This is the offical Upper Tellico Rally thread.

The rally will be on Wednesday May 7th from 4 to 9 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Please make sure to post your comments on that day. Until then, PLEASE spread the word!

Basic Rally Instructions:

1. Please post up your concerns on the Upper Tellico OHV area being closed. You MAY make multiple posts!

2. Tell people how you have enjoyed Tellico in the past! (Tell us stories!)

3. If you have never been to the Upper Tellico OHV area, voice your concern about this closure and tell people how you or your club recreates responsibly in your own area! If you have always wanted to go to Tellico, let us know!

4. Show them what this area means to the entire OHV community!

5. Post pictures! Trail rides, camping with your family, etc.

6. Have fun, but please remember to be professional. Many eyes will be on this thread!

7. MAKE SURE you see what number post your FIRST post in the thread is!

Please put that number somewhere in your sig-line so we know who has posted!



Thank you all!

Nick McCracken
Rally Lead

Kurt Schneider
Pirate4x4.com land-use Editor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Nick McCracken: Rally Lead
E-mail: orangecherokee@yahoo.com

Kurt Schneider: Pirate4x4.com
E-mail: kurtuleas@pirate4x4.com

El Dorado County: April 18th, 2008


VIRTUAL ONLINE RALLY FOR UPPER TELLICO OHV AREA
Pirate4x4.com builds on a successful rally format to protest more route closures

After an extremely successful virtual rally for Johnson Valley and the world renowned Hammers rock crawling trails in California, Pirate4x4.com members are shifting their focus to the east coast and are once again gathering for a massive virtual rally to save the Upper Tellico OHV Park in North Carolina. On Wednesday May7th, 2008, Pirate4x4.com, a leading website for the OHV community, will hold this rally from 4 to 9 pm eastern standard time.

In 2007, the Southern Environmental Law Center, in coalition with Trout Unlimited and P.E.E.R. (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) filed a notice of intent to sue the Untied Stated Forest Service, claiming it was in violation of the federal water pollution act. This coalition stated that the Upper Tellico OHV area was dumping sediment into nearby streams and destroying the habitat of local brook trout. In turn, the USFS closed a major portion of the Tellico trail system.

There are many arguments against closing this popular OHV area, and many organizations involved in keeping it open. Carla Boucher, the attorney for the United Four Wheel Drive Association states, “United Four Wheel Drive Association (UFWDA), along with its partners Blue Ribbon Coalition and Southern Four Wheel Drive Association, are committed to taking all steps necessary to save our access at Tellico, including legislative, administrative, and legal action!” This rally will bolster the efforts made by these organizations in this battle by showing a large contingent of OHV users who back and support these organizations in their efforts.

Virtual rally participants will be asked to post their experiences, photos and history recreating with their families in the Tellico area along with their feelings and beliefs as to why the trail system should not be closed. Their comments will be posted and tracked in a bulletin board format, with a goal of creating a lasting record of how important this area is to a vast number of people in the OHV community. Tellico is one of the very few public areas on the east coast for OHV recreation. Interested parties are encouraged to participate in the rally and read the thread.

On March 12th 2008, Pirate4x4.com hosted a similar virtual rally for the world renowned OHV trail system in Johnson Valley, CA. That rally had nearly 1,500 posts from OHV enthusiasts all across the world in a four hour time span. Saved in time in order to create a lasting homage to the rally, to date the Hammers rally has been viewed by over 48,000 people.

# # #
If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Nick McCracken, please e-mail him at orangecherokee@yahoo.com. For Kurt Schneider, Pirate4x4.com land-use Editor, Please e-mail Kurt at kurtuleas@pirate4x4.com

I have enjoyed Tellico since 1991 when I first started flyfishing at the age of 13. Part of the experience was fishing, and part of it was seeing off road vehicles. It opened my eyes to offroad recreation; the camaraderie, the challenge, and the responsibility those guys had with regards to preserving their recreational opportunities. At the time, flyfishermen and offroad enthusiasts got along. The “problem” began when flyfishing became chic and its popularity surged. Not once have I seen any evidence of vehicles causing damage to the trout streams in the area. The damage to the trout habitat is coming from the feral hogs rooting up the ground near the streambeds. This has been established in fact by TWRA and a host of biologists and wildlife managers.

In two weeks, I will again be at Tellico with flyrod and enduro motorcycle. I will be riding off pavement as much as I legally can and dropping dry flies into every pool I can reach. If Tellico is closed to off road access, then I will be forced to spend my money in north Georgia or Arkansas.

I have never been to Tellico before, but it is on my list of places to go. I have many friends who spend lots of time enjoying the Tellico trail system, and I look forward to making the pilgrimage from California to Tellico to spend my money there, and enjoy everything the area has to offer.

To whom it may concern. The closure of Tellico OHV area would be crushing, not only to the bussinesses of
the surrounding areas, but to pur family. We have enjoyed the area for years and tears, from Fishing, Camping,
and riding the wonderful trail system Tellico has to offer. The OHV community in whole has poured countless hours
volunteering clean ups, raising money to build bridges, and any trail work that was needed to keep Tellico OHV Area
beautiful.

I have to ask, PLEASE do not take our land from us. I have a wife and 2 beautiful kids Madison 7 and Caleb 5 that
wants to share the enjoyment that I have over the years at the Tellico OHV Area.

Tellico Offroad Park. Home to some great times, for families, and for friends. Or, for anyone interested in off-highway vehicle entertainment.

Being originally from Michigan, currently living in Alaska, I don't have much of a chance to 'play' at Tellico, but, I will soon. I intend to drive down, and camp near Tellico, and wheel for a week with my buddies. If this place is closed, how can *I* do that?. I'm sure there are at least one or two other people on the Eastern Seaboard who make annual plans to attend, and enjoy Tellico. If all of these 'tourists' stop patronizing the OHV Park, how much income will the surrounding areas lose?

Please keep Tellico open. The legal, safe, and 'reachable' places to recreate offroad are diminishing, (alarmingly so in the lower 48) and every time another one closes, it's a nail in the coffin of OHV's, and all the related businesses that are involved, from parts manufacturers to local towns around these areas.

Thank you.

One of the most memorable wheeling trips I have ever had was at Tellico. We could not have asked for better weather or people. We spent two days of just enjoying the cameraderie, scenery, and challening ourselves and our vehicles. Like any good wheeling trip ours was filled with highs and lows, moments of exhiliration and moments of disappointment. Parts were broke, memories were made, friendships created and others strengthened. We sat around the fire each night at our campsite off of trail 5 and reminisced about that day's adventures. It seemed we never ran out of things to talk about. We laughed at each other and ourselves all while one of the guys strummed his guitar to some of our favorite songs with a few of us occasionally singing along. The Sunday we packed up to leave was the only bad day we had because I think we all knew a great time had come to an end.

It is with a heavy heart that I post this because I hate to think of all the good times that may never happen. I hear some of the old timers talk about all the trails we used to have in NC and how one by one they have been picked off until little is left. I don't want to just have fond memories of Tellico, I want to make more fond memories of Tellico.

http://webwheeling.com/gallery/d/12152-2/100_1545.jpg

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Closures at Tellico dishearten me greatly to say the least. This is one of the premier and foremost OHV recreation areas on the East Coast; a side of the country that already has very little access to government land for motorized enjoyment. Furthermore, I don’t know of another area that receives such aid and care from an OHV association as Tellico. As long as I have been hearing about Tellico I have also been hearing about all the work that the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association does to maintain. I always thought that they had a model for other areas to follow. The cooperation with the USFS seemed to be great and evidently it has gone under appreciated. Please consider this rally as our support for the reopening of all of the areas at the Tellico OHV.

Thank you,

Andrew Moss
Treasurer
Mountaineer Off-Road, Inc.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a369/MossMan4x4/Wheelin/YJTellico.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a369/MossMan4x4/Wheelin/YJTellico3.jpg

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To whom it may concern;

Motorized recreation on public lands is one way that my family has always enjoyed the outdoors. Starting with my grandfather after WWII, my family has always wheeled and camped using some form of 4x4 vehicle on public lands. It is a family tradition passed down through generations, not just for my family, but for many other families across the Untied States and the world. Just as many others hunt, fish or hike on our public lands, there is a massive community that chooses to experience nature in a four wheel drive four wheel drive vehicle. For some, such as my father-in-law that has a hard time walking, it is the ONLY way he can participate in an outdoor sport.

There are very few public lands on the east coast that are open to this type of recreation. Upper Tellico is one of the very few spots left in which to recreate in this way and enjoy the outdoors.

Fisherman have a VAST number of places where they can enjoy their form of recreation, my community does not. Yet it seems Tellico will be closed because of their “monopoly” on public lands. While they can fish anywhere, the OHV community will not be allowed to recreate in a family-orientated, legitimate and traditional way of enjoying our public lands. Balanced recreation means that different user groups should all be able to recreate. The balance between OHV use and fisherman is non-existent. Why are they given more areas to recreate in than OHV users? Where I live on the CA delta, farming dumps tons of sediment and chemicals into the water, yet it is still a hotspot for fishing. Please xplain that to me.

Furthermore, the supposed “damage” done by sediment washing into stream from OHV use cannot be measured! Are they any base-line studies that prove that the waterways were crystal clear before OHV use? What about farming in that area? Do they not dump massive amounts sediment and chemicals into the water? Why are THEY not targeted as a culprit of the supposed damage?

Our National Parks are for preservation. We preserve those areas for future generations. Our other public lands such as National Forests are for the public to USE and recreate in. We must conserve those areas, but allow then to be open to the public.

Please keep Upper Tellico open to the OHV community.

I encourage all OHV users to please donate to the Blue Ribbon Coalition to help fight for our rights to access public lands in a motor vehicle.


Kurt Schneider

www.pirate4x4.com land-use editor
CRAWL Magazine land-use editor
The Friends of Eldorado National Forest co-founder

Member of:
Blue Ribbon Coalition
Cal4 Wheel Drive
CORVA
The Friends of the Rubicon
Friends of Tahoe Forest Access
Friends of High lakes
Friends of Coy Hill
Stewards of the Sequoia
Friends of Greenhorn
Kyburz Krawlerz
The ancient and Honorable Society of E Clampus Vitus

Hi everybody and welcome to the Upper Tellico OHV Online Rally. This whole thing came about because I decided one day that I needed to more for the area. Many people helped organize this and put in their time and effort so that this could happen. Threads were started, press releases made and flyers handed out. Now, we have our chance to show the entire world how we feel about Tellico.

The Upper Tellico OHV is an area best known for its variety of trails. It’s hard to find a better place to enjoy the outdoors and drive our four-wheel drives than there. I still remember my first trip. I had no idea what I was going to find but I met up with a great group of friends and headed out. We started on Trail 4 not knowing where we might end up. As we traveled along I was amazed to find this entire trail system under the canopy of the forest. I couldn’t believe it. I honestly thought it couldn’t get any better than right then and there. Then I got my first glimpse of Trail 9, “Slickrock”. Never had I seen a rock face so menacing. I knew I’d never make it up because my truck just wasn’t that capable at the time. We ended the weekend with a great ride, new friends met and many new improvements, in my head, for my truck.

I can now look back and say that I built my truck for Tellico and nowhere else. I didn’t want to go anywhere else. My best memories and stories are from inside that forest. Every shop hour and penny spent has been so that I can get back to Tellico for one more ride.

My truck started as this:

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee46/orangecherokee/Tellico%20Pics/74jeep.jpg

and ended like this:

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee46/orangecherokee/Tellico%20Pics/DSC03739-1.jpg

After riding for some time I joined the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association so that I could lend a hand in preserving our trail system and that’s exactly what I want in the future. I want there to be a trail system that we can all enjoy. This trail system should be the Upper Tellico OHV area. Closing the OHV area will not only take away a wonderful resource for all outdoor enthusiasts but also will take away future memories and good times by everyone planning to visit. Please take our thoughts and opinions into consideration and do not close the Tellico OHV.

As an avid offroader, I am frustrated every time I hear of another possible land closure. While I live in Oklahoma, I make 2 or 3 trips a year to out of state offroading areas. On these trips I buy fuel, food, and lodging in the areas I am visiting. I also, bring friends along with me. Without the premier offroading areas, we have no reason to visit and spend money in these, often remote, areas. Tellico is on my short list of places to visit, I hope the land will still be open for me to schedule a trip.

- Aaron Peters

I have never been to Tellico, but certainly would like the option to be able to recreate there. There are too many recreation areas getting closed these days. No matter the reason for the closure, we have to come up with a solution to stop this. Please consider keeping this area open to the public. In this day and age, family friendly sports are in dire need. Do not close down one of the East Coasts premier spots.

Thank you for the time and thank you Pirate4x4.com for hosting this event. Let's open their eyes.

Sincerely,
Chris McKenzie
Kalispell, MT.

I absolutely love going to the Tellico OHV area. The last three or four years I have been going three times a year, once in the summer and twice in the fall. Even with the price of fuel doubling I still went. I do not go to the beach or Disneyland for vacation, I go four wheeling. I have taken several friends over the years so that they could see the natural beauty that I was always trying to describe to them. And I have made many more friends out on the trails. It takes me about four hours to travel there from the Tri-Cities, TN area. I have always had a very enjoyable time camping out in the Nantahala National Forest. Once we did not even get to the trails because of part failures and I still put 20 bucks in the pipe because I thought that it would go to help the area.

I never spent thousands of dollars in the local economy, but always stopped and bought my groceries and camping supplies and fuel for my Toyota truck at the local stores, and the people always seemed appreciative to have us stopping and spending our money. I hope that some common sense prevails and we can find a way to work out our differences with the different groups that want to see Tellico all but closed.

Wes Painter.

To whom it may concern,

I am increasingly concerned at the amount of public land that is being removed from public use. While I have not been to Tellico yet, I plan to make the trek there in the coming years. Of course if Upper Tellico is closed I would be stupid to drive to North Carolina with my rig. For my sake, my childrens sake and all that wish to someday wheel Upper Tellico, please keep this area open to OHV uses.

