Uwharrie next week

[PittJKU]

So I'm off work all next week and am thinking of hitting up Uwharrie here outside of Charlotte, NC. I have a few questions for those in the know:

- I'm about as new as it gets to offroading, are there trails there that are accommodating to my (lack of) experience level?
- Do you recommend going out there solo? I am not a part of any clubs and don't have friends who would be available to go during the week
- I have a fairly stock 2015 Sport, but it has 33" Duratracs and 3.73 ratio. I have no lift... Not sure if that's a deal breaker?
- Does tire pressure need to be dropped for beginner level trails? I don't have any equipment to drop and refill the tires

I'm sure I'll have more questions, but this is what I came up with to start. Thanks for your input!

[Kerm-icon]

Hey man, I'm actually about to head up there in a few hours, wish it was next week!

They have trails of all sorts. I have 33"s and a puck lift, stock shocks and have ran everything except for Daniel trail. Dickey Bell can be a little nerving, make sure you run it from the South so you're going up big climb rather than down. The first time I did it, I was going down, and it was fine, but for a new wheeler, could be stressful.

You'll be fine, have fun! Try to find some people to go with!

[PittJKU]

Thanks for the response! I'm excited to go, just want to make sure I'm as prepared as I can be in advance

[karls10jk]

You will want to drop your tire pressure down there, I went to 15-18 when I was down there two weekends ago.

I'm on 33's but with a little lift and it does super well down there. I had zero issues.

[PittJKU]

So question, is there a place nearby the trails to drop the pressure and fill back up before getting back on the roads? Or do most people bring their own pump?

[karls10jk]

You can navigate to El Dorado outpost and buy your day pass there. You can drop the pressure there and they've got a fill station as well. Look for the green button on the bottom of the machine....it's easier than looking for quarters in the jeep.

I took a ton of tools and honestly didn't need any of them. You should bring some as well but it's not as tough of a place as I thought it would be.

[PittJKU]

Thank you!

[PittJKU]

Well quick update, went out yesterday and had a blast! There was no one there, probably not surprising since it was Monday, but learned a lot about what the Jeep can do.

Looking back, it probably wasn't the smartest decision going by myself, just in the event that something actually did end up happening while I was there. The trails were in pretty good shape, but a few spots had some good mud from the last few days of rain... And being my first time out I probably was a little more hesitant than I should have been.

I also realize that a lift is a must. Even on the "easy" trail there were a few spots where I bottomed out - consider it a learning experience!

[karls10jk]

The longer wheelbase is the reason for bottoming out but you're right- out there, a small lift will benefit you. It's good to hear that you actually tried the jeep as it stands so you have an idea of what you need and what you may just want.

No cracked steps and it doesn't look like your wheels were used to bite the rocks and pull you up so you're doing something right. How low did you air down?

That first picture has a neat lighting effect.

[PittJKU]

I dropped the pressure down to about 17, maybe could have gone lower.

That was one benefit to no one being out there, gave me plenty of time to stop and get out to see what it looks like. The trees made for some cool pictures with the sun coming through. I tried to crawl up on as many large rocks as I could to see if/when I'd start to rub the fenders... Didn't have that problem tho.

I'm thinking of going out again this week and bringing my wife so she can get a feel for it - and it'll give her some first hand knowledge and hopefully support my case for getting the additional mods haha