[YJ_95]

I was wandering if there are any offroading places near chicago besides bad lands and insane terrain. It doesnt have to be a park but just a place to enjoy some trails with some buddies. If you know anything please tell and thanks for telling.

[BlackRubi04]

Originally Posted by YJ_95

I was wandering if there are any offroading places near chicago besides bad lands and insane terrain. It doesnt have to be a park but just a place to enjoy some trails with some buddies. If you know anything please tell and thanks for telling.

Nothing.

kd

[scouperacer1994]

^like he said absolutely nothing. The cliffs are good enough to get that wheelin' monkey off your back untill you can actually make a trip to hit some real trails.

Im going there tommarrow actually.

[MoparBoy01]

the cliff's is a good place to go, I like the badlands but its kind of a drive and if you arent trailering a rig and you break something, you better have some spare parts, the Cliff's is just closer. My club and I always go there.
Matt

[BlackRubi04]

This thread is out of control. There is no legal wheeling in the Chicago area except for The Cliffs and Badlands. Please stop posting about how you wheel illegally.

kd

[YJ_95]

ok sry but how do you know if its illegal if you have never been there or never asked the property owner????

[teejmcd]

any of the forest around chicago is all forest preserve inless some one owns alot of property, forest preserve around chicago has multi use, and single tracks for hikers equestrians and bikers, most groups work hard for therse trails and are not for some one in a truck to destroy them. of course all preserves are not monitord and likly never to be cought but chances are if its an place were its not said its ok to wheel, its not legal for a truck to come destory it for their amusment...dont want to be harsh but thats reality

[Jeffro06]

Originally Posted by YJ_95

ok sry but how do you know if its illegal if you have never been there or never asked the property owner????

Illinois sucks as there is no public land that allows Jeeping, if there is it's hiding real good.

If you haven't asked the land owner if you can wheel on his property then it's illegal for you to wheel there. Just because someone owns land and allows another to wheel there doesn't mean anyone can, nor does it mean the person that was given permission to wheel there can give others permission.

There may be some land around there that a club has permission to use, but joining the club would be the way to get permission.

A safe rule of thumb is if you don't know, don't go. There are a few roads in my area that are nothing more than dirt/mud when it rains, but they are actually roads, with names and stop signs on them, they just aren't maintained. Guys drive these when they are muddy, but that's not really wheeling to me, but at least it's legal. Don't get me wrong a quick trip down one of these roads can "scratch that itch" but that's about it.

The Badlands is probably 3-3.5 hours from where you live, but if you can find someone to take with you, it's worth the trip. Heck make a weekend out of it, extra days are cheap.

[Wup This]

Sorry, I didn't think I broke a rule by pointing out where you shouldn't go, or by pointing out where I go legally as part of my job. I even bring the tread lightly POV to my employees that must off road to access the transmission line. I would never post the how and when to access an illegal spot other than to say it's illegal stay out. Forest PReserve should NEVER be wheeled for recreation. It's exactly that kind of diregard that causes problems for off roaders everywhere. I have tried for years to find out a way to contact the DNR or State Park official to try and find out how to go about presenting a case for the opening of some of the public land to ORV's, not ATV's, just off road vehicles, to no avail.

For example the Wild life Prarie park in Peoria has about 