Thanks,
Jason Habrock
Colorado Full Size Jeep Association
Fort Collins Colorado USA

Please Keep Our Trails Open. These Are Here For Us And Our Childeren To Enjoy The Wide Open Spaces.enjoy Nature And To Just Plain Get Away. These Places Are For Us To Go Outr And Enjoy Not To Be Taken From Us.



Thank You
The Miller Family X 4

I have grown up enjoying the Tellico OHV area. Since we live about 30 miles from the trails I have memories being in those mountains for as long as I can remember. Whether it was spending time with family when I was young or as I got older going up with friends. Tellico has given my family an area to recreate together doing something we all enjoyed when there were no other areas around like it.

I have a very close family. Not just my immediate family but my entire family. In the early 90’s my family, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents spent at least one weekend a month a year at Tellico ridding ATV’s and camping. There were usually at least 20 to 25 of us camping up there. I can remember one family member was so young and wanted to ride so bad that his father got him a little helmet and would ride him along trail one until he would fall asleep. This continued up through my teen years. I can remember a lot of times I would get home from camping and riding and learn of what my friends at the time had done that weekend and what trouble they were in, often with the law. At that age I was thankful I had the opportunity to be doing something I loved with family or I know I would have been in the same trouble. Looking back now and knowing I realized this at that age was really something.

As we got older everyone started to have other commitments like collage or work and these trips got harder to get everyone together. My mother was then in an accident which left her unable to ride an ATV. So with her unable to go with us when you left for a trip to go ride you knew she wanted to go as well because she loved it, probably more the anybody, but she could not go. Over the next few years around 2000-2001 we sold the ATV’s and no longer made the trips. This lasted about a year and no one in the family could stand it. So when my brother turned 16 my father talked him into getting a Jeep Cherokee for his first car. We realized this was are new way back into the mountains in Tellico. My mom was thrilled with the idea of still being able to enjoy the area again. Before my brother even got his license his jeep was at the local 4x4 shop getting a lift.

This lead to my father and me deciding to both build jeeps. So that year we both went out and bought jeep wranglers from the local junk yard. My father, brother, and I have spent countless hours in the garage working on different vehicles and I don’t think a meal has gone by that we all set down at that the rest of are family has told us to shut up about rock crawling.

All this time me and my brother spent working on are Jeeps are friends got interested and all started getting off road vehicles. On of our real good friends is named Brian. Brian loved anything to do with the outdoors from rafting to skydiving. Well of course this lead to him having to get a jeep. He loved this jeep more than most could imagine. Any time you called him he would be ridding somewhere and anytime he called you, you knew he was stuck. I remember one time he had cut his knee with a chain saw and could not drive but instead of just ridding with one of us he made my brother drive him in his jeep. They hit a rock on the ledge of upper two and put some rock rash on the back fender. My brother felt bad he had dented Brian’s jeep and then he turned to Brian to see what he had to say and he looked him in the face the a smile from ear to ear and said “I love it”. Over the next few years my dad, brother, Brian, and a few other close family friends spent a lot of time on the trails in Tellico. I don’t mean just a few weekends a year but more like a few weekends a month. Then Brian was killed in a mountain biking accident. Neither my brother nor I had ever lost a friend before. This was very depressing for both us until we got back to Tellico. Then every trail you ride or every ledge you climb brings back memories.

Since we started riding at Tellico we have made many new friends in the offroad community. Most of these friends make there livings with ether 4x4 garages in the area or fabrication shops that build vehicles designed just for the trails at Tellico, or rental property’s for the visitors to Tellico to stay in. So not only are you taking away a recreation area for some but are taking away a living for these people by closing the Tellico OHV area.

My wife and I now have are first child on the way. He will be born in July. I just want to be able to give him the memories of enjoying the outdoors like I was able to have. Not everyone likes to hunt or fish, or is physically able to hike or bike to enjoy the national forest in this country. Tellico is one of the few public OHV areas in the southeast and it would be a shame to see it closed.

DJ Carder


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Brian
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I've not wheeled Tellico YET. But it is definitely on my list of places to wheel before I die. It's a 12 hour trip from my home and just not feasible for me at this point in time. But as soon as I graduate college, I WILL be making it down there.

We need to preserve what land open for wheeling that we have. I want to be able to take my children wheeling and allow them to enjoy the beautiful land that our country has.

I would like to keep tellico open, many of my friends have been there and loved the wheeling and camping down there, ive personally never been but would soon like to make a trip down to tellico. the number of places to wheel on the east coast is getting smaller and smaller it seems, i dont want to loose any more places especially a big one like tellico because of all the good things i hear about it. for most people wheelin is more than just a hobby, it is a part of life, if i can help to keep tellico open i will do what it takes.


thank you,
Grason

In the summer of 2004, I made my first trip down to the Tellico OHV area. I had just finished lifting my jeep another few inches, gotten a set of 33" TSLs, and another online forum I was involved in was hosting a trail ride. I packed all my camping equipment in my XJ and set off on a 900-mile day.

I arrived at Crawford's campground late that night and was promptly welcomed by other members of that same forum, who had stayed up to not only make sure I found the site without problems, but kept a warm fire and a cold beer for me as well. I had only met these people over the internet at this point, and to receive such instant friendship was a great start to the week.

I quickly found out that I wasn't quite ready for 33s...

http://photos-499.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v240/53/103/24800499/n24800499_32209619_799.jpg


Spent some time warming up on the piles at Crawfords...

http://photos-499.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v240/53/103/24800499/n24800499_32209620_1094.jpg

http://photos-499.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v240/53/103/24800499/n24800499_32209621_1370.jpg


and we hit the trails. Here's a few other shots I found...

Fain's Ford:

http://photos-499.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v240/53/103/24800499/n24800499_32209624_2222.jpg


Stateline crossing, which has since been bridged:

http://photos-499.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v240/53/103/24800499/n24800499_32209622_1654.jpg

Somewhere on the way to Slickrock, I think:

http://photos-499.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v240/53/103/24800499/n24800499_32209623_1940.jpg

http://photos-499.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sf2p/v240/53/103/24800499/n24800499_32209625_2512.jpg

We wheeled the trails we could handle, and watched others do those we couldn't. I had a 900-mile return trip looming at the end of the week so I was hesitant to really push the limits, but we still had a terrific time. Besides Crawfords, we had some members staying at the Tellico cabins, and we made frequent trips into Murphy for food and supplies, as well as many trips to the General Store just past the Stateline campground. My jeep made the return trip without issue and I was left with nothing but great experiences from the whole journey.

Since that trip, my rig has grown quite a bit. My fond memories from a few years ago, plus the greater capabilities of my rig, left me just waiting for the chance to make that 900-mile trek again with the jeep in tow this time.

The group I wheel regularly with had just started throwing around ideas of making a trip this summer when the closures were announced. Without being sure of what we could expect by the time summer came around, we were reluctant to commit to reservations, vacation time, and fuel costs. At this point we've gone back to planning smaller and more local trips, because it's now past the time when we can really schedule and coordinate the extended days off. It may be another year before we're able to go down to Tellico again, and I can only hope that the park will be still be open by the time we have the opportunity to make another visit.

The amount of land available for OHV usage on the East Coast is very small. Many states have absolutely no public land available for wheeling, and no plans or resources to allow it. Many of us, especially those of us in the northeast, are completely used to driving several hundred miles just to spend one weekend wheeling. To reduce the amount of land available will only serve to concentrate this usage even more tightly, creating greater potential for overpopulating and overusing the land. I totally support seasonal closures for trail maintenance, and I totally support management of existing routes in order to achieve workable compromises for all types of usage. However, management by blanket/permanent closure and bias towards specific usage groups is NOT an acceptable solution. I look forward to doing what I can to help keep this area open...not only so that I can make many more trips there, but so that others can have the same great experiences that Tellico OHV has allowed me to have.

Chris Macock
Red Bank, NJ

I still remember my first trip to Tellico and how awesome that trip was. Since then I have enjoyed many memorable trips, from family camping trips to “guys” weekends, from non-eventful trips to trailside repairs in the dark and rain. Tellico is by far my daughter’s favorite place to wheel and it holds a special place with our family in that most of our trips have 4 generations represented. We always have a great trip and each time we leave for home, we look forward to the next trip that brings us back. I surely hope to be able to continue to enjoy this area in the future.

I have never been to Tellico but the fact that trails all around us are in risk of closure concerns me as an OHV'er. Once I get the chance to make it there It would be nice to have it available for use.

Tellico was one of the best trips that I have been on. The times that we shared around the camp and while on the trail were amazing. Not only is Tellico home to some of the best trails in NC, it is home to one of the most beautiful sceneries in the United States in my opinion. The town of Murphy has always been welcoming and on our trip, we tried our best to give back to the community through gassing up in town, eating in town, and buying the things that we needed for the trip in town. During our ride we took time to enjoy the scenery as well as wheel and without Tellico being open, the generations after us are missing out on that scenery and it makes no sense to deny them that ability. Some of my best memories of trail riding and camping are at Tellico and I want future generations to have those memories as well.

http://www.thepointbreak.org/JF/slick.JPG

http://webwheeling.com/gallery/d/12152-2/100_1545.jpg


Just Enough around the campfire.

http://webwheeling.com/gallery/d/12604-2/100_1731.jpg

http://webwheeling.com/gallery/d/12635-2/100_1758.jpg

I have never been to Tellico before, but it is on my list of places to go. I have many friends who spend lots of time enjoying the Tellico trail system, and I look forward to making the pilgrimage from California to Tellico to spend my money there, and enjoy everything the area has to offer.
And as always, I'll be tagging along, so please make sure the trails are kept open. :)

Save Tellico!

I have never been but it has been on my list of places to visit. Why? I have the unique sense of adventure and wish to see the many portions of the U.S. that make this country so great. I have friends that wish to do the same; some of them don’t have the ability to walk, whether it is old age, injury, or natural born causes. With closures, not only am I facing the lack of ability to see these things, but also are my friends who cannot hike, ride a horse, etc.

I will be helping out a group on the Rubicon this year that does just that, gives disabled veterans, disabled athletes, and the like the chance to see and experience things that would otherwise be impossible with land closures. This experience gives more than anyone could ever ask, and I for one think they are due for the chance.

On another level, the trail systems that many off-highway users navigate build great family ties and relationships that last for years to come, and at the same time take the minds off the never ending onslaught of economic issues. Think about the effect of closing a popular trail does:

1. Families have to find other ways to bond, making families spend money elsewhere and not locally to the trail system. This has many major effects, the most prominent being that the economic structure local to the trail will suffer due to lack of tourism dollars spent at the town or county. People no longer have a reason to visit local towns and spend money. No money spent in towns mean a better chance of economic loss.

2. You are affecting a culture. Four-wheeling has become just that, a culture. How? Many hundreds of thousands of people use 4-wheeling as a way to raise children. When you look at the 4-wheeling movement, it involves TV, Magazines, TONS of internet, a 4.2 billion dollar industry, videos, events, charities, children, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, heroes, veterans, and the whole gamut of everything that every other culture brings to the table.

3. People also use 4-wheeling to relieve their minds of economic issues, kind of like a vacation of sorts from the brain pounding media outlets that say the nation is in trouble. With out venues to recreate, people tend to not spend money, think about problems more, and in turn cause more issues like mind and fiscal depression. This in turn brings the U.S. Economy further into a low state of stability.

Again, I ask that you reopen the trail, not just for me, but also for my culture of 4-wheeling. This trail is one we hold so very dear to our heart as it originated East Coast 4-wheeling. I ask that you keep in mind all the families, towns, and dollars that will be effected when something like this happens. I also ask to take a look at the local economy before the trail was closed and now with the trail closed for some time period. MAJOR differences and it hasn’t been closed for long. Can the local government and economy take this lack of finances for years to come?

Thanks for your time, I hope one day I can share many great stories about this trail of Tellico to my kids and their kids.

Lil’ Rich Klein
W.E.ROCK
Werocklive.com

Here are some pictures from one our many trips to Tellico OHV.

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My first and so far only trip to Tellico was in the summer of 2006. I was on a trip for work, training in Cherokee and Graham counties on each side of Memorial Day weekend. Just like half of us do too often, I made a last minute change to my front shock setup on my way out the door before my long road trip. I don't tow, I run what I brung, so good shocks are a nice thing to have. I wheeled at Paragon (R.I.P.) the weekend before and broke off my brand new shock mounts on my way out of the park Sunday afternoon. I drove all the way down to Crawford's Camp with no front shocks....

It wasn't as bad as it could have been to drive, but no matter - it was worth it. I stayed at Crawford's for the weekend, and my first order of business was to stick my shock towers back on. The owner (I want to say his name is Jim but I don't remember) was real nice and lent me a hand fixing my truck.

I had posted up on Pirate on my way down asking if anyone was going to be there, and whether I could hook up with them for the weekend. I ended up hanging out with some Dixie Crawler guys for the weekend who made me feel right at home. I dodn't have my truck locked at the time so I wasn't doing too well on the slippery rocks but they let me ride along on a few trails.

I remember coming up a trail towards the back side of Guardrail and getting the first honest body damage on my Dakota. I remember having it start to rain just beyond that, and we came down Gaurdrail in the rain. All the Jeeps I was with took the bypass around but I wasn't sure I'd fit, so they spotted me down the obstical. I still have not done anything that compares to coming down a soaking wet Guardrail.

Now that I'm locked up on both ends again I can't wait to go back and do Schoolbus and Helicopter Pad and maybe if it's dry enough I'd give Guardrail a chance again - going up this time... I really hope I get a chance to.

Even though I've only been there once, the Southern hospitality of all those I met and wheeling like nowhere else I've been will always leave Tellico near and dear to my heart. I really hope I get to go back.

Being a left coaster I always enjoy seeing pictures from that area. One of these days I want to get out east and see Tellico first hand.

I have been to Tellico twice. I can tell you from experience it will be an injustice to all offroaders and generations of offroaders to come if the area is closed to us. There are more than enough places in the southeast to enjoy hiking trails and the like, but there are fewer and fewer offroading specific areas to be had.

