Tread Lightly four wheel drive way north end
THE NORTH END
We traveled the Northern half of the "Tread Lightly ! Four Wheel Drive Way" Trail in Ocala yesterday.
What to know:
#1 - STAY ON THE TRAIL!!!!!!! This is a Tread Lightly Trail, not a tear it up with out a care trail. As off roaders we must stop supporting the destruction of trail areas. Florida has many areas that are home to endangered species. Running over a Gopher tortoise hole has lasing effects to multiple species. Gopher tortoises share their burrows with more than 350 other species, and are therefore referred to as a keystone species. In Florida, the gopher tortoise is listed as Threatened. Both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law.
#2 There are trees that you will crawl over. That's part of the fun. Please don't pull them all off the trail.
#3 There are trees that will scratch your paint. They will get trimmed back as more people ride the trail.
#4 There are trees right on the edge of the trail. Watch your line - don't hit a tree it can bend you steering.
#4 Beware of ticks and deer flies. Some ticks carry lime disease. Use a good bug spray before going.
#5 Don't go alone, if you break down its a long walk. You should always have a wheeling buddy.
The trail has many areas that are very narrow and scratches will be inevitable. Our camera equipment had many failures. If you value your paint, don't do this trail for now. Some places are mis-mapped and run you down goat tracks. We ran into several other groups that were there as well. Luke was our leader and had run the track already so determined to finish the first half we pressed on. around 4 hours later we arrived at hwy 40. A good day for wheeling, a bad day for paint.
Gear:
www.1995wrangler.com/parts.html
Forestry map and info:
www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ocala...
myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/pr...
Пікірлер: 68
Yet another great video thanks for the ride along !!!
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Had a good time, the Jeep has some scratches that won’t buff out. But it’s now a show Jeep so it’s all good.
That’s so cool you finally found it 😀
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
Ready to get you out on a trail here soon.
@nicolecurry5627
4 жыл бұрын
Cannot wait!
Great Job on the Editing! Keep up the good work. I always enjoy your videos.
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you. I enjoy the creation part as well as the ride.
SUBSCRIBED: We plan to do this in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you - We always love Ocala , even the scratchy trails. It would make a real cool night drive.
@corgily
3 жыл бұрын
@@FloridaJeepRides So is Tread Lightly (badge of honor) the whole 81 miles of trail system, or is it one specific trail? We will be down there Dec 21st from Virginia looking for it. thanks!
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
I did two videos, one for the North end and a second for the south. You can do the whole 81 miles in a day if you start early and keep on moving.
I completed the entire trail on 09/19. Really fun ride. Also good for getting your pin stripes!
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
I am so ready to do the south half.
@TheSimpleGamer42
3 жыл бұрын
FloridaJeepRides it was faster than the north half and fewer scratches.
@RedYj92
2 жыл бұрын
@@TheSimpleGamer42 how long did it take you to complete the entire trail?
Two of my friends Bob Bradley with Volusia Jeep Club and Don Cox with the Tampa Jeep Krew drove the route as it’s listed on the Tread Lightly Four Wheel Drive Way trail when the trees were still down. We winched and cut enough out of the way so that tracks could be laid down on Avenza and Gaia at the request of the USDA. Photos, GPS coordinates and location on the map was made and sent to them for analysis. We then had a meeting with the USDA in St. Augustine to find out what we can do to get the trail, trail ready. We found out if we organize a cleanup day without their permission we can be fined for it. Therefore a coalition was formed (your club is represented) to put together the official cleanup day. I have original video of the complete trail on day one that it was ran as mapped. It was “really” bad!! There are some very temping areas that are pristine! That I fear will get driven through, even though it’s a “Tread Lightly” trail! Make sure everyone knows, this trail is one that will be policed! I love your videos! Keep it up! I also love your philosophy on treading lightly!
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you all who have done so much work on the trail so far. There was a difference between Saturday and the videos I saw from the 3rd of July. We must tread lightly or it will just be fenced off and closed down like most of the clay pit areas. We did pass a area that will tempt people to go off trail and tear stuff up. The fine for that is pretty high and they do sit off and wait for people. The area at 32:14 min into the video is a NO GO area. Thank you Yellow Jeep.
Pine Tree pin striping. The true sign you dont drive a mall crawler.
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
LOL... You have to make a choice, Have fun and enjoy the trail or make a show Jeep. Or just buy two Jeeps and keep one for trails. The two black Jeeps had a ceramic coating that greatly cut down on the scratches. Battle scars.
I have been Off Roading in Central FL and in the Ocala National Forest for years and there are many sink holes that create bowls the size of football fields that Jeeps go into and ride around in them plus there are Hills in both Marion and Lake counties. I started off roading the Ocala National Forest back in the mid-90s when I got my first Jeep. There were some great Sugar Sand and dunes around the Alexander Springs area but I am not sure if they are still open for Vehicles to go into anymore.
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Most of the areas that look like they would be fun are off limits now. We did some Triathlons with Southern off road back in the mid 90s. I asked a ranger about any permitting for some type of event and Its like pulling teeth.
@af22raptor23503
3 жыл бұрын
@@FloridaJeepRides Oh that sux! I have not been in the Ocala area now for a few of years now but back before I joined the military my buddies and I we would get our jeeps and go all over the Forest from Alexander Springs to Lake George and end Up at Old Crow BBQ on SR19 right outside Umatilla very nice Family own restaurant. We went all over the area and ended up finding some Illegal Farming up by Lk George and we probably were Off Roading in Places we were not supposed to be but we were always following the "Tread Lightly" Motto while having a good time with our jeeps 4x4s!
