not sure) then right up a paved road(mountain) trail is at the top? If you have better directions please let me know, Also, will be in un-tagged rigs, Is this allowed???
 
upnover said:
I have visited Walden's ridge once (see avatar) I'd like to go again, But,...Not sure of directions. "I think" turn left out of Windrock Gap campground, till end of road (stop sign), Then left for "X" amunt of miles( not sure) then right up a paved road(mountain) trail is at the top? If you have better directions please let me know, Also, will be in un-tagged rigs, Is this allowed???
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My memory is about like yours. I could likely drive to it from picture memory, but I’d be figuring it out as I go. I could never talk someone how to get there. I’m the same way with Harlan. I can get about anywhere there without a map, but I don’t actually know the trail numbers to explain it.

As for Waldens Ridge, I feel different. It’s cool too say I’ve done it but it wasn’t cool enough I’d like to go back myself.
 
There's a thread somewhere on here that still has one of the best trail combos I've ridden. Search: C-c-c-combo breaker.

If you're looking to just relax and see stuff then I'll second Walden's Ridge. Especially that time of year.
 
Not sure about the rigs you're taking, but extra gas cans might be a good thing too.. Getting to some of the trails can be a few hours, I was burning half a tank of gas just to get to some of the trails... We had a Honda based buggy with us, 3 gallon fuel cell and we'd have to fill that thing twice to get anywhere cause it was running everywhere at 3000+ RPM.
 
Trail 16 is a fun ride, additionally we ran the rail trail backwards, half the group hated it, I thought it was fun. I would like to run it forwards when I go back next time. Cadilac hill Denied my Tacoma pretty good, but it was still fun winching up it at 11pm. That park is a blast!!
 
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I went for the first time a couple years ago. Going back next weekend. Below is a recommendation I got from hardline before I went last time. It was a solid route. Also, avoid atomic ridge if it is wet, late in the day, or maybe even for no reason at all. It took everything I had to get off the mountain that night. I’ve never been so happy to stumble upon a bypass and get off a trail.

“You want to do 22, 21, 15, 46, 38, 26 to 44, back to g6 to g39, then 39, turn around at the top and drop back down to the split, drop into rail trail (40), then out 3 to g39 back to g2 in that order. That is a lot of riding for one day and it will not be possible unless you are rollin at a good pace. That is everything that is basically difficult and easy to access on the main side of the mountain. 81a is also a good rock crawl but it might be difficult to find being you have never been. There is also rattle rock next to 15 and 38. Waldens ridge (75) is a good ride but its a ways away from the parking lot.”
 
I am a subscriber to this thread! Going up there for Dixie Run and all of this will come in handy!

@Paul Sounds as if Susan will be downloading a park map App! If it works as well as the one at Choccoloco did, we will need it!

I am one that enjoyed Atomic Ridge (trails 23 I think??)

@Kickdeez A lot of those numbers sound familiar for sure, is one of them by any chance the trail they call "The rail trail? If not, seems you get on a couple different numbered trails while getting in it, anyone know those numbers?
 
McCracken said:
I'm in the hate group. 16 blows goats.
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Really what didnt you like about it? We did 16 after an a most of the previous evening/night winch fest, so it was a nice change of pace to cover some trail miles when we were out there a few weeks ago.
 
upnover said:
I am a subscriber to this thread! Going up there for Dixie Run and all of this will come in handy!

@Paul Sounds as if Susan will be downloading a park map App! If it works as well as the one at Choccoloco did, we will need it!

I am one that enjoyed Atomic Ridge (trails 23 I think??)

@Kickdeez A lot of those numbers sound familiar for sure, is one of them by any chance the trail they call "The rail trail? If not, seems you get on a couple different numbered trails while getting in it, anyone know those numbers?
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I’m not sure what number rail trail is. I’ve only been once, and that place is huge. I was doing good enough to see a trail number and make the right turn. I am thinking about looking into a map app myself for this trip.

I would do atomic ridge again. Last time we were totally unprepared. It had rained all day and we didn’t get to that trail head until late afternoon/early evening. It turned into a winchfest. Was one of those times when we should have just gone back to camp and saved that trail for first thing in the morning.
 
gslander said:
Really what didnt you like about it? We did 16 after an a most of the previous evening/night winch fest, so it was a nice change of pace to cover some trail miles when we were out there a few weeks ago.
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Just too long and boring. It's like trying to take a nap and your kid keeps asking you questions. I feel like I have a fairly comfortable ride but after a while it just gets old getting beat to death by basketball sized rocks.
 
McCracken said:
Just too long and boring. It's like trying to take a nap and your kid keeps asking you questions. I feel like I have a fairly comfortable ride but after a while it just gets old getting beat to death by basketball sized rocks.
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I could see that!
 
Bringing this back up, taking notes as I and a bunch of my friends will be going this coming weekend.

I am "assuming" that the app can tell us which way to go to get to Waldens Ridge? I'm not an app person, don't know if the app that is talked about here will give you directions kinda like GPS??
 
upnover said:
Bringing this back up, taking notes as I and a bunch of my friends will be going this coming weekend.

I am "assuming" that the app can tell us which way to go to get to Waldens Ridge? I'm not an app person, don't know if the app that is talked about here will give you directions kinda like GPS??
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It's just a map. Works well though.
 
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