I have never been to Tellico, but I am planning on going this summer. I have heard nothing but great things from all of my friends that have been there. Please dont close Tellico it is a source of income for the people of NC that cannot be replaced by another group of enthusiasts.

Tim Dench

A few more.

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Please keep Tellico open.

I have never wheeled Tellico but many of my southern friends have, and I fully intend to when I have the opportunity. Tellico is a place I need to be able to show my son and to wheel with him as he grows.

Tellico is one of the important, dwindling, wheeling resources for all those who participate in out sport, especially those on the east coast. Please keep these trails open!

Thank You.

Living up here in the NW i know how it is to not have many places to wheel. I urge county and state goverments to leave places for us to enjoy our hobby. I have always wanted to take a trip down there and check out tellico also. Please leave us some land. Leave the public some public land.

I have never been to Tellico before, but I hope to make the trip one day. There are very few places like Tellico and I can't wait to experience the trail system they have there. Let's keep Tellico open for future generations of OHV explorers to enjoy:smokin:

I have enjoyed off-roading trips to Upper Tellico ORV Area with my friends and family since the year 2000. I haven't kept count, but I'd guess maybe a total of 10 times in both mid summer and late fall seasons

The trails there offer unique recreational opportunities, and have a special place in my heart. I look forward to bringing my youngest grand daughter up there soon. I hope she will be able to recreate up there for the rest of her life.

One thing I make a point to do when visiting Upper Tellico is to support the local businesses. I generally purchase all our food, drinks, fuel and camping supplies in Murphy NC and other local communities.

Thanks for providing a place to relate my feelings about Upper Tellico ORV Area.


Don Woodward
Carthage, NC 28327

Im gonna keep it short and sweet, closing tellico would piss off a lot of people that would otherwise be on the same side. Some of the best times Ive ever had were at tellico and Id hate to lose it.

second pull, went right up.
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I think educating people would be more productive than just outright shutting down the trails. Especially in the long run. The only thing trail closures do is give greenies a bad name for a lot of people.

more..

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I have been wheeling for about 11 years and Tellico was the 2nd place I ever wheeled. I have thousands of great memories and have made some of my closest friendships on that mountain. I have been on the trails in the hottest of summer and in the coldest of winter when the snow was blowing up hill at ya. Been there when the fly's are bighting ya and your chewing dust cause its so dry, to when it was better to just not move through the river flowing through the jeep do to the heavy rain fall. You can't take that away, you can not have the memories that everyone here are posting. Don't let these be the last ones that any generation has left. Keep Tellico open and let ALL people enjoy it.

To Whom it may concern:

Through what ive seen and heard from all over the web, message boards, pictures etc... Tellico seems like a great place to wheel and have fun. Please keep the future of this great sport alive and keep Tellico open for all of us who want the chance to make a future there.

I went to Tellico last year for the first time and intend on going again. The place is awesome and unique in its own way. My gf went with for a few days where normaly 2 days and she is done. There's no reason the trails cant stay open and coexist with everything else in the area.

I have never been to Tellico before, but it is on my list of places to go. I have many friends who spend lots of time enjoying the Tellico trail system, and I look forward to making the pilgrimage from California to Tellico to spend my money there, and enjoy everything the area has to offer, with my son.

I have never been to Tellico, but I would like the opportunity to do so in the future. This land creates so much opportunity for recreation that truely cannot be measured. Tellico unites families and allows them to enjoy the wilderness in a manner that cannot be replaced. Keep it open!:)

Living in very Deep South Texas I haven't had much of a chance to visit Tellico. However someday I would love to hit it up. Since I started offroading around 9 years ago I have seen the numerous wonderful pictures and the camaraderie shared out there and I have salivated at the mouth to go there. Please, Please keep the trails open so people who have dreamed of being there (ME for instance) can go!!! Thank you so much......................Kyle Bizzell

To all concerned,Myself nor my family have been to the Tellico area. We are avid off-roaders and would love to make Tellico a spot to visit in the future! Please keep this public land open to the OHV community and keep it open for many more generations to come.

Jen Lillund
Friends of Eldorado National Forest
Friends of the Rubicon

my name is jonathan emily and i ride with a group of guys called the Palmetto Krawlers out of greenwood south carolina.most of my group has been there many times but i have not.several of my friends are going this weekend.ive seen tons of pics and heard many a story about this mecca for east coast wheeling.i have been trying to plan a summer camping ride there hopefully to take place soon.i think it would be a tragedy for these trails to be closed.most of the people who enjoy them are hard working middle class americans who value there beauty and respect there boundrys.please dont close tellico .surely some compromise between wheelers and the powers that be can be reached in order to maintain a place where recreational 4wheeling and nature can function hand in hand,thank you.

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Tellico OHV Park.

Hello there. I am Daren Rabago, and avid off highway enthusiast located in the Pacific Northwest. While I have not yet been to Tellico OHV area, I do look forward to the opportunity. I practice responsible off highway use, and have for nearly 20 years, and have gone all over the Western United States in search of adventure. I hope someday soon to visit the Tellico area, especially as my company has a Tennessee location that supplies parts to many users of the Tellico area.

I am always concerned with land closures, as it often has a ripple effect that puts additional pressures on other open areas, and then can lead to overuse there. On the west coast where most land is publically owned, we still have very limited areas that we can operate in.

So please, keep in mind that off highway users across the country come to Tellico to enjoy it, and that there is room for all users of public lands with proper management.

Thank you,

Daren Rabago
Member of:
Timber Tamers 4x4 club
Pacific Northwest 4 Wheel Drive Association
Blue Ribbon Coalition
Washington Off Highway Vehicle Association
SEMA

Dear Sir or Madam,

Off Highway Recreation is a sport that does more than provide a means of entertainment. There are many benefits that may not be as visible, but are very important.

Operating off highway vehicles on public and private lands provides a hobby that friends and families can enjoy together. By traveling the many roads and trails in these lands, parts of this beautiful country that may otherwise not be seen can be readily enjoyed. Camping in these areas allows a chance for children to experience and learn more about nature. While participating in these activities, people can learn how to love and respect the outdoor world.

Groups of people forming OHV clubs provide many benefits to public and private lands. These clubs often organize major events aimed at cleaning trails and removing waste, helping to preserve nature for use by future generations. These clubs also organize events to benefit those outside of the OHV community. These events include blood drives, fundraisers for cancer research and treatment, and drives to provide to those in need such as toys for children.

The Upper Tellico OHV area provides an opportunity for many thousands of people to experience and participate in the benefits mentioned above. Many areas enjoyed by the OHV community are already under attack or have already been removed from public use. To continue this trend by closing the Upper Tellico OHV area to the public would only hurt the families and the communities that this sport survives on.

Please consider these issues in your decisions regarding the Upper Tellico OHV area, and other public recreation areas.

Regards,

Brian Ritchey

To whom it may concern;


I have never been to Tellico, but have had it on my list for years.
My feelings on motorized recreation on public land is applicable to any and all lands across the country, as many states are facing this same situation.

Myself, freinds and family have made full use of many public lands over the years for many forms of enjoyment using 4X4s, fourwheelers, walking hiking and biking. There has been a push lately across the country to close down many of the best places to recreate. Please, please do not close down another OHV park.

I am very concerned about the current closures at Tellico. Tellico is a place to enjoy nature and the sport of offroading while spending time with friends and family. The camaraderie at Tellico is unmatched anywhere in the world. Whether it’s the guy that offers his parts and assistance to a broken wheeler or the person that spots you to the top of guardrail, it’s great to be among people that share a common interest and love for the sport. The great times I have had at Tellico are irreplaceable, and is something that I love to share with others, and hope to one day share with my kids.
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Hello

Please keep Tellico open. let this be a place where families can come a get away from the city and be together

Chad Cannon

I have been to tellico only once prior, with 4 of my best friends. Coming from the cramped northeast united states, It was impossible for us to really understand the nature of the area. Where I come from in philadelphia, we dont have public land, or national forests. We dont have road and trail systems that one can explore all day. We don't have forests and mountains and rivers like the ones in the tellico ORV area.

We were so blown away by the environment and opportunities available to us at Tellico that we decided to drive 16 hours one way from philadelphia. w estayed for 3 days, and enjoyed every minute if the experience.

What a shame it would be if we or others could never go back to experience it again.

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Tellico is and always has been on my list of place to vacation at. Please keep alive.

Jason

I'm very concerned about the potential closings in Tellico. A large group of use drove nearly 12 hours last year to drive our OHVs on the trails. We were blown away by the work that the SFWDA had done on the trails. The trails are truly a wonderful experience. I do not believe the claims of TU hold merit and should be dismissed. Please consider these pleas to keep all of Tellico open.
Thank you,
Dan Guyer
Johnstown, PA

Telico is one of the greats. It is one of the few spots in that part of the country that I would want to drive out to wheel. The variety of terrain offered at Tellico is the draw for many 4 wheel drive enthusiasts around the country. Please ensure continued acces to public lands for ALL citizens, of ALL levels of physical ability.

As my family grows and each of my kids gets intrested in the sport of 4 Wheeling I hope that the great places that are open to me to enjoy are still there for them. Tellico has always been a destination I desire to enjoy, I haven't had the opportunity to yet but sure hope it stays open to the public. That I live on the East Coast and have witnessed countless trail closures here I have to voice my opinion and say NO MORE CLOSURES. There have been many areas now closed that myself and clubs I belong to have maintained only to have the area closed by people who have no clue about our sport. We construct trails to enjoy our country while limiting the impact on the environment, plant new trees when others are removed, etc.

Save Tellico for us and our future children to enjoy. Say NO to trail closures and YES to educating those who know far too little about our sport.

I have yet to wheel Tellico, however, living in Indiana, I suffer from no legal free wheeling. As a result, it is necessary for me to travel long distances to wheel. One of the otherwise not necessarily recognized benefits of my having to travel such distances is the positive economic impact I have on the areas I travel through by buying food, fuel, etc.

While having a nice place to wheel is important to me, I hope that the money I spend on the way is of benefit to the communities I travel through.

Keep Tellico open, open more!

P. T. (Paul) Schram
P. T. Schram Rover Repair
Churubusco, IN

KEEP TELLICO OPEN!!!

Tellico is one of the few more intense places offroad Ive been. A couple times a year I would hit the ORV up until it hit back. :laughing:Tellico on lower 2 I managed to break my K5's frame in half :smokin:, as bad as is sounds I still had a great time, just like any other time ive been there.
This place as brung me closer w/ a lot of great people in the 4x4 world and closing it would be a detriment. Not only can people now not enjoy it, but future generations wont be able to experiance the joy of this beautiful place. :D

still building my toyota, it has been a want and desire to use the tellico trail system. keeping the trails open is the only way to show younger generations of people preservation and conservation of environment and resources. they need to see the beauty of nature, how are they to do this driving down a paved road?

someday my children will be taking these trails. how can we keep understanding of presevation, Tread Lightly!, or enjoy family time together with trails closed?

for the sake of the younger and future 4 wheelers in the world, keep it open!

I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Tellico, but, it is one of the many places that I hope to visit in the coming years. I think places like this offer an amazing escape for families, as it allows them to spend time together in a fun, safe, outdoor setting. I hope it stays open for people to enjoy.

I being 19 and the first in my family to really want to "4wheel" have never been to Tellico. Hell I havent been alot of places such as moab, hammers, etc. I do know though, that these are many places I wish to visit in the future, and would like my kids to visit as well. Places like this being shut down hurts local economy as well as the 4wheeling group as a whole. We have very limited area to play in as it is, and receive a bad rep from people who feel outside the law. Taking away one of our designated play areas hurts us law obeying 4wheelers in many ways. We lost the land to wheel on, never good. It limits area to 4wheel in creating the oppurtunity for less educated groups to illegally wheel. Its a lose lose situation when looked at from all angles. Save Tellico and save the Hammers!:)

The Tellico trails should remain open to OHV use. The various clubs and organizations can be a huge asset to the Forest Service as they work towards mitigating erosion and sedimentation problems. This is a seemingly obvious compromise that gets obfuscated by special interest lobby groups who want the Upper Tellico OHV to be "their place, and their place only". Public lands should remain open to public use.

I'm a 31 year old professional who has not even had the chance to visit Tellico yet. But this year will be my first trip. I used to enjoy the outdoors in many ways (snowboarding, golf, hiking, mountain biking) but I am unable to partake in those activities now due to a degenerative neurological disorder. I can still enjoy the outdoors, and someday hopefully share the experience with my children, in my Jeep on the fantastic trails in places like Tellico. Please consider that all interest groups are stakeholders in the Tellico OHV area and we all want to see it healthy and open for year round enjoyment.

Thank you.

I haven't been to Tellico yet but I visit NC a few times a year on business. I'll be in Asheville in a few weeks and hope to make it out there.

Please honor our valid existing rights to use this area!

This is definately one of the places I would love to take my family to and experience some eastern outdoor recreation. As usual, we will leave the place better than we found it.

Chris Ridgway

Ive just recently gotten into the world of wheeling and havent made it to many places yet, but Tellico is on my list of places to visit. From the scenery to the great trails this place is awesome! I will go there eventually so lets keep it open for years to come!

To whom it may concern,

I have not yet had the privileged of enjoying Tellico. It is one of the few places left on the East Coast to still offroad and as such, every measure should be taken to keep this area open for years to come. Being a member of Pirate 4x4 have seen some amazing pictures and video from Tellico showcasing just how wonderful a place it is for both novices and extreme offroaders. This is a place families and friends come to enjoy the outdoors and should be preserved. Please keep this area open so that everyone can continue to enjoy one of the last great east coast offroading locations.

Regards,

Peter Miller

I have not had the pleasure of wheeling on the east coast but when i do i would like to see places like tellico still available for the ohv community including rock crawlers!!!!
SAVE TELLICO PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

I believe the closure of public lands to off road vehicle traffic is wrong and misguided.
From what I've seen of the off roading community, These are the people most likely to preserve and protect the land they use.
Trail preservation and cleanliness is a huge part of the hobby. It's considered a measure of skill to navigate an obstacle without doing damage to it.
Wheelers all carry trash bags with them, and make sure all of their trash is removed, as well as cleaning up trash left by hikers and bikers. Wheelers have no problem stopping on a trail to get out and clean up a mess.

