Windrock TN - Jeep Badge of Honor Trails 51, 26, and 16

[@GladiatorUp]

Best breakdown I've seen of Windrock. Cheers and thanks!

[@karlthemnjeep]

Thank you so much!

[@lgoolsb]

Very well done video and narration! Thank you!

[@karlthemnjeep]

Thank you!

[@Silverback_jk79]

Great video loved it! I would love to make a trip out to Windrock one day!

[@karlthemnjeep]

It's really an amazing area - and I learned from some guy I was talking to at the gas station that it's all public lands north to the border, so you could essentially be off-pavement for weeks if you wanted to be. Camping, wheeling in the park, whatever. I'd love to go back down for a solid 2 weeks myself.

[@kizoku5103]

What an Awesome trip, I had a great time. Looking forward to our Eclipse trip in April.

[@sarge502jeep]

This is one of the better Windrock videos I've seen good job. I did separate videos for 26 and 51 and should have made one longer video like this. Your video makes me want to go back. I've got unfinished business with 16 anyways. I've been to Windrock twice already and it's my favorite spot. First time there I was less capable than I am now(although still pretty limited) but I got stuck in that second mud hole on 51 at the 5:30 mark. Although that time I tried the trail from South to North. Second time I did North to South and hit that bypass on the right. Good video!

[@karlthemnjeep]

Thank you so much for the kind words! One could spend a month at Windrock and still have stuff to try.

[@sarge502jeep]

@@karlthemnjeep Exactly. That lookout at Panther Rock is amazing though. Wish I had my drone last time I went. The east coast "Top of the World"

[@RichardSchaffer-zj7ob]

I felt you did a good job rating and showing/explaining the difficult parts. I wasn't sure if you completed 16 or stopped at one of the cutoffs you mentioned. Your video helped me with my confidence on trying Windrock. Thank you!!

[@karlthemnjeep]

It was wet and snowing on us - we opted to escape before the super muddy/deep ruts. Thank you so much!

[@andybrown9872]

We just got back from Windrock. We were there for the Jeep Adventure Academy. Had a blast.

[@karlthemnjeep]

That sounds like an awesome time! Just makes you want to go back right?!?

[@karlthemnjeep]

What trails did you do there?

[@andybrown9872]

@@karlthemnjeep Absolutely want to go back. They didn't tell us the trail numbers. I didn't know much about the park until after we left. They guided us from near the general store through the camp grounds. Both of the trails came out near the yurts. One trail had a large rock that we had to climb and the other had a huge mud pit and a steep hill that we had to come down, but otherwise, it was mostly hills and rocks.

[@ryanhubbard3591]

Pretty sure the exposed gas lines are old out of service lines. Saw a few big sections on trail 16 this past summer and wondered the same thing. Haha

[@karlthemnjeep]

I think you’re dead on. I was a little skeeved out when I first saw them, but they have to be retired lines. No way they’d be in that condition as active.

[@arei127]

Great video man! Windrock local here! Wanted to make a couple points and answer questions for your next visit. Traditionally I think trail 51 is run in the other direction, enter via 116 and head east, that first ledge you went down is still a pretty hard climb last time I rode it, easy to lose a tail light going up. Don’t worry about the pipelines, they have a trail maintenance crew that is very active in keeping the operational pipelines covered up (those are money makers after all) so if you see it sticking out that much it’s almost certainly not in use. Keep your gear secure at the hotels, I don’t stay there myself, but I hear reports of items stolen off trucks/sxs when parked overnight at area hotels, highly recommend the windrock cabins tho. You likely made the right decision on turning off 16, immediately after that the ruts get even deeper and walls get real up close to your rig, claiming fenders/mirrors on occasion. Next time you’re here I highly recommend hitting trail 11, 82 and 83! Happy wheeling!

[@karlthemnjeep]

Thank you SO MUCH for that comment! Super helpful answers - PHEW on the turnoff hahahahahaha

[@firegreg158]

Great video, great narrative, great group of people and a great focus on safety. Be honest...at 16:24 did a little poo come out?

[@karlthemnjeep]

Out of each of us, a combined full poo could have been forged.

[@crustyMilk]

Great vid! Would you know if there were any open diffs with you guys?

[@karlthemnjeep]

Thank you for watching! Actually yes - two ways to answer your question. We all have some sort of locker - lunchbox-style, air, and electronic, but we always run things open and use the lockers only if we get stymied or it’s a trail that isn’t safe to use without. Most if not all of the blue and green trails at Windrock are absolutely good to do with open diffs. Some of the single blacks are even doable - the double blacks are not.

[@StormrageJK]

What hotel did you stay at?

[@karlthemnjeep]

We stayed at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Oak Ridge. There are a lot of options around there as well as AirBnBs.