Wheeling in PA

[Chief93XJ]

Hey guys im looking for a place to do some legal wheelin around Harrisburg/ hershey PA. I dont wanna pay for a memebership, im lookin for free places you know of. Maybe we should make a directory or something. I dont know if you guys have ever been to Tower Road in enola , but i go there a lot and its gettin old.thanks guys

 

[Andy in Pa.]

You have to start hanging out with the local Jeep club then. Check out www.bmja.org.

A.

 

[GhostDakota]

I second that.

 

[wavingpine11]

I wheel as often as I can in Sproul State forest, since my mom lives nearby (free food and lodging!) and it's the largest state forest tract in PA. It's probably 1.5 hours North of you. Take Rt 15 North to the Lewisburg area, then take Rt 80 West to Rt 220 N, which heads up to Lock Haven. Take the Lock Haven Exit and then take Rt. 120 West which after 30 minutes will take you to the state forest. If you get a topo map of the area, you'll see that both above and below Renovo there are pretty good stretches of state forest land. I've wheeled everything from rocky trails that bang my diffs around (no lift on riding on 29's) to mud that my girlfriends (6" lift w/ 33's, but haven't gotten her to plunge money for a locker yet) wouldn't even think about crossing, or rather, did try once and required a 4 ton come-along and 1.5 hours of my time to get it back out. The section north of Renovo has a pretty expansive area that appears to have been a strip mine many years back that has grown over with a lot of pine and some hardwoods that is just a maze of trails and "areas that aren't trails but can be driven since the trees didn't all grow back."

(Note: Running Power lines is illegal)

 

[gabe4]

I wheel as often as I can in Sproul State forest, since my mom lives nearby (free food and lodging!) and it's the largest state forest tract in PA. It's probably 1.5 hours North of you. Take Rt 15 North to the Lewisburg area, then take Rt 80 West to Rt 220 N, which heads up to Lock Haven. Take the Lock Haven Exit and then take Rt. 120 West which after 30 minutes will take you to the state forest. If you get a topo map of the area, you'll see that both above and below Renovo there are pretty good stretches of state forest land. I've wheeled everything from rocky trails that bang my diffs around (no lift on riding on 29's) to mud that my girlfriends (6" lift w/ 33's, but haven't gotten her to plunge money for a locker yet) wouldn't even think about crossing, or rather, did try once and required a 4 ton come-along and 1.5 hours of my time to get it back out. The section north of Renovo has a pretty expansive area that appears to have been a strip mine many years back that has grown over with a lot of pine and some hardwoods that is just a maze of trails and "areas that aren't trails but can be driven since the trees didn't all grow back."

(Note: Running Power lines is illegal)

Is this a legal place to wheel I thought PA was real strict about the state land ?

 

[wavingpine11]

I think it's 100% legal. It's state forest land. I'm a part of this commonwealth, too! There are some sections that are gated off, but most of the roads and most of the power line access roads are open. I really like it up there. Never been harrassed there ever, except by the rednecks who attempted to injure my pride when they had to rescue my Honda Passport from one of the old logging roads after irresponsibly driving it way up the mountain with only all seasons on it and no chains on a sheet of ice covered by a few inches of snow. They were amazed that I got to where I did, and I learned a lot about being properly equipped. The guy kept asking me if I was from Ohio (flat land), and wouldn't have helped me out except for my mom bakes him stuff sometimes and the hundred dollar bill in my wallet. But seriously, a ton of the roads out there are just dirt state forest roads, and then there are other roads that branch off that haven't been sealed off (I've seen various trails that were closed to the public with a big pile of bulldozed dirt blocking the entrace with break-over angles that left my Jeep sitting on its rock rails shrugging my shoulders). So anything that's not blocked is fair game. And the views on some of the trails are just awesome for being on the East Coast. Mud, snow, ice, rocks, dirt. . . and free except gas and broken stuff. Most of the trails, even the steeper power line roads, are pretty manageable. I've been on them in my Honda Passport, which I later sold, then in an a lifted 85 Chevy Blazer on 31 BFG M/T's, and more recently in my 92 XJ with 235/75/15 BFG AT's. So for some people here, maybe it's too mild in general, but there are definitely spots--you find them once you explore enough--that are pretty challenging.

 

[wavingpine11]

(Note: Running Power lines is illegal)

I didn't write that. Not familiar enough with this system to know how it got there! And anyway, I don't agree with it. The state forest land roads are open to all legal motor vehicles. Sepate ATV/snowmobile trails are also marked. Much of the power line is open, with some exceptions where it's gated off. To further my point, if one takes Pete's Run Road up the mountain (accessible shortly after leaving South Renovo on Rt. 144 on the left side) you intersect with the power line access road several times. IIRC, if you take the first possible left onto the access road for the power lines, you get to a set of cabins and trailers that I assume hunters use. These are clearly private property chunks adjacent to the state land, and clearly, one must use the power line roads to get there. If I were ever accosted by DCNR for using any of those roads, I would make a point to ask them why there are no signs indicating restriced access to the open power line roads. Now if you want to get a little more adventurous, there are steep alternate climbs that can be had to bypass some of these gates. I would have to agree that wheeling beyond those points may lend one to a questionable legal status.

 

[CheapXJ]

Powerline Access Roads depend on the owner of the lines.

all of PPLs access roads are township paper roads (i.e. public)


This is a commonwealth, not a state... Typical blanket rules do NOT apply.

and although it's not encouraged, it is NOT against the law to go anywhere in centralia.

 

[wavingpine11]

Powerline Access Roads depend on the owner of the lines.

all of PPLs access roads are township paper roads (i.e. public)


This is a commonwealth, not a state... Typical blanket rules do NOT apply.

and although it's not encouraged, it is NOT against the law to go anywhere in centralia.