I find it disgusting that Tellico may be closed to these fine people.
Public land is thee for EVERYONE to use and enjoy, wheelers included.

I have never been but it is on my list of places to visit, I have relatives in the area and they have enjoyed it for years, thank you for listening.

Dont close it down!

The Tellico area is widely known as one of the best places to responsibly recreate off road on the entire east coast. I and several members of the Ventura County Axle Snappers 4WDC, based in Southern California, have seriously started considering making the 2300+ mile trip each way to spend a week responsibly enjoying the Tellico OHV park and all it has to offer. Obviously this plan has been impacted by the recent closures, and now there is the potential that it will never happen. Not only do we lose the chance to experience the park, but the financial impact is spread across the nation. Estimated travel expenses are approximately $7500 per family, with up to 5 families making the journey. While a great deal of that money will be spread across the journey, it is more than fair to estimate that the local business around Tellico could be losing in excess of $10,000 from just our 4WDC’s one trip.

Along with the financial impact to local business, the question is also raised as to what the main reason for these closures is? I think “junk science” and “feel good” ideas are once again being thrust upon the USFS and the general public under the guise of “environmental stewardship”. The people that use the land are in fact the ones who maintain it for future generations to enjoy. The people with anti-motorized recreation agendas are the ones behind this. The USFS is once again caving to pressure from these groups who based their cause on deceptive, misleading, and sometimes flat out dishonest campaigns. I am urging the USFS to REOPEN ALL CLOSED AREAS that were based on this and re-evaluate the proper future of the areas in question based on sound concepts and environmental practices. The OHV community deserves to use OUR LAND. The local business and families deserve to have our financial support in their quest for the American Dream.

Sincerely,
Peter S. Di Primo
VP – VCAS4WDC


:usa:

I have yet to make it out to Tellico either, but it is DEFINATLY on my TO-DO list. There are only a few major/famous trails left in the country, and this is one of them. It is not hard to find people in 4x4 communites that have ran, and loved the trails at Tellico.

Parks like this represent the pinnacle arena for not only a sport, but a way of life.

Please do not deprive resposible enthusiasts of the opportunity to run the legendary trails of Tellico...

having never been to Tellico yet, it would still be a shame to lose it. We as a wheeling community work with everyone to stay to our existing open areas. we have been continually condensed into smaller and smaller areas for reasons that are basiclly to appease the envrionmentalist only to have them say, well, thats still not good enough.

keep this area open. it creates a good amount of revenue for the area in sales and i'm sure the local community wouldn't like the down turn in visitors either.

I have never wheeled at Tellico but I fully intended to in the near future. I am new to wheeling and live in Ohio. Tellico is the Eastern version of Moab, the place you have to go. If the place gets shut down i will never get to experience one of the greatest places in North America to wheel. A few bad apples shouldn't determine the fate of this beautiful place.

We need it.

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I haven't made it to Tellico yet, but it is on my list of places to visit. Now that I finally purchased a trailer this year, I'm looking forward to making the pilgrimage with my club (Ontario, Canada). I've heard great things about Tellico and hope that I get to experience the trail system soon.

Having been going to Tellico for the past ten years I have seen many changes, both good and bad, but this past year has been the worst. First the threat of a law suit, then the winter time trail closure and complete closure of trails L2, 7, & 9. I start to wonder if Tellico will even be around long enough for my daughter to remember it. Starting in 1999 my wife and I went to Tellico every chance we got, spending over 35 nights there in 2002 alone, and never dreamed we might lose this great place before our child could even go. Sure there might be other trails and other places to camp but there will never be another Tellico. Please do everything you can to keep Tellico open for years to come so the next generation of wheelers can enjoy it as much as we have.

It's a 4 hour drive each way. I have been there twice this year. There are several places I can go 4-wheeling, but I choose tellico. I bought $12,000 buggy just to go 4-wheeling. It's my life and I love Tellico.

Somepics from when we were there.

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Closure of the area would mean the time and effort I spent building the truck to travel around the United States to enjoy different landscapes would be a for a waste in a way. Spending time out in the wild has always been a bounding time for friends and family and helps creates a lifetime of memories.

Keep Land Open.....I have been waiting to come out there and wheel some really fun land! Hopefully I will get the chance!

I have never visited Tellico, but I have been making plans for this summer to head back East to make the pilgrimage to one of the best places to 4Wheel on the East Coast.. My wife and kids celebrate the outdoors by participating in annual cleanup, adopt-a-trails and many functions within out Hemet Jeep Club.. I grew up outside of Baltimore MD and left for the West Coast because of the lack of trails.. Closing Tellico will hurt many people from businesses, 4Wheelers, Campers, Motorcyclist etc.. Please keep open Tellico so my kids can experience this great park.........

Don't close tellico please, its on a list of beautiful places to go wheelin and bring my future family to. If you close it down, it will just not be right and I will not beable to show future generations the beauty of wheelin at tellico :(

I have never been to Tellico but plan to! I live in Arizona and get out to wheel at least twice a month. My family and I love enjoying the outdoors and everything it has to offer. We also love to travel around the country to experience various different climates, cultures, scenery, and wheeling. I would hate to have one of our future destinations taken away because we would not be able to wheel their. We always try to support the places and communities we visit by spending as much money as possible their. We try to buy all supplies, gas, food, firewood, and frequent local restaurants and other businesses at our final destination.

To whom it may concern:

I have not been to the Tellico area as of yet but I do want to visit this area and enjoy it's views from the seat of my Jeep and camp out in the area. Off highway vehicle use has increased ten fold over the years and shutting donw more areas seems short sighted.

My family enjoy getting outdoors and accessing the outdoors in our Jeep it's our way of doing it. My family and I spend countless hours, doing work days and trail clean up's in several areas to keep our access to public lands. Thru these programs and mitigation projects, Most if not all of the reasons for closing an area to off road vehicles can be addressed to stop enviromental damage.

Please look with an open mind and meet with the involved parties to work at mitigation option before a closure option. It can be done for everyones benifit and natures!

Thank you
Jerry Sparkman

I have been to Tellico several times over the last few years. I went to one of the Dixie runs with some friends of mine and have been hooked ever since. I was in a nearly stock Jeep then since then I have put several thousand dollars in another rig and a truck to pull it. It would be a shame to see Tellico closed down I have a lot of good memories from there.

I have never been to Tellico but really wish to wheel there I have been saying I'm going to Tellico every year since moving to NC.
The pics I see posted from there on every board makes me want to go even more.
:homer:

never been would love the chance to go keep it open

Have never been to Tellico, but would like to go someday.

I've been involved with UFWDA for some time, helping with the Forest Service locally on land use, trail condition, and multi-user issues for a while, obviously been in the industry for some time, putting in many hours on the ground trying to make sure all of our kids can someday enjoy the outdoors as much as the rest of us do.

Please keep Tellico open. Outdoor recreation has many forms, including the responsible use of OHV's. We are passionate about our sport and seek to work in harmony with all involved. To close access permanently would be a great disappointment.

I, like many others, have never been to Tellico. Someday, when I'm rich, I'd like to be able to travel our Country and visit all the great wheeling spots such as Tellico though. Hopefully it will still be open when that miracle feat occurs!

Wheeling is great activity with a great community behind it, as evident by this virtual rally. I have never met a better group of people in ANY sport or activity that I have participated in. Someday when I have children I hope there will be enough land available for them to enjoy the wheeling lifestyle. Please help ensure that future by keeping Tellico and all other wheeling spots available for generations to come.

Amanda Gonzalez

Tellico exemplifies what is wrong with land use. On one side, there is groups like Trout Unlimited and on the other, the OHV crowd.

The sad part is many of us cross recreate. Be it hunting, fishing, horseback, hiking or OHV use; groups like Trout Unlimited continues to widen the divide and fracturing folks and making them to choose sides in this battle. Another sad part is the fact that a few of us have chosen to become members of TU and that membership money has been used to closed down our public lands to public use. I would also seriously consider the fact that many of those TU members also spend their hard earned money with the same companies that the OHV crowd does so they are able to reach these places to recreate.

Tellico should not become another broken bone in the body of land use just because groups who should be working to keep these lands open for EVERYONE don't.

Please keep Tellico open for EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been to the Upper Tellico Trails numerous times with friends, family, and club associations. The Upper Tellico Trails are important to me in many ways that include the recreation for the family, camping with friends, getting people interested in the outdoors, and most important educating kids and other adults on the importance to keep the trails open for them and their family members in the future. The tellico area has many additional benefits that include small towns with friendly folks along with the place that I would like to retire where good family values are important. So folks please for all of the folks that have not had the opprotunity to venture to Tellico please leave the trails open so they can enjoy the area with their family and friends to come. Thanks for the open ear and look forward to many many more years of enjoyment in the Tellico Upper Trails.

Brian Helton
Tampa, Fl
KEEP TELLICO OPEN!!!!!

While I have never been to Tellico.....It's definitely on my list of places to wheel. The club I belong to made a trip down there last fall and I know they had a blast.
Please keep it open so I may have a chance to visit.

Tellico is and always has been on my list of place to vacation at. Please keep alive.

Jason

X2

Please don't close down Tellico!

Being a younger wheeler I would love to be able to got wheel Tellico. As i have only driven by on a road trip when i was back east.
Tellico is and always has been on my list of places to visit. Please keep the land use alive.

To whom it may concern:
I have dreamed of visiting Tellico since I became interested in offroading, but I have never had the opportunity to visit, nor will I within the next three years, due to money and time issues. To my self and many others, Tellico epitomizes offroading for the east coast. Thousands of people visit every year, and many thousands more plan to visit one day, bringing in money to the local economy and with that opportunities for entrepreneurship, (i.e what many people consider the American dream). It would be a shame to close down vehicular access, to one of the very few non-privately owned ORV areas in the eastern United States and would certainly affect the local economy. Please keep these trails open.
Sincerely,
Logan Groce

I have not been to Tellico yet, though I hope to some day. I know Tellico's importance to the four wheel drive community and I would hate to see it closed. Please keep this OHV area open!

I have enjoyed wheeling for over ten years. I am a proud father of three now. I hope that I will be able to show my children the outdoors, and not by showing them old photo's.

I have not made it to Tellico yet, in fact I was planning on going next year. It is an expensive proposition to drive several hundred miles with my family to go wheeling. We have spoken to many others that have been to the area and recommended it to us.

I do realize the pain that excessive usage can bring, I am a founding member of the AOCA and have been a member of the Rockcrawlers 4x4 club for over 10 years. I have watched many area's get closed down. Education is paramount to our future. Not just preaching tread lightly, showing tread lightly. Not just talking about trail management, implementing it. If people know what to do they will do it. All groups can work together, from motorized recreationist, to hikers, to hunters and those who enjoy fishing. EVERY group should be allowed to use public land.

Please don't make my children's education of the outdoors come from a photograph. My youngest has health issues and is not able to hike, I can carry him on my back now... but I'm not getting any younger and he isn't getting any smaller.

Another one who's never been to Tellico but would like to. Maintaining places to enjoy the wilderness in all manners is what America is all about. Keep our national treasures open to all!

Hubby & I went camping on the TN side by the river a few yrs ago with some friends. It was first weekend in November, so a bit chilly. One gal had never been camping before. We woke up to snow! :) I will forever remember that trip! We brought our daily drivers, so we treked up the by-pass & watched some big boys crawl up (or attempt to crawl up & get wenched up) Lower 2, before heading up to Upper 2 for a nice liesurely drive. :)

I've spend many a weekend at Crawford's Camp (gotta love an actual shower) & camped my share on the TN side too. Ive been with family, friends & Cumberland Off-Road for events & just for the weekend. My brother took my old Jeep (my first car) to FSJ Invasion several years ago & a whole crew of us went. It was like old times riding around on those trails in that Wagoneer. :) It was his wife's first (a very girly girl) camping trip & we broke her in right (at Crawford's of course)!
I've tagged along for club rides & there's always an empty seat somewhere. It's great when ya see the kids of all ages getting to ride. :) ...and bribery to go on the ride if ya clean the Jeep after!

Tellico is my favorite place on this planet. I wanted to get married by the water, but it wasn't feasible for the older generation to attend. :( It's so silly...I wave to Tellico at I-75 Exit 60 every time I drive past it! :) It's sad that the new generation will likely not be able to attempt the Lower 2 crawl or some of the other favorites. I have discussions with co-workers about the joys of Tellico on a regular basis. Ahh...the memories of waiting on the trail for someone to fix something....and everyone pitching in to help. :) ..meeting all the great people off-roading/camping/fishing/kayaking/horseback riding! What a wonderful place!

I always take trash bags & end up packing out more trash than we came in with. I haven't participated in an actual organized clean up, but I do my part every time I'm there. I had read something a good while back that showed the stream water quality is actually better now than it was several years ago.

I do feel it's the few that don't follow rules that have caused problems for the rest of us that do (4 wheelers that go off-trail & contribute to the erosion problem...like beside Lower 2). :mad3:

There is a definite need for a designated place to 4x4 in order to protect virgin sites & keep more wooded area undisturbed...and Tellico provides an outlet for that urge. :)

Hey McCracken - That's about what I did to my Cherokee, but it's a 4 door & I kept the front windshield. :) It's almost done. Let's hope there are trails waiting when it's ready!

SAVE TELLICO!!

Maria P
Girl Scout/Civil & Environmental Engineer/Bleeding heart environmentalist & activist/mud lover/Cumberland Off-Road (a SFWD club)

I have not been to Tellico OHV park, in fact I live thousands of miles away. I have often day dreamed about one day being able to make the trip there. Responsable wheelers all over the country wish to come to Tellico to run some very difficult trails while taking in some great forest atmosphere. We are loosing our public lands at an astounding rate, please keep Tellico open for all of us to enjoy for years to come.
Thanks

Tellico needs to remain open! With off-roading being one of the highest grossing "extreme sports", how is it that PUBLIC land keeps getting CLOSED to the PUBLIC?
Not only do areas such as Tellico bring enjoyment to families, it brings tourism and financial support to those areas and businesses from local and out of town visitors and supporters!

