East Coast Expeditions

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S

shinton

10 Year 15 Year
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Nov 25, 2007
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46
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326
Location
Kernersville, NC
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When I read my various 4x4 mags I am always drooling over the multi day trips out west where they hit various old mines, ghost towns, etc. They will often give the GPS coordinates and some pics of them camping out along the way.

I wanted to see if we could start a thread here with suggestions for ECoast Expeditions where you could just making the exploration a priority over "hard" wheeling.

Let's define this as a place you would generally need 4wd just to be sure, an example might be the town on the far northern end of OBX?

This is probably an age thing / fact that I did lots of harder core wheeling, but I am wanting to do stuff that a stock 4x4 can go or VERY mild equipment.

Valleys in the mountains with gravel roads, access to rivers, outlooks, etc are what I am hoping to hear about, thanks!!
 
Portsmouth Island, NC No improved roads, need a 4x4 and a private ferry to access. Bring your own gas and food, no buying anything here... Look up LakeNorman's posts from early last year on his trip...

I'd love to make this a side trip, but the logisitics/price of getting out there and the mosquito factor may dissuade a lot. Definitely a timing must...

Would love to do a surfing "expedition" trip there.... :hhmm:
 
shinton said:
When I read my various 4x4 mags I am always drooling over the multi day trips out west where they hit various old mines, ghost towns, etc. They will often give the GPS coordinates and some pics of them camping out along the way.

I wanted to see if we could start a thread here with suggestions for ECoast Expeditions where you could just making the exploration a priority over "hard" wheeling.

Let's define this as a place you would generally need 4wd just to be sure, an example might be the town on the far northern end of OBX?

This is probably an age thing / fact that I did lots of harder core wheeling, but I am wanting to do stuff that a stock 4x4 can go or VERY mild equipment.

Valleys in the mountains with gravel roads, access to rivers, outlooks, etc are what I am hoping to hear about, thanks!!
Click to expand...

I think that this is a great idea.
though from what i've been told on expeditionportal.com is that there really isn't much expo style wheeling out here and most of the "ghost towns" have been burnt down or are at the bottom or a lake now.
 
GarnerFJ40 said:
Brown Mountain ORV wasn't too hard, and it has ghosts, but no town... :D
Click to expand...

Not quite the same.... I used to love ghost towns back home... and those where the ones anyone could drive to. There are so many ghost towns from colorado westward it is unbelievable.
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gtusa/usa.htm

FourWheel Drive magazine used to do a ghost town article every other month about 7 or so years ago and that is what first planted the seed of getting a 4x4 for me long ago.
 
Easier than finding places to wheel out here is just to move out west. That beach trip did look pretty cool but miles traveled and cost do make it a bummer.

I would think there would have to be something out around west virginia/kentucky or maybe way up the Labarodor coast...don't really need 4x4 for that one any more though so I hear. Maybe Nova Scotia?
 
Has anyone else been to the Portsmouth Island. Bugs come to mind every time the island is mentioned. Maybe it was the wrong time of year, but at nite, they were bad. Early spring and maybe late fall are the best of the seasons. Most people go for the fishing. They do rent cabins over there. Don't know the cost, but the guy in the cabinet shop behind the office goes every year. Sea shells and sand. No trees. Oh!! Did I mention the bugs??
 
Hi Sam, I have thought a lot about this for many years, since I've been in NC for the past several years it's more realistic. Don't be dissuaded by the "go west, that's the only place you can do expedition wheeling" posts, that's nonsense.

The Appalachians and adjoining ranges present opportunities to assemble a trip like this, and there is plenty of history and other points of interest to discover.

For example, we were riding an obscure dirt road in the GWNF in VA to get to a trailhead near Reddish Knob. We found some stone structures - turns out they were CSA outposts from the Civil War. We found an 1850's mill in Maryland; and iron ore furnaces in SE Ohio. There are probably 100,000 more discoveries to be made, esp when you consider the history, settlements, and migration patterns of this part of the country.

Then, consider the mountain ranges are basically national forests and parks from North Georgia/Alabama up into NY (or even farther north). Even from major roads and freeways, if you look beyond the roadsides, you can see the remoteness of areas - western NC, SW VA, WV for example.

All this being said, I am certain an "overland" or expedition style trip could be constructed, starting within a few hours of Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte. Would it be challenging wheeling? Likely not, but I'm sure some spots would be tough. I am completely confident, if I understand you correctly, that a multi-day trip over dirt, gravel, forest service roads, and trails with unknown discoveries and historical or natural sites is feasible. The only problem is properly planning it.
 
anything around Asheville?
 
little_joe said:
Hi Sam, I have thought a lot about this for many years, since I've been in NC for the past several years it's more realistic. Don't be dissuaded by the "go west, that's the only place you can do expedition wheeling" posts, that's nonsense.

The Appalachians and adjoining ranges present opportunities to assemble a trip like this, and there is plenty of history and other points of interest to discover.

For example, we were riding an obscure dirt road in the GWNF in VA to get to a trailhead near Reddish Knob. We found some stone structures - turns out they were CSA outposts from the Civil War. We found an 1850's mill in Maryland; and iron ore furnaces in SE Ohio. There are probably 100,000 more discoveries to be made, esp when you consider the history, settlements, and migration patterns of this part of the country.

Then, consider the mountain ranges are basically national forests and parks from North Georgia/Alabama up into NY (or even farther north). Even from major roads and freeways, if you look beyond the roadsides, you can see the remoteness of areas - western NC, SW VA, WV for example.