Just a question on this CheapXJ. . . Most of the power lines I've seen around in PA are gated off with stout yellow and black steel gates. Many of them in Sproul State Forest are not. I call those ones fair game. It seems like the existence of the gates implies it is not legal to wheel those ones. Is this NOT the case, because if not, it opens up miles and miles of endless back country. From hiking the gated runs, I'd say they represent more challenging wheeling than a lot of the non-gated stuff. Like 40 degree inclines and fun stuff like that followed by mucky crossings and then back up again into more steep climbs. Even so, there are plenty of fun things to do there.

And about Centralia, my girlfriend and her brother were both there on separate occasions and they both thoguht that it was smelly, noxious, and overall depressing. I expressed some interest in going there, and she expressed none in returning. Is it really a cool place to go, or just where you go if you don't have anywhere else to wheel nearby?

 

[jeep40driver]

I have a free weekend anyone want to show me and wheel on tower road in Enola sat or sun let me know Ive never been there.-- thanks nate

 

[redneckboarder]

if you do any length of time around the vents in centralia i reccomend a respirator. i used my military gas mask and couldnt smell anything and didnt feel any ill effects form the fumes, and it looked cool haha

 

[jeep40driver]

HAha I work in the environmental field so I am used to being exposed to hazardous materials / good thinking to bring resirator I would bring something to monitor the air and see how bad it really is lol

 

[redneckboarder]

thatd be cool to see what was goinon there, and how bad it actually is

 

[jeep40driver]

I have access to all kinds of monitoring devices . I use them everyday

 

[jbmoose]

go to Centralia in the winter, so you can see the steam coming up from the ground

 

[CheapXJ]

Just a question on this CheapXJ. . . Most of the power lines I've seen around in PA are gated off with stout yellow and black steel gates.

PECO territory?

they own the tracts the powerlines are on and deny public access.

many overhead utility runs in PA are based on paper roads leftover from the trails cut by early settlers.

many of these are public thoroughfare.

 

[wavingpine11]

Not PECO. Up in central PA it's PP&L. My position continues to be if it's not gated and there's no signage, then it's free to wheel on.

 

[Andy in Pa.]

Not PECO. Up in central PA it's PP&L. My position continues to be if it's not gated and there's no signage, then it's free to wheel on.

Lets see, with that reasoning, I can wheel in your front yard, correct? Mind you, I don't know where you live, or if your property is gated, I am just trying to prove a point.

You know, I have been watching/reading this post and I am sorry, but you make it sound like noone else has had these ingenious ideas of going wheeling on dirt roads that are not posted/gated in central PA.

Wow, gee, I wish I had thought of that!!!!!

Oh wait, I did..... and I don't anymore. I used to run all over the mountains of central-northern PA., but after a few forest ranger/logging company/gun-toteing locals and local PD scares, I decided its not worth hurting the reputation of our hobby, paying the fines that the logging company will charge you with, having my Jeep impounded, or getting shot at. ALL of which happen up in the area your talking about. My family owns a cabin up in Port Alleghany, so I have explored quite a bit up there. Thats not to say that I don't still occasionally go exploring, but I sure as heck will not post any locations on an open forum about somewhere "I THINK MIGHT be legal".

It just a matter of time before you will learn like quite a few of the rest of us have.....the hard way.

Go right ahead and wheel on any dirt roads that you feel you can, just PLEASE don't affiliate yourself with this club or any other local clubs in your area, because its people like you that give the offroading clubs a bad name.

Oh and by the way, your exploring illegally in the Susquehannock State Forest. Sproul State Forest is south along Rt 144.

 

[wavingpine11]

Andy in PA--I don't think so. I have PA-issued state forest maps that are kindly provided free by the gentleman in the little sporting goods shop in Renovo. Furthermore, there are numerous marked state forest roads (brown signs) littering the areas I wheel in. All I've tried to do is establish whether or not the areas that are both power line access roads AND not gated AND on that state forest land are legal to wheel. Some people have stated that they believe that all such roads are open access. Some people have stated that it's private power line land. I have concluded that those sections of the access roads that are not gated and have no signage to tell you otherwise on what is clearly state forest land are OK for me to wheel unless I hear otherwise from DCNR or a PP&L representative who happens to be out doing his thing at the same time. I'm sorry that you feel like dishing out such hostility over the issue. We are not talking about anyone's front yard, nor their back yard. We are talking about subsections of state forest land. Whether that section is technically Sproul or Susquenhannock, perhaps you know better than me. Whether there are totally legal state forest roads going through both of them is not up for dispute, it is mere fact. If you noticed, I suggested legal state forest land which I find rewarding to wheel on, then also noted the power lines, and asked if anyone knew what the status of those lines was. I have concluded, for myself, that in the absence of any other information, all open roads in state forest land are ok for me to drive on. Also, I don't take attempted murder lightly. If someone shoots at me while on public land, a situation I've yet to encounter while peacefully enjoying nature, I will shoot back in justified self-defense. But thank you for your heavy handed reply, and your attempt to single-handedly speak for the whole community here, some of whom seem to take an opposite view. If you could fit it in your schedule, I usually prefer discussion to verbal attacks. Communities usually benefit more from peaceful interactions than from shootings, whether it be shooting your mouth or your firearm.

 

[vetteboy]

quote removed since original post removed -lobsterdmb

If this is truly what you think, then we might as well wave goodbye to what little public wheeling is left in this region of the country. In the long run, a fine is the least of the problems that arise with that kind of selfish mentality.

Please don't post this kind of stupid stuff on a well-respected and often-viewed public forum.