I have not yet been able to visit Tellico, but after seeing the pictures, and reading the adventures of local visitors, those that travel across the country JUST to visit Tellico and magazine write-ups, it has definetly been added to my list of places to visit! They can keep Disneyland and Disneyworld... when I have a family, I want them to be able to enjoy nature as it is at Tellico!!

-Lara M.

Hi, my name is Eric Anderson and I'm from California. I have'nt yet made it out that far east to wheel, but Tellico is on my list when I can make the trip. I have a lot of friends out that way that enjoy Tellico and the surrounding communities many times a year, would be a real shame to lose it all.

The OHV community would lose the best and one of the few Public places we have for motorized vehichle use on the east coast. WE CANT AFFORD TO LOSE IT!!!!!!!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/thedirtybirds/Tellico8-1-04002.jpg

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I am posting here regarding the closure / potential closures of the trails and off-road areas at Tellico. I have enjoyed Tellico for fishing, camping, off-road trail use and for general hiking for many years. Although it usually takes only a few people to set a bad example, there are hundreds more that enjoy the area responsibly with regards to land management and tree / soil preservation (ie: tread lightly). While it is very important to preserve natural areas for future users, it is also important to allow a variety of users to enjoy a space. As a Landscape Architect and Land Planner, we constantly assist people in creating spaces that have a multitude of uses, so that each group is able to get something that they desire. To close trails to off-roaders based on complaints from preservationists is a poor solution, just as closing highways to appease people complaining about speeding / littering is wrong. A better solution would be to enforce local regulations and laws more effectively, so as to curb the abuse by the few that don't play by the rules.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fond memories of Tellico, and closing that off to future generations isn't the route that BLM should take. As you will see in this thread, many people are in support of keeping these areas open. Unfortunately though, there are many tens of thousands of future visitors that might not have the opportunity to post up here, or might not know of the pending changes that will limit their ability to enjoy Tellico and similar areas. We have to find a middle-place that will accommodate all users (last time I checked, places like Tellico were supported by the tax dollars of everyone, not just preservationists). Please keep the trails open.

I went to Tellico last year with a group of guys from Ohio and Michigan we had a great time! The trails in Tellico had something for everyone; I’m looking forward to going back. It would be a shame to lose these great trails. This is one of the few places we have to go to wheel in this part of the US. Please keep Tellico opened for EVERYONE to enjoy. Here are some pics from or trip last year.http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h71/NEV2DEP/SETO%202007%20Tellico/100_1387.jpg
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More pics
http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h71/NEV2DEP/SETO%202007%20Tellico/

Joe McGinnis
OHTTORA President

Let's keep the trails open!

It has been a few years since I have been to Tellico, and we have a small local group scheduled to go again this late summer/fall. The trails there are some of the best riding and scenery I have experienced in the 11 years I have been four wheeling! I firmly believe the off-road community has more than enough strong supporters for states, counties, and land owners to work together with us and control or solve the issues without trail closures. We all are willing to work and put out the efforts needed to help maintain the trails and continue to keep them open.

SAVE TELLICO!!!!!!


Kirby Gehrum

I am 21 years old and have been riding the beautiful trails in Tellico for the past 3 years. Our club based out of Chattanooga, TN has had at least 4 organized rides up there every year, including an annual New Years Ride. While the trails are spectacular, the real reason people from around the country to Tellico is for the spectacular views. I have never been to another park where you will find yourself in such a cool environment. I was very disappointed when the trail closures were only speculation. I am now feeling devistated and helpless as our trails are being taken away. The offroad community does so much for Tellico. We organize and participate in trail work and clean-ups, not only along the trails but also along the Tellico River. I sincerely hope a compromise can be made.

Chris

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h71/NEV2DEP/SETO%202007%20Tellico/100_1437.jpg
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The Upper Tellico OHV is one of the top spots on the east coast for four wheeling, the closure of the area would be an awfull mistake!




Jason
West Virginia Jeep Club
JeepinWV.com

I personally have never been to Tellico, but have always dreamed of going. The pictures i've seen and stories i've heard from people that have been convince me that it is one of the finest wheeling destinations this side of the Mississippi.

Being from the midwest, with already limited access to legal trails in the area, the thought of having another one of the premier destinations in the area closed worries me greatly. Four wheeling has given me some of my closest friends I have ever had, and some of the best times I have ever had have been out on the trails. Losing another place to do what I love doesn't just keep me from my hobby, it keeps me from my friends.

My dad got me in to Jeep ownership, and with that, offroading. He got in to Jeeps because his dad passed the love of working on things on to him. One of my great desires has been to be able to pass this on to my kids, to take them wheeling with me. Closing parks like this means I have less of a chance every day to pass what has probably been the single most positive force in my life on to my kids in the future.

Hello

Being from the Western part of the Country I have not yet had the oportunity to visit Tellico OHV area. All of my freinds that live near there and have visited this great park assure me that as an avid offroader it is not to be missed. It is my goal to make the long journey across the Country and have the chance to 'wheel there this coming year. Please, for the sake of off road enthusiast evrywhere keep this great OHV area, which so many people love, open for all to enjoy in the years to come.
Thankyou

Please do not let the OHV community loose another place to go enjoy our sport with family and friends. We were planning a trip this summer to tellico It would be a shame to not have a place to go.

Tellico is in my top 3 for trails I want to visit. The family and friends I have that have been to Tellico say it's a great experience. One that I would love for my family and myself to have in our photo album.

Ryan

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/thedirtybirds/Tellico8-1-04034.jpg

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Tellico is a beautiful place and I have only been once, but it is one of my favorite places I have been. I really look forward to going back several times.
I would hate to see the Trails get closed.
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I have not yet visited Tellico, but it has always been one of those places I've constantaly heard about. The pictures and stories I've seen and heard from many different sources (online, magazines, video, a lucky co-worker) have been thrilling to sit back and take in. I can hope that a solution to the issues at hand can be found that can both address any environmental concerns with the park and still allow people to enjoy this beautiful area that is the Tellico trail system.

Though I have never been to Tellico, it is one of the many places I hope to visit in the future. I have spent time in Murphy NC, and the beauty of the area is undeniable. Allowing the OHV community use of this park lets us access this beauty in ways that simply aren't possible in any other fashion.

Pete

To whom it may concern,

Please keep Tellico open. I have not yet had the opportunity to wheel there with my family and friends. I would love to have the opportunity, if you know what I mean. I know alot of the guys and gals on this board and many others love the place and drive very long distances to get to it. It is my understanding that there aren't alot of places in the area to recreate with an offroad vehicle, at least not legally. So closing this park in anyway, will just put more hardship on the Citizens that attend it. The benefits of these types of parks are undeniable. They provide a place to go have fun and forget all the daily stress of life. They provide employment for park operators, repair facilities of offroad vehicles, restaurants in the area as well as fuel and service stations. These parks bring communities together in good clean fun as well as in clubs that organizing for charities. Its a place that thousands love, please allow them to keep all of it.

Thanx for your time,
Rick Mooneyham

Sidewinders 4 Wheelers.

Over the last 25 years or so my wife and I have enjoyed many vacations in the USA and Canada, we have a lot of family and friends spread around the Americas.

Whenever we can we go wheeling, either in a rental 4x4 or with friends. And we've been lucky enough to experience some superb trails in Utah, Arizona, Colorado and Nova Scotia.

Trails like Tellico have a reputation that make them legendary in the world of 4x4 enthusiasts, which is why it is on my list of 'must do'. So losing a trail like this, or any trail anywhere, is another opportunity lost to ordinary people whose hobby happens to be at odds with others. Sadly, wheelers are in a minority, but we deserve the right to access historical trails as much as hikers.

The hobby of trail driving is moving on rapidly here in the UK where clubs repair and clean trails and encourage responsible use.
As a user of Pirate4x4 I know that the same attitude holds true over there.

Fight it, keep your trails.

Closing Tellico is going to be just one more step to closing off all areas to all human traffic. Next will be mountain bikes, then equestrian, and finally backpacking and camping. All in the name of saving the environment.

I have not been to Tellico, I would love to some day. I make it a point to clean up after myself and others while participating in off highway vehicle activities. Trashing trails and going off trail with a vehicle are unforgivable sins in my group.


To whomever wishes to close this area down to people who enjoy it: please find some other scapegoat to demonize and attack.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/thedirtybirds/Tellico8-1-04152.jpg

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I have not been to Tellico yet, but plan on going in future trips! I would very much love to wheel these trails one day, please keep it open!!

Chris Carrigan

While I have not yet made the cross country trek to Tellico, I hope I will be able to someday. Having a family member that cannot due multiday hikes the use of a 4 wheel drive has let us see things and go places we otherwise would not beable to go. As more and more place to go get closed it makes it harder for us to see the country we live in.

If we are not able to travel by 4 wheel drive through areas then we might as well stay home and watch the travel channel. All they show is the stuff you can see out a car window and thats all my family will be able to do if 4 wheel drive areas continue to be closed.

I've been to Tellico more times than I can count & it would be a shame if my kids couldn't say the same. It is some of the most beautiful scenery I know of. My kids beg to go to Tellico and my parents who used to believe that 4WD's were a waste of money now jump at the chance to ride with me through the trails of Tellico.

I've spent over half my life(now 33) riding these trails & don't want to see them shut down.

My then 3 yr old on trail 8

I am one of the MANY who have yet to go to Tellico, BUT PLAN TO!!! Please don't kill my plans!!! We need to have places to go LEAGALLY, and safely as well, thank you for your consideration.

Tom McHugh
Tacoma Wa

I've never been to Tellico OHV but I have enjoyed the pictures and stories from many family outings that take place there. I would love to visit there myself one day & it would be a great shame to loose another beautiful area for family adventures.

My most memorable wheeling trips are at tellico. There nothing like camping with friends and waking up to the sound of roaring V8s throughout the trails. even when I did not have a rig there, I was still there enjoying myself every chance I got. Below is a video from dixie run 2004 to show how many people gather around lower 2 just to watch rigs come up.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c278/KPatterson00/th_Lower2020.jpg (http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c278/KPatterson00/?action=view&current=Lower2020.flv)

My old XJ on slickrock
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c278/KPatterson00/Tellico118.jpg
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KEEP TELLICO OPEN!

Tellico was the first place I ever wheeled and will always hold a special place. I didn't know what I was getting into when I arrived but I would hooked within 15 minutes. I have now been there a few times and am always excited to go back. Tellico is one of the, if not THE, premiere off road destinations in the eastern half of the country. Closures in Tellico will only drive people to a smaller number of locations which in turn will cause more damage in those areas. I know a number of people that make Tellico their annual vacation destination and closures in this area will be devastating to the local economy as well as the wheeling community.

Here are some pics from the mid to late 90's.

<img src="http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/gallery/files/3/0/1/6/4/T1.jpg" alt="T1" />

<img src="http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/gallery/files/3/0/1/6/4/T2.jpg" alt="T2" />

<img src="http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/gallery/files/3/0/1/6/4/t3.jpg" alt="t3" />

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I have never been to Tellico, but the name alone is one that everybody in the offroad community knows. Please keep the Tellico trail system open and allow responsible use by the public. Closing trails only creates more problems for the those still open because of congestion.

Thank you

Absolutely one of the best places on earth to enjoy our hobby and enjoy some good company! Closing Tellico will not only impact those of us that enjoy it, but also the local economy. Here are a couple of photos of the top of the Helicopter Pad and below the Guard Rail.

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I had planned on a trip there for late summer this year. It saddens me that this may not be a reality anymore. I was hoping to have a new spot to enjoy to replace one of my twice a year Colorado trips with. Maybe even one of my Oklahoma trips.

I have not been to Tellico,
but hope I may still get the chance.
Any closure of public lands for recreational use
is in my opinion, is not acceptable.
Thanks Pirate, for bringing this to
WE THE PEOPLE!!

SAVE TELLICO, POST 133

I have never been to Tellico before, but it is on my list of places to go. I have many friends who spend lots of time enjoying the Tellico trail system, and I look forward to making the pilgrimage from California to Tellico to spend my money there, and enjoy everything the area has to offer.

Ditto! That's why I dont' want to see it closed. I want to be able to take my son there and visit the area at soem point. Since I sell parts all over the country, I'm constantly having customers tell me to come out and they'll show me around. If you close this down, that could never happen.

I have been to Tellico many times now and to hear that it might be closed really surprises me. I know everytime I have been I have spent lots of money in the surrounding areas on things like fuel, motel, groceries, and lots of other things. I have lots of memories here and would like to have many more here. Please dont close one of the few places we have to ride. Thanks!

Daniel Parker
Tuscaloosa, AL

Hi my name is Brian Riniker and I wanted to come in here and show support for tellico since it is on my list of places to wheel once I have money and college is over. Things like these should be expanded and not closed.

I don't know wher Tellico is, I will probably never go there and I don't know anybody personally that knows where it is or who will probably ever go there but it is obviously important to someone and I think it is a shame to close places like this. Don't screw with the populace...leave them some places to enjoy and give them something to call their own in nature.

To those who hold the power to keep Tellico open:

The experiences I've had at Tellico have helped to shape my desire to sustainably use, conserve, and spread knowledge about preserving natural resources and wild lands/rivers. Maintaining open access for the public is critical for the public to experience, understand, appreciate, and in turn, conserve...There is a way to offer balanced access for multiple uses of the highlands of east TN.... be brave, fight the narrow interests, keep this treasure open. The future depends on appreciation, which cannot be gained with regulations that favor exclusive access. The philosophy subscribed to by the narrow interests can be summed "if you can't walk it, stay off it", which is elitist, imbalanced, one-sided, excludes a large portion of the public, and is generally unhealthy for the future of wild lands.

BE BRAVE! Save Tellico for the public!

Thank you,

Jeff Dozier

to those reading this, its been only 20 min since our rally started, and we've already had well over 100 people from all accross the US state their feelings and how important we as a small sliver of the total community feel towards keeping our few wheeling areas open.

We as a group are only a small fraction of the total wheeling community, however, we represent every walk of life and income class and type of person accross the country. when i finally make the trip back to Tellico, because I know that you will listen to those that are important (the general public) i will be gratefull and thankfull to those that keep this area open for us to USE. Its PUBLIC land after all. help keep it that way.

we have never been to tellico but its not from the lack of trying
we have 8 kids that love to go wheeling
so when we go we have to have several rigs and a lot of cash to help boost the local economy
when my wife gets a rig we will be traveling there if they are still open to wheel
it a great way to teach our children how to respect nature and how to drive in different environments and also encourages our children to build a positive relationship with the goverment and local athorities (police,game wardens etc...)
when we go wheeling its suppose to be a learning experience
don't take that away from our future generations www.4x4grace.com

here are all kinds of videos of tellico
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tellico&search_type=

Please don't close Tellico.

Tellico was and is a special place to me. The first time I put a truck in 4WD was at Tellico. It really bothers me to even have to type this out. Why is there such a problem that this is even necessary? I have moved from my home in Tennessee where Tellico was close and much easier accessible. I still make the trip several times a years even though it is an 8 hour drve each way. This year has been different. I will still go even though I'm disappointed in the people of Murphy and surrounding areas, the Rangers, the states of NC and TN, not to mention Trout Unlimited. I am an avid fisherman and WAS a member of TU until this all started. Can't there be some sort of middle ground for poth parties? Trail closures will result in the resolution of nothing except more closures and more lost revenue for those people up there. I don't wanna argue about who spends more or does more for the environment or whatever, but how many fishermen have you seen working or clearing or fixing anything in the park? Off-roaders cannot stand by and let the last place in the Carolinas go away. Nor can we stand by and let this happen anywhere else. Enough access to public land has been lost already don't you agree ?

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KEEP TELLICO OPEN !!!

I have not yet been to Tellico, but i look forward to making a trip up there some time this summer. I have heard many great stories about Tellico from lots of different people, and it is a trip i have been wanting to make for quite sometime. Anyway i hope that Tellico will still be open and in all it's glory for when i get a chance to get there, and hopefully for years after as i have been told once you go once your hooked.

More from the 90's. We have enjoyed Tellico for so many years, it would be divistating to lose it.

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After seeing pictures of people enjoying Tellico for years, it has always been a dream of mine to make the trip from Canada. It would be a shame and heartbreaking to many people if this area were to be closed.

Tellico is east coast wheeling. I have enjoyed Tellico and I would like the future generation to be able to enjoy it too. For some reason people are bent on closing it down on us, most of the people who support that group have never been or never will be to the area. They do not see the work the wheelers put into the area and the clean ups that are continually done by most groups of wheelers on every trip. Please keep Tellico around.

I live on the east coast and Tellico has been on my list of places to visit for some time now. it always seems when freinds are going I have to work. With the trail closures that wont happen.
As has been mentioned some of the best freinds I have, I have met on wheeling trips. The best time to me is the camping and hanging out around the fire in the evening remembering the tales of the day past.
Please keep this land open. We are losing legal places to wheel at an alarming rate. There has to be a midle ground for everybody to be happy and it can be achieved if all outdoor recreationists work together to make it happen.

Russ Ferrell
Mountaineer Offroad

I have yet to travel to Tellico for 4wheeling, but it is on the long list of places to see and visit. I am building a new buggy to tow all over the country to go 4wheeling in the best trails and see the vast amounts of terrain that this great country has to offer. Any amount of trail closure is a step in the wrong direction. Trail closure only hurts the many many thousands of people who love to wheel for the action and the scenery. Please stop taking the land we all use.

My name is Melanie West, I am from Pennsylvania. I have been to Tellico in my jeep in the past and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was over a 650 mile trip to get there, but was 110% worth the time, money and effort to visit this unique off-road area. The trails are well-maintained, challenging and fun for every skill level of 4x4 owner. We went to Tellico in a fairly large group from PA. It would be a travesty to see any trails at Tellico be closed, as it would only encourage folks to wheel at another location, and this would just be detrimental to the fine local folks who have made the effort to have the trails there, and to the economy of the area.

Tellico is a treasure, and everyone needs to contribute to the cause. We can defeat our enemies, and protect our riding areas if we will all speak up and get involved.

Our opposition, i.e. the "special" groups are like the squeaky wheel, and we don't squeak near enough. Tell all of your buddies to get involved!

KEEP TELLICO OPEN!

I've personally never had the opportunity to visit Tellico myself (being in Canada and all), but it's on my list to visit and wheel at! Locally, myself and all of SO4x4 (Southern Ontario 4x4) try to leave the areas we wheel at cleaner then before. Often when someone is stuck/broken and blocking the trail, some help recover/repair, and the rest of us pick up any garbage or other junk in the vicinity.

We don't have places as nice or as technical as Tellico around here, and it would be a shame to see it closed. I'm actually planning to visit next summer making a two week or so vacation to Tellico and a few other places stateside to wheel.

In closing Tellico, you are depriving responsible wheelers a place to enjoy the environment and nature. Eventually when I have kids I want to be able to show them the world outside of the concrete jungle most of us live in, and foster a sense of responsibility for the environment in them. In the end that will create another generation of responsible wheelers, and a generation that actually cares about the environment, having experienced it themselves.

I fear that if we allow places like Tellico to be closed, it's only a matter of time before most places to wheel will be gone. :(

I first visited Tellico in the mid-90's for one of the Smokey Mountain Venture's. We drove my old CJ-5 3.5 hours from Greenville SC to get there. We had a blast and ended up coming back the very next weekend to run with the Venture again. Since that time and up till I started competing I went once a month at least. Each time my wife and I came we loved it.

I have been taking new people with me since I started going and everyone really enjoys the trip. Most of the time we would just park and watch people run Slick Rock.

I hate to think that my almost 3 year old son may not get a chance to go and ride or drive these great trails. They are home to some great views and some great memories.

I've been to Tellico once and had a blast, we need to do everything we can to save what little public land we have on the eastcoast. Tellico is one of the premier places to wheel in the east.

Alot of GREAT times have been spent at Tellico.

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Please do not close Tellico. Tellico has become a part of my recreational lifestyle. I’ve been going there for the past 6 years with two different Jeeps built from stock. Tellico allows me to be active at a hobby I very much enjoy. It might as well be the reason I got into this hobby to begin with. After my first time there I was hooked! I’ve spent countless hours building vehicles to enjoy this fantastic OHV area. I’ve met so many new friends as a result of going there. I’ve been able to expand my knowledge of this sport I enjoy. All of this I have been able to do and I am also a responsible off-road enthusiast. I DO NOT leave behind trash, I ONLY stay on the trails, I follow all the rules of the park, I very happily pay my daily fees to maintain the area. This is a place of enjoyment to so many people. I don’t understand why we can’t work together for all to enjoy this area. As Americans we have so many more freedoms than others and this is not representative of the way our country was meant to be by taking away an entire park dedicated to a sport/hobby to so many who are willing to support and enjoy it. There are far greater issues in this country than to close down one of the only places of its kind in the southeastern US. Please consider only ways for everyone to work together for all to enjoy this wonderful resource for all the activities it can support.

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Some pics I've taken :smokin:

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wow 9 posts in two minutes.
This is a place I plan on going in the next year.

Offroaders already lost enough land. We are rapidly running out of places to enjoy our sport. Keep Tellico open!

save tellico

To Whom It May Concern,

Please carefully consider the consequences of closing access to this area. Off-road activities are a great source of entertainment for families. It enables us to involve our whole family with others while enjoying the majesty of the outdoors.
It is also a large source on income for the area since we travel in and stay in area hotels, buy supplies, eat at resteraunts and pay fuel taxes. We also support local repair facilities and off road business.
We practice Tread Lightly techniques and correct others who are not behaving appropriately. We also pick up trash from other sources not related to our activities and repair natural trail damage.

Thank You for your time and consideration,

S.H. Faris
Houston Texas

Tellico OHV was the first real place I took my Jeep off road. I was part of a new club and the experience was out of this world. The camaraderie people speak of is so true in the 4x4 world. People I barely knew in the club were taking their time watching me to make sure I did not get my Jeep into trouble and giving any advice they could. On top of that, people none of us knew that we met on the trails helped out on many occasions. We all are one big family and we are there to help each other in need.

Tellico OHV is more than just an off road park; It is a place where one can get away from the hectic work week and busy life of the city and ride through the mountains enjoying the beautiful sights, camping, and bonding with family and friends. If Tellico closed, it would not be just a blow to just the 4x4 drivers, but to their family, their friends and a part of their life they have so much passion for.

Jeremy Blake

We must protect outdoor recreation areas such as Tellico. These areas offer great opportunities for quality family time. Areas like this are no less important than hiking trails and nature parks. Some people hike, some people use their Off Highway Vehicles; it is all outdoor recreation and as such should be protected at all costs.

Outdoor recreation is a great activity!!

Not everybody goes to museums but we have them for all.

Not everybody goes hiking but we have wilderness areas protected for non motorized uses - for all.

Well, not everybody uses motorized recreation areas such as Tellico but that doesn't make it any less important that the other outdoor recreations.

We should be adding additional areas for outdoor recreation opportunities, not trying to take them away.

PROTECT TELLICO!!

Steve Gardiner
Life Member - California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs
Life Member - CORVA
Member - United 4 Wheel Drive Association
Member - West Coast Four Wheel Drive Club
Member - Desert Dawgs 4 Wheel Drive Club

To whom it may concern,

I am concerned about losing another great area to enjoy off roading.
Please don’t close the upper Tellico area, I want to enjoy that area and show it to my grandkids someday.
I belong to a four wheel drive club in NW Arkansas called the Rockcrawlers 4x4 club. Several of our members have made the trip and enjoyed the Tellico area. I would like to have the opportunity to do the same. They have told me about how great it is, I have seen pictures and video. That’s like me trying to tell you about the Royal Gorge in Colorado, the beautiful snow covered mountains in Colorado, the big ditch called the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the list could go on and on. These places are hard to describe to someone because part of the experience is the feeling you get when you are in these wonderful places. I don’t want to miss out on this natural wonder.

Our 4x4 club always packs out what we pack in, we stay on designated trails and always try to do the right thing so we will have the opportunity to come back and enjoy.

Thanks for your time and consideration, Craig

Keep Tellico open! Public land should always be open to responsible offroading. Closing such a cherished site would be a huge hit against not just outdoor enthusiasts but all the public.

Many good times at Tellico. Rain, sun, snow, it doesn't matter it's all fun. For those of us in the SE USA it's about the only place around that is somewhat central to most states and can handle larger crowds. Not to mention that Tellico isn't a typical "run it all in a day" place.

Any closings/restrictions would greatly reduce the activity level of the surrounding economy. Many places are only kept alive by the traffic of those coming to wheel at Tellico. I already know of a shop or two that are having a hard time staying in business because of 1) economy of US as a whole and 2) reduced activity in the area.

Hate to see anything happen that would make this great spot less great.

please do not close tellico. it is an amazing place to visit and camp at. its important to me along with other fellow wheelers and families around the United States.

Although I have not yet been able to go to Tellico, several of my fellow wheelers with The West Virginia Jeep Club have been and they said it was wonderful!!!!! This is a great area for many different groups of people, all of whom enjoy the outdoors. It would be ashame to see it closed when it doesn't need to be. The 4-wheel drive community is united to help keep areas like Tellico open to public use!!!!

I have never visited Tellico yet but it is deffinitly on my list of amazing places that i must go in the next 5 years. please don't close upper tellico! I hear and see awesome pitures of this place and can't wait to visit.

Never been to Tellico, at least not yet, but I would love to go. Here in SoCal we have rocks and desert, it would be nice to try out a slippery forest trail with water and little bits of mud and see how guys do it out there. Never met an offroader I didn't like, even people I can't stand somehow become cool and I don't mind hanging out with on the trail, I guessing the locals at Tellico are no exception, I garuntee I could roll up there by myself and within 30 minutes make some friends for life, that's just how offroaders are.

Offroaders are also the best land stewards you'll ever find. Out here in California we have the "bros" who go out to the desert not to offroad, but to get drunk, do drugs and party, the BLM can't handle cleaning up after these idiots, there's just too much land, offroaders are all over the place, and we all carry trash-bags and at least in my group it's not about packing out what you pack in, or packing out more than you pack in, it's about packing out everything we can find. Simply put, without offroaders on the trails it's only a matter of time before it starts looking like a dump from all the non-offroaders who have no respect for the land.

We maintain the outdoors because we enjoy wheeling in them so much, we want to be able to take our friends there, and our kids and show them what it's all about, the scenery and the challenges, closing Tellico, the Hammers, the Rubicon, or even the local fire-road is going to lead to a whole generation of people that will never have the oportunity to get way off the beaten path into the wild and thus a generation of people who have no respect for what these areas mean and what they represent. The best way to preserve land is to keep it open at all costs to responsible offroaders, the 999,999 thousand of us will be sure to clean up after the 1 in 1,000,000 who has no respect for the land and quickly drum them out of the sport.

I have never had the chance to go there but that is moot as I would like the ability to go there.

Thats all I have, anymore would be fluff.

Stop land closures. Keep Tellico open.

I have yet to make it to Tellico yet, but being close to my home town I've always wanted to go check it out. It needs to stay open to everyone and for everyone.

I too have never been to Tellico, but I think it's a shame that every year more and more of our public lands are being closed. I would love to take my family on a trip to Tellico some day, meet up with the locals and do some wheeling. Please keep Tellico open!!

My first time at Tellico was almost 15 years ago. I was fortunate that my best friend in high school's Dad was a member of SFWDA. Between the camping and riding it really was the times of my life. Now that I have a rig of my own it keeps all of those old memories alive. I couldn't imagine if i could never go to Tellico again.
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I have never been to Tellico but it is on our familys list of places we will visit and Wheel together. As a father I am alarmed at the increasing number of places we cannot go and enjoy a wholesome activity due to closures. I pray my kids will still have places to enjoy Wheeling with thier kids. We need to Keep the remaining OHV parks OPEN for everyone to enjoy.