I got the broken draglink end welded back together and we finished wheeling the rest of the day. Was just simple driver error. Doesn't matter how big the part's are, stuff still breaks!! Was a good day though!!!
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
Good to hear. I’ve done the same thing. Trees, they are harder then we think.
@dustinbickford1899
4 жыл бұрын
@@FloridaJeepRides love your videos
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
Is there a link for the Trail Monkey's ?
Yeah, I'm not much of a stickler about keeping my truck clean and "perfect", but I do draw the line at intentional border-line abuse of the paint. It's pathetic that so many trails in these forests are so narrow. Making them 2-3 feet wider wouldn't be the end of the world, and it would make the experience so much more enjoyable. It really is a bummer living in this state when it comes to offroading most of the time
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
This is a problem with almost any ride in Ocala. Sure there are roads but the best trails have tight areas. If they did more prescribed burning it may help clear out the over growth. The tread lightly trail needs a little more clearing... but by summer it all grows right back.
@robertg8744
3 жыл бұрын
@@FloridaJeepRides I'm originally from the South Western part of Montana. Most of the year we are in 4x4 mode. I don't worry about getting my Big Boy dirty or scratched. If i did I would have bought a Prius. I now live in Deerfield Beach and have been looking for folks to go on trails with. Have any ideas? Love the vid btw. My email contact is Robert@rjgdivers.com
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Florida Trail Stumpers gets about the state and may have some people down that way. Here's a link facebook.com/groups/FloridaTrailStompers
Hitting this next week, coming down from Oh, wife will not be pleased with the pin stripes lol
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
I still have to do the south end. It's still scratchy but not as bad as the north end.
@TheDiesel_JLU
3 жыл бұрын
@@FloridaJeepRides That's what I will be doing, south end, I'm heading into Wood and Lakes from US40 and want to show my kids the bombing range
You mention it being the northern half. Is the southern half part of the 81 miles or is it just a loop since you said you loop back on the same roads?
@scott.demarco
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing this, by the way!
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
This was just the North half, around 36 or so miles. The Southern part has more forest roads but some good areas. Here is the next part www.gaiagps.com/public/jczUg0zTAsCyU73nyiouHEvG
Can the north and south end of this trail be completed in a day?
@FloridaJeepRides
2 жыл бұрын
It is around 80 miles and has been done in a day. Some of the roads are easy traveling and let you make good time. Still it will be a long day.
What app is everyone using to get the Tread Lightly 4 wheel drive way map I use Avenza but I cannot find the correct map
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
We use GAIA GPS there are many public tracks that you can follow. www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.4/-81.8182/29.2069&pubLink=71ZtM5RSJPvgSmqvCY7Ar7uI&trackId=c5815c32-0b58-4bfc-a3e4-abefda94e472
Could a stock XJ do this? I’m not sure I want the pinstriping on the JK.
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
The trail is pretty easy, the scratches should have gone down over the last couple of months. I have been told that the south end has less tight trails.
what app is this?
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Here is a link to the Badge of Honor app- www.jeep.com/badge-of-honor.html and here is the GPS app we use - www.gaiagps.com/
How do you join up for one of these rides
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
facebook.com/events/s/tread-lightly-cleanup-day/285675166205905/ There will be a clean up event soon, thats the link.
Great vlog...only made it have way thru....way too many ads...I did download that map and will have to run that...
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the info, Some times I forget to turn that option down a bit.
Let me know about the other trail you are planning.
@FloridaJeepRides
4 жыл бұрын
Will do. Send a PM to Randy.
Im new to Florida looking for people to ride with. When's your next ride?
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Most of what we will be doing for the next month is prep work for Jeepin with Judd.
I’m going to drive my 1948 Jeep willy truck on the path
@FloridaJeepRides
Жыл бұрын
That would be pretty good.
Any way you could put the longitude and latitude of the trail head
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
29.177089, -81.782588 That's the start of the south half.
Tried searching this trail on gaia app nothing pops up at all
@FloridaJeepRides
Жыл бұрын
www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=13.5/-81.8586/29.3012&pubLink=dXHcr1e9qDdt1DgBJr6uJ9dM&trackId=708698e6-6ac4-4f54-931e-dfc296813809 Hope that helps
@FloridaJeepRides
Жыл бұрын
www.gaiagps.com/public/dXHcr1e9qDdt1DgBJr6uJ9dM
www.gaiagps.com/public/71ZtM5RSJPvgSmqvCY7Ar7uI Here is the Gaia GPS north end map.
Not to be offensive, but didn't anyone think of just bringing a chainsaw ? You know that electric ones are available as well, right ? 😅😂😂😂
@FloridaJeepRides
3 ай бұрын
In Ocala you can only use electric saws. I have one now.... I guess they don't want a spark starting a fire.
care to share the gpx file?
@FloridaJeepRides
3 жыл бұрын
Got a Gaia GPS track www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.3/-81.8188/29.2866&pubLink=71ZtM5RSJPvgSmqvCY7Ar7uI&trackId=c5815c32-0b58-4bfc-a3e4-abefda94e472
Do you let pickup trucks ride with y’all?
@FloridaJeepRides
Жыл бұрын
If we are out filming its all good. If it’s a Orlando Jeep Club ride then it’s just Jeeps. I would love to go out with a variety of vehicles to do a comparison video.