All this being said, I am certain an "overland" or expedition style trip could be constructed, starting within a few hours of Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte. Would it be challenging wheeling? Likely not, but I'm sure some spots would be tough. I am completely confident, if I understand you correctly, that a multi-day trip over dirt, gravel, forest service roads, and trails with unknown discoveries and historical or natural sites is feasible. The only problem is properly planning it.
Click to expand...


Joe don't take what Jason and I were saying as you have to go West. There is Expo style wheeling out here, just with huge stretches of asphalt roads in between. I had huge discussions with people on this subject matter in the three years since I moved here and the general opinion is that most of the stuff that is still here is on private land and you can't wheel there or has been turned into a historic park and anyone with a geo metro can get there. My buddies just did a trip around a bunch of ghost towns back home and once they left the paved road they did almost 400 miles without ever touching one again (except to cross over a few). That to me is expedition wheeling. I'd love to see what the south east has to offer, but from what i've been told and the discussions i've read on expedition portal i've be better off taking Andrea's matrix for it.
I think that this would be a great trip to plan and do one day.

I do love the portsmouth island idea really. Reminds me of the week I spent in the outer hebridies in northern scottland where the only buildings on the islands were private homes and a small coast guard station. :D
 
USDA Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people.

Was reading a couple of the east coast postings on Expeditionportal.com and will post over the more interesting items.

I think the link above is a good one for checking out the forest service stuff. Uhwarrie actually has several Indian graveyards and other archeology type stuff which is why several trails there were closed.

How about Tellico, that is a beautiful area, what other trails are still open / now that the OHV area is closed.

North River Road is mentioned, will be looking for that one

Yeah the Scion xB could probably do most of these, but every once in a while you are going to find something that would rip off the spoiler, etc.

Mammoth Cave / Great Smokey Mountains National Parks July 18-26 - Expedition Portal Forum


I am guessing a History book of NC would also give good information if you are planning a trip for a specific area.
 
There is tons of historical type stuff in and around the Uwharrie area. I bought a book on it when I first moved here. There were actually double the amount of trails in Uwharrie untill they got shut down.

Some of the stuff there you can still get to with the majority of it now on the private land areas that are mixed in there.
There is also lots of old mines but a the same time.... private areas now. There is Reed's Gold Mine near MT pleasant. I read a book about that years ago and it is where the "Gold Fever" really started for America back in the day. There is one I went to and will have to try and remember where it was but was a short walk off of a main road. There is also the covered bridge a short was up and off of 49 that Andrea and I hit up on the way back from Brian and Heather's one day. Plaque was missing thought so I don't know much about it other than a billion people have carved their name into it.
 
on the note of the NE sector check out this post (and cool camper cell company) from the Yankee Toys.
Canada to Mass. along dirt, gravel and class IV roads. Pretty cool and I think the concept were after.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/ma-nh-yankee-toys/349377-vermont-expedition.html

I have to believe the VA, WVA, KY, TN, NC border holds some more treasures and like said, hunting them down and planning will be the real challenge.

We used to have this member from WVA, Ill see if i cant churn up some ideas from him.

A couple years ago we were discussing finding someone with private land w/ difficult access and taking handicapped or underprivilaged folks on a medium day outting w/ picnic lunch. Might be an angle to approach some options.
 
jfz80 said:
We used to have this member from WVA, Ill see if i cant churn up some ideas from him.
Click to expand...

Funny you mention it, that member came by my office the other day and I had to have him introduce himself.....couldn't even remember his name....stranger thing was he pulled up in a rubicon.....
 
I think I know that guy... I talked with him about the Hatfield/McKoy trail system also... Wasn't his name like Esteban or something?
 
Where was that area you guys all went a couple years ago up in virginia. That looked pretty cool. I think it may have been someones land. Maybe a guy named Higlandcruzer or something?
 
77cruiser said:
Where was that area you guys all went a couple years ago up in virginia. That looked pretty cool. I think it may have been someones land. Maybe a guy named Higlandcruzer or something?
Click to expand...

That was Sherando Lake, and we're going back up there this year. I haven't heard from Scott, but we'll go nonetheless.. I'll have to look into access..
 
There are lots of places to explore in NC just like what was said above it is mostly highway to the spots. I use to go out and explore old ghost towns, mines, lookout towers and old logging RR when I lived in OR. Now that I live in Wilmington most of my exploring days are gone:( There are many places that I would like to check out but it is all pretty far from ILM. You can also look at this site to find some ghost towns to visit.

Ghost Towns and History of the American West

I used this site to plan my drive from OR to NC and hit lots of Ghost towns on the way. I will have to past some pics.

I also use to find old logging RR in Oregon and Washington. You can sometimes find some cool stuff at some of the logging camp sites. I think most of the RR stuff in NC is gone but there are things out there. Up near Wilkes county there use to be an old log flume that ran down mtn. I have always wanted to see if there was anything left of it.

If you are looking for old mines I always use the MRDS site to download shape file and then import them into my mapping software. I have one for NC that shows every mine in the state. there are tons arouodn Uwahrrie.

I have tons of more locations in NC that would be interesting to check out. Let me know if you want me to post what I know and where.

Tim
 
Here is a quick pic I did with Topo 7.0 with the NC MRDS waypoints for mines in the area of Uwharrie.
mines.webp
 
I think you guys are on to something- would you be interested in making this a multi club outing? I live in Sylva- just west of asheville and there a large amount of forest service roads in the GSMNP.
 
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