Sincerly
Wayne Israelsen

Although I haven't had the chance to visit Tellico myself yet, it would be a shame for us, as a community of offroaders, to lose it. I would love to have the option some day to visit and enjoy everything it has to offer. It saddens me to see our growing sport losing more and more land everyday. Please keep Tellico open.

I have never been to Tellico, but it is definitely on my list of East Coast wheeling I want to do. I have friends whom have been there and from what they say this area will be saddly missed if it is closed.

I am not sure how this could be good for local goverments by losing this form of income? In this thread alone I see hundreds of pics of people and vehicles that all spend their money locally when they take trips there. If you think of the local revenues of Food,Fuel, auto parts strores etc. It has to be a major number. This could be a devistating strike to the local economy to say the least.

Please Save Tellico!!


I love it when the folks down there post up pictures and video of the trips they take. It is so different from the wheeling up north. That's one of the things that makes this country great. The variety of terrain, people and places...

While I too have never been to Tellico before, it is on my list of places to visit when I finish my Jeep. Unfortunatly there are becoming less and less places on the east coast for the OHV crowd to go. It saddens and is disheartening to me to see trail closers and does nothing but cause backups and more people on the trails that are left open.

Please, lets keep all the trails OPEN! Thank you.

I feel loosing another OHV area is another cross to bear for our sport. People and businesses make their living from this sport and at a time when the economy is pulling back we need to do all we can to ensure as many jobs and industries remain strong. It is doubtful there would an economic gain from closure, only the elimination of nagging by the environmentalists.

Ensuring OHV access to existing areas is key to my family and myself we are avid offroaders and plan vacations to OHV friendly areas. Instead of stopping and spending time in the area would likely pass on the area of the state altogether.

Loosing another area puts more strain on the few remaining areas which results in more use.

For a while now, it's been part of my retirement plan/dream to travel around the U.S. and stay a while at the various wheeling areas. It would be a real shame to have to cross Tellico off the list.

Thank you for the opportunity to join in this rally. It is vital that we work together for our common future access to all the great lands in America.

I am incredibly concerned that the Upper Tellico OHV area is being considered for closure. As a responsible motorized user, it pains me to think that there are those who urge closures of areas where families can go to recreate together, particularly where resource damage is controlled, and people's choice of access is practiced responsibly.

As a member of the Big Sky Four Wheelers club in northwestern Montana, we work tirelessly with the local recreation specialists in the Flathead National Forest. We use examples of OHV areas like Upper Tellico as a positive sample of how wheelers recreate responsibly with their families.

I love taking my 4 year-old and 6 year-old daughters out wheelin'. My oldest will ride along with her window down, no matter what the weather--when I first asked her why, she commented:

"Well, because, Dad, I want to smell the fresh air!"

Now she merely rolls down the window and I smile at her.

I love to mountain bike, I love to hike, I love to whitewater kayak. None of my other hobbies allow me to recreate with my young family as much as we can in our 4x4.

Respectfully,

Shawn W. Baker
Kalispell, Montana

I've been going to Tellico and enjoying the trails and natural beauty of the area for about the past 8 years. I have had a great time bringing family and friends to the area to rockcrawl camp and fish, and I don't want to see that come to an end.


2002
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2006
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2007
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please don't shut us down!!!!!!!!!!!

To Whom It May Concern:
My four wheeling club has been considering a trip to Tellico this summer, as we are looking for a new part of the country to enjoy. When we travel in a large group like this we bring a lot of revenue to local businesses as I am sure all four wheeling clubs do. All of the pictures I have seen of Tellico make it look like a great place to take my family. Please consider a different method of land management, as the easiest way (closing the land) is not always the best. I feel that the people that have gotten to share this land and use it for the activities they enjoy, can and will step up to show that it can be managed in a way that will keep all parties happy. There are many four wheeling communities across the country that are willing to do whatever they can to keep land open, please use this to your advantage when considering the cost of keeping the said land open. Every outdoor activity group seems to have some bad apples. These “bad apples” can be found in any part of the country, at every level of activity. Please do not make your decisions based on the minority, as you will find the majority is willing to do what it takes. Instead, use the community that will work to keep this heritage in good condition and available for the rest of the country to take pleasure in.

Tellico stands as one of the last best places to fully enjoy the 4x4 hobby in the east. When living inthe mid west i was always surprised at the gravity Tellico had for wheelers. The result was a location where people from all over that half of the nation gathers for primarily social reasons. Destruction of any type is and will remain to be not an intended consequence of offroading in spite of claims otherwise.
For many years many families have enjoyed what Tellico has to offer, Solutions must be found to keep this uplifting and family oriented activity available to future participants.

Christopher Delgado
Phoenix, Arizona

To whom it may concern,

I would like to voice my support for the Upper Tellico OHV Area. I live out west and have never been to the Upper Tellico OHV Area. From all the pictures and stories about Upper Tellico OHV Area I would love to be able to take my family here. It would be a big loss if the Upper Tellico OHV Area were closed. So in closing please keep the Upper Tellico OHV Area open.

Jonathan Mizer

BIG98XJ, thanks for posting that video of me on Lower 2. That is exactly why we have to keep Tellico open, I didn't even remember that and yet hundreds of people where there that day just to watch. IIRC I was 1 of 2 that made Lower 2 that day. That's best part of what Tellico has to offer it changes everytime your there and what was once easy is now hard again. You can't get that anywherer but the south and the south has fewer and fewer trails due to closures. Don't make Tellico the next one to go.

Saddly I have never been to Tellico before, but it is on my list of places to go. I am looking forward to making the trip from Florida to Tellico someday.

Tellico needs to stay open for future generations to enjoy.

I have never been to Tellico, but have heard many great stories about the area and would hope to someday make the trip. Closing public lands to offroad activity is only going to cause more problems than it solves. Offroading is a great opportunity for families to get out of the house and away from the TV and video games and enjoy time together. Taking this away will only lead to more social deconstruction. Please leave the lands for the people.

I've never been to Tellico... but it is on my wish list of places to go. But go figure... I'm hearing the same old story AGAIN! Yeah there's problems, so instead of mitigating the issues... lets just lock it up and throw away the key. THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER! Public lands are supposed to be for the people not from the people.

Upper Tellico OHV

I may live on the west coast and may not have ever been to Tellico, but I can tell you the importance of such areas.

Areas such as Upper Tellico OHV help in many ways. To mention a few; Gives people the chance to recreate responsibly within a confined area and not all over the entire countryside. Gives the younger group of OHV participants a place to learn how to recreate responsibly. Helps local economy by bringing in money from out of the area from people that come to visit the area. Saves countless dollars within law enforcement groups and keeps them after criminals on the street and not on old country roads. And it is always safer to have a recreation taking place within the OHV area for ease of emergency personal and finding the location of an injured participant, if and injury occurs.

By giving the people and area to recreate it keeps them off of private land and out of areas that are normally not open to OHV use. It encourages them to keep their activities in a lawful area and gives them that chance. The younger crowds are able to easily access the area and less likely to upset locals and less likely to upset other area’s that may be important to the environment.

The younger group of OHV participants is growing, and growing fast. It is important that we have areas that they can go to and recreate responsibly and learn from others. Teaching the younger groups is how we will be able to keep the areas clean and safe for years to come. Once the trend is started with the younger groups, then as they get older they will be able to pass down the knowledge and responsibility.

Having money for the local economy is always a concern for any local government and should also be a major for all parties involved with the OHV area. Local economies can only be helped when recreation participants from out of the area bring in money. When an area such as Upper Tellico OHV is kept open, people will travel to it. I have been trying to find a way to someday make the trip myself, and would no doubt be spending a decent about of money while there.

Keep law enforcement on the job is important. And not spend their money is also important. Law enforcement and the little bit of funds that they have should be spent on the criminals on the streets. If an area like this was to close, the other local areas may find themselves open to being used by irresponsible recreation participants and don’t care since they no longer have a legal area. Then it is up to the local law enforcement groups to maintain the order when it could all be avoided by leaving the area open and available for use.

Safety is always a concern with OHV’s. Having an area to learn proper OHV use is the first and foremost step with safety. Without an OHV area we are leaving safety and proper safe OHV use up to the individual user without examples for the user to see. OHV areas give the individual user visual examples of safe use right there in front of their own eyes. OHV areas are also better mapped than most. And in the event that someone is injured while recreating, it maybe much easier to emergency personal to locate and help that person. It also givens that person a much better chance of others being around to help with the situation.

OHV areas are extremely important to not just the people using them, but everyone around the local area and some of those outside of the local area. They offer a place for families to go and enjoy the outdoors and their favorite recreational sport. And provide not just a place to have fun, but also a place to learn the proper reasonability’s. Plus, the area can keep it safer because of the teaching that is going on and the ease of finding locations of those that may become injured. OHV area is a great place for all these reasons and many more. Please, keep them open for everyone to enjoy. Keep them open to help with the local economy. And keep them open for generations in the future to also learn and enjoy.

Wow, some awesome pictures have been posted in this thread! It's a very beautiful place. I can't wait for Renee and I to visit. Please keep the trails open, and everyone please donated to BRC to help keep it open!

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So many of us midwesterners (and prolly east coasters) dream of driving these trails, don't close it before we can.

My first real wheeling trip was to Tellico, I didnt have a clue what I was doing at the time. It was just fun going out with my friends and seeing what my K5 would do. That was years ago and Tellico has always been the test of what my rig was made of. It is unlike any other place that we have to wheel in the southeast.

My first time in Tellico

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Dixie run a few years ago

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Coming up Schoolbus right before my rear ring and pinion let go. We were stuck on the trail for 26hours that ride. Still one of my all time greatest wheeling trips.

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Same truck running school bus after one of my clubs "Davis Creek Rd. Cleanups" Thats right a 4x4 club from Georgia adopted Davis Creek Rd and comes up to clean it many times during the year!

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The old shelf on the top of Slickrock... The shelf is no longer there to help with waterflow, I dont buy that but whatever.

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The rock crawl comp at Crawfords Campground. Danny the owner is a personal friend and a great guy. If the trails at Tellico get closed he can kiss his campground goodbye.

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A bunch of us recently organized a Save Tellico Spring Fling... even with the rain we had a great turnout. Helen and Chuck from Tellico Cabin rentals plastered town with flyers, Danny from Crawfords Campground went to local shops and officials. What the locals need to realize it the money generated by having a place like Tellico that draws people from all over the country to the little town of Murphy.

Gabe Parker
President Offcamber4wd.org

I haven't made it to Tellico YET but it is on my list of places to hit before I die or before all the great places to wheel get taken from us. I enjoy the pictures and stories that come from the weekends of fun had by the users of the park that get posted on sites like pirate4x4.com and others.
Please don't put yet another nail in the coffin.


Gary Lawson
Houston , TX

I have never personally been to Tellico, but I do know that our local 4x4 club plans runs to the U.S. all the time. Tellico is on the list of do's and we would love to spend our foreign money not only in the state where the park is but in several other states that we cross through on our journey from British Columbia, CANADA.

Travis
Mission, British Columbia, CANADA

My Group has only been there once since its 600+ miles away from us.
It was 2007, and we want to come back !!!!!!!
WE LOVE TELLICO, PLEASE DONT CLOSE IT.

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I have never been to Tellico, but it is on my list of places that I would like to travel to and experience what the area has to offer. My greater concern is keeping public land open for everyone's enjoyment no matter where it is. I hope I get to join my fellow wheelers in Tellico sometime soon.

We had a group ready to go this month for a long weekend at Tellico. This included rigs, campers, and trailers from several parts of Florida, Kansas, Georgia, and Alabama. We planned to spend time at an RV park for the evenings and enjoy a park with a reputation for great east-coast wheeling. Unfortunately we had to cancel this trip when we learned that so many of the trails would not be opening back up for the spring season and there were long lines to get onto the few trails left available. All the food, gas, lodging, and entertainment dollars our small group would have brought to the local economy adds up to a few thousand dollars over a long weekend.

We are disappointed about the loss of our trip and we continue to hope that the Tellico area will be reopened to OHV's in the near future. We will happily reschedule our trip as Tellico is one of the must-wheel locations in the United States.

So much land and access has been taken away from the people of this country already. Lets keep Tellico accessible and open to the public so we and our children can enjoy this great 4wheeling spot for years to come!

What proof do these people have that this is not just a natural happening but instead the fault of the users of the trail?

Like everyone else Tellico is on the "to ride" list, which one day I would like complete as either passenger or a driver.

The members of the club I belong to have been to Tellico 4 times.
Just 3 for me, should have been 4 but lets just say the Grand Cherokee was not up to the challange of pulling the trailer and the Jeep all the way there.
We stayed in Murphey at the Days Inn the first time and Tellico Cabins the last two times.
Have always enjoyed the local people, food and stores.
These trails are some of the best in the country that I have been to.
Coming from Central Illinios it is not like it is at my backdoor.
Do have plans on making the journey around 4th of July next year that is as long as it is still open.
Please keep the trails open and give us back slickrock and peker ridge.
I would just as soon spend my money at Tellico then any other place.

I consider Tellico as the Holy Grail as far wheeling is concerned. I think it is a shame to see this happening to such a great place. Especially when that place helps feed the community around it.

Upstate Cruisers has always held events in Tellico OHV. We will always continue to do so as long there is something beside pavement to drive on. On behalf of the 152 members of UC I think what your doing is a big mistake. We spend thousands of dollars each year during the two events we either host or the others we attend. We will continue in helping donate time, money and hard work to keep it open. I hope that the FS understands this will not just go away.

Below are some of the events we have held and some of the thousands of images and videos that will always remind us why Tellico OHV is so special. Don't let this be the end to those memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_uCgD8x2Pc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHHEUQK8rhU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqPvewbBiU

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I am another responsible concerned 4 wheeler who does not want to have Tellico closed. Thank you for listening to us. b

Please keep OUR land free for us to use!

Keep Tellico open not only for friends and family to enjoy now, but for future generations to learn about responsibility and to explore the beautiful landscape.

Great posts, Great Pictures, Great Stories. All for a Great place!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never been to Tellico but the club that i am in the Rock Zombies,we have been tring to plan a trip out there sometime in the future.But since we are based out of sacramento, ca it is a long haul. I am from a family that 4wheel drives have been handed down from generation to generation so it is important to me to do what i can to keep these off-road areas open. That means i get out to any trail clean ups that i can make it to.Ii pick up garbage that is not mine and so on and so on. And on top of all of that my dad is a big outdoorsmen and do to medical condition this is the only way that i can get him out and in the outdoors. So please reconceder your proposeale to close these trails down.

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I have met many friends and enjoyed trips to tellico over the years. Many have phrased their concerns better than I, so I echo them. I hope the trails stay available to the public so that I can enjoy them with my son.

I am one of the unfortunate few on this site, who live within a few hours of Tellico(5-6ish) and have never gotten a chance to go. I have worked hard for the past couple years scraping together funds to build a Jeep capable of riding the trails there. I am finally in a situation financially that i will be able to do that. I really regret I wasn't able to make it there before some of the best trails were closed, and i hope that there will not be even more closures before i make it there.


The environmentalists think we have no regard for the land which we use, but in actuality we have a great respect and appreciation for the land that few understand. I am also into backpacking, and the ease of finding public land to walk on has spoiled people in that hobby. We as a 4x4 community must travel much further and pay a lot more to do the activities we enjoy, making us appreciate the few remaining spots even more. Let's hope the list of legal places doesn't continue to dwindle away right in front of our eyes.

-Adam Spencer

I'm another that's never been to Tellico, but if I ever get that high paying job and get to tour the country wheeling, it is probably the first or second place that comes to mind as a must do destination. We've lost so much ground already in the fight to have somewhere to enjoy ourselves without doing it illegally or harming the environment. If Tellico is gone, what are it's patrons to do? Drive miles and miles away to recreate? Give up the sport they love altogether?

Tellico is a KNOWN quantity in the ohv community. it has been the home to countless endeavors to those near and far. this is a legendary park and trail area....it would be a shame to have it closed down....i am sure that all the surrounding area's economy have seen the economic benefits from the patronage as well...

i plan on making it there one day....

I have never been to Tellico before, but it is on my list of places to go. I look forward to making the trip from So Cal to Tellico to spend my money there, and enjoy everything the area has to offer.

I'm from the Netherlands, so I've never been to Tellico, and chances are I never will. I do know all about closing land to 4x4 access. Over here it has come to a point where there are no public lands left. Please don't let this happen in the US too.

The land is open to the public to enjoy it as they may. It's here for everyone to enjoy, in the ways they recreate. It doesn't matter if you use an OHV, your feet, a bike, etc. We all see it as enjoyment in our own ways, personal feelings of usage is harmful to all parties involved. Open land taken away from just one person, changes the definition of open. "Open to all" becomes limited or restricted to a few...restricting persons of their ability to enjoy their form of recreation that could be shared with family and friends. Please leave Upper Tellico open for ALL to enjoy. The forests are for just that, ALL to enjoy.

Thanks for your time.
JP

I have been to Tellico only once before, a few years after I started wheeling, but running Tellico was what really got me hooked. We were only there for a few days but it made that much of an impression on me. Wheeling on true, legal public land was all a bit foreign to me because where I was raised in Central NY, even though the Adirondack park was less than an hour away, there really was no place to wheel unless we traveled a few hours away to private land. Due to the fact that I have to travel more than a few hours to wheel, I make sure to contribute to the local economy wherever I go, whether it be food, lodging, fuel, etc.

It would be a true shame if Tellico isn't around in the near, and distant, future. Even though it is a good 16 hours from here, the drive was well worth it, and I hope to be able to make it again soon.

Have yet to make a trip to Tellico but had hoped to once i returned to Iowa. Please Keep the trails open for my kids to enjoy in the future.

I have yet to make it up to Tellico in a few years but from what i can remember it was one of the best weekends i have had on a wheeling trip. Beautiful scenary with obstacles galore that i and many others have enjoyed countless times. Keep Tellico open for years to come and for everyone else to continue to enjoy it.

I have yet to visit Tellico but it is on my list of places to visit since it will take me to a part of the country I have never been too. The photos not only in this thread but on other pages reminds me that there is many places in this country that are worth visiting due to the beautiful surroundings and it is something that I would like to share with my children. Please consider a different method of land management, as the easiest way (closing the land) is not always the best. I feel that the people that have gotten to share this land and use it for the activities they enjoy, can and will step up to show that it can be managed in a way that will keep all parties happy. There are many four wheeling communities across the country that are willing to do whatever they can to keep land open, please use this to your advantage when considering the cost of keeping the said land open.
Thank you
Andy Cardenas

Please keep all of Tellico open year round.. I have visited the Tellico area many times since 1985.. I use the area for my 4x4, camping with my family, kayaking in the Bryson City & Nantahalia areas, as well as trout fishing during the season...

I live in the Houston Texas area and I generally take 2 or 3 trips a year to the Tellico area.. I spend countless numbers of dollars in gas, food, lodging, and fishing licenses each and every year.. I unfortunately feel that if the land and trail closures continue to occur in the Tellico area I will have to find an alternate place to take my family and my money during future vacations..

I have not yet been to Tellico. This is one of the few places I would consider traveling to, just based on countless pictures and video and dozens of great stories I've heard from fellow 4x4 owners. Please keep Tellico alive for the responsible, appreciative 4-wheelers, and future users!

Tellico was my first spot for major wheeling. I spent a few days there in my Tacoma waking up with ice on the inside of my tent. It is a beautiful area to spend some time 4wheeling and camping with your family. I hope to spend more time there now and in the future.

While I have never been to Tellico I see the closure of any recreational area as one more step toward closing other areas which I do frequent.
It has been my experience that the frequent users of areas such as Tellico are the ones who are also out making sure the area is maintained and cleaned.
Please leave this area open to public use.

To Whom It May Concern:

We as a group probably care about Tellico more than any other group out there. I have never seen as much enthusiasm for a sport as I see from four wheelers. All you have to do is show up on a work day or cleanup day and this point is immedately apparent. Other groups want to shut Tellico down for their own selfish reasons while four wheelers are happy to work in order to keep it open for the enjoyment of all. That is the way it should be and we are willing to do what it takes for our land to remain that way.

4 Wheeling and enjoying the grest outdoors is a way for me and my family to spend quality time together. I would like to keep places like Tellico open so that my kids can spend time with there kids. And this is not just for my family but for all the families.

My husband and I have always wanted to get into crawling. We currently reside in middle Georgia where there are few if any spots to go crawling. Some time this year we are moving to the Canton/Dahlonega area. One of the things we had hoped to do once we were established was to go to Tellico. Please don't close it.
Barbara in middle Georgia

Having been to Tellico in a stock type vehicle I have longed for the days when I could return in a vehicle more suited for the trails found there. As a whole I have found off roaders to be the most environmentally responsible and interested folks out there. Since our space is the one most often affected we have taken great care to insure that these areas remain open by staging cleanups, work days and other activities that will help these areas thrive, not just exist. We have attempted to police those in our ranks who willfully damage property and strew trash around.
I have seen nothing in the media or environmental reports which accurately portrays the damage done to this area by off road vehicles or their passengers. Lengthy diatribes and skewed statistics do not make facts. Without these areas to recreate, additional pressure will be placed on other areas which are already supporting large loads of people. I urge you to re evaluate your proposed closure of this area and see what can be done to compromise.

Another person here that has never wheeled Tellico . I have been to the Smokey Mountains many of times was looking forward to having the time to do this . I would hate for it to disappear before I have the chance . Every time I go to the Smokey's I add something to my list of reasons to go back and this is at the top of it .


edit: Also I'm just a little spoiled so I look for places like this to stay when I visit your state . www.tellicovacations.com I love the mountain cabin settings . I hope to someday own one . The trails are one of the reasons .

To whom it may concern,
After having my first opportunity to visit the Tellico OHV area last year it would be a tragedy to see the area closed to 4wd traffic. Tellico offers great opportunities for families and friends to get out and enjoy the beautifull country we live in. Thousands of Americans enjoy the Tellico OHV area each year and there are very limited opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts to operate off highway vehicles especially here on the east coast. I hope you will listen to our concerns so that me and my family will have the opportunity to visit the Tellico OHV area many more times to come.

Thank You,
Matt Happick

As a Tennessean I want Tellico to stay open.

Please Save Tellico!! and keep our trails open



Tom D'Asaro
San Pedro CA

To whom it may concern:
I currently reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. I dream of the day I can take my rig to the east coast and wheel in the trees, rocks and mud. So much land has already been designated non-ohv on the East Coast. I urge you to please leave this area for OHV use.
Thank you

I have not been to Tellico, but it is definitely on my list of places to go. I would hate to see it or any other trails closed!

I have been going to Tellico for more than ten years, I make at least two trips a year. I started riding dirt bikes there, have trout fished, and now ride my jeep there. The trails are great, but its also more than just trails, its the whole atmosphere, camping along the river etc..

I am a member of a club that is a member of the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association that is a major supporter of trail maintenance in Tellico. Our club has participated in the annual Tellico River Cleanup also..

been a few times and will be back a bunch more... just a few pics of some great times with great folks.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v92/fdrose/tellico%20pics/45greenieflexingtorivercrossing.jpg

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I was at Tellico last weekend and my son, brother-in-law and I had a great time. It is important to have a place to 4 wheel legaly, the campsites and trails were wonderful.

The work that the forest service did over the winter seemed very effective and the trails were in great shape.

It would be a shame for the forest service to allow pressure from the SELC and Trout Unlimited to close Tellico for the purpose that it was intended when the land was donated to them by the logging companies. There are very few areas like Tellico left and I would hate to think that this may be the last time that we could enjoy it in the way we like to.

There are ways to balance the needs of both constituancies without compromising the enjoyment of either. If it means an increase in fees to control erosion, that would be better than closing the place down.

And I don't buy the native trout premise that the SELC is promoting, the fish that are caught in the Tellico river are from the hatchery and are not native to begin with. Sedimentation can be addressed but the native trout thing is a ruse within the confines of Tellico ORV.

We are responsible adults and follow the rules, please don't take away one of the few places we have to enjoy our vehicles in a lawful and safe manner.

Scott Smith

Don't close Tellico!

Myself and my two sons want to make a trip over there. Wheeling is a sport enjoyed by families outdoors and away from video games, TVs, and other "modern" distractions keeping us from communicating with our kids.

Places like Tellico allow us to have one on one time with our family and friends. These places allow us to enjoy the outdoors and our hobby and do so legaly.

These propreties should be guarded and kept OPEN by the local communities because they are so valuable to the population throughout their state and country. Every effort should be made to keep Tellico open.

Lance Green
Louisiana 4x4

I have yet to wheel at Telico, please keep it open so that I as well as my children may once visit such a scenic area. We need to keep Telico as well as other public lands open to the PUBLIC.

I'm truly saddened at the possibility off loosing Tellico. It's a shame, even with all the work that our community has put in helping maintaining it, that it may be lost. We have enjoyed visiting Tellico for many years, Not just because of the challenging trails, but for it's incredible beauty and remote location. The people of Murphy have always been great to us, and have made staying and eating in town as pleasant as the trails of Tellico. Please understand the importance of Tellico to us, not just for this area but for the future of Trail systems all over the country.
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To Whom It May Concern:

We as a group probably care about Tellico more than any other group out there. I have never seen as much enthusiasm for a sport as I see from four wheelers. All you have to do is show up on a work day or cleanup day and this point is immedately apparent. Other groups want to shut Tellico down for their own selfish reasons while four wheelers are happy to work in order to keep it open for the enjoyment of all. That is the way it should be and we are willing to do what it takes for our land to remain that way.

Very well said, we have never complained as a group that the fishing the steams at Tellico is hurting the trout population by catching them and baking them in some butter. We do everything in our power to make sure nothing gets into those streams being building silt traps along the trails, bridges over streams, holding clean ups many times a year.

more.

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I've never been, but Tellico is certainly on the list of places I would love to visit. Schoolbus is somewhat of a legend on forums, and nothing would be better than experiencing it first hand. The pictures and stories that come from Tellico OHV are priceless. The memories created there are as well. Please don't close Tellico.

I have never been, But I hope to some day get back east to experience Tellico. The last thing we need in our sport is more closures. Please don't close Tellico before I have a chance to get there.

To whom it may concern,

Although I’ve never been to Tellico i would love to go wheeling there and in doing so spend my money in the local economy.

Having seen some of my friends and the plethora of pictures of people wheeling @ Tellico it looks like some very good times. And it would be a shame to lose the ability to wheel there.

Out here in the west we are blessed with open BLM land in which to wheel, and even that is coming under fire. We need to keep places that have the outdoor recreationist in mind open for all to be able to enjoy.

Thank you for your time.

I've never had the chance to go down to Tellico OHV, but I would love to do so in the future. Keep it open so we can enjoy it in the future!!

Thanks.
-Tim

I have yet to make it to Tellico. Our club goes once a year and this will be the first year my Jeep is ready to go.

I don't have any stories or pictures but wanted to add my post and vote my support for Tellico in hope of it still being available for me to enjoy.

Thanks,
JWK

I have never been to Tellico, i have literally been building my rig, spending my hard earned money so that I can go wheelin in places like Tellico. Tellico being probably the one place i really want to go, and is on my list for summer trips. Ya private lands do provide a place to wheel, but most are only a couple hundred acres. While Tellico is so much larger, having so much more to offer.

Matt Stranz

while I have never had the opportunity to ride the Tellico trails, I have family and friends that do. I'd love to be able to join them some day.

Please keep the trail system open to responsible wheeling.

Maurice Cox
Omaha, NE

Save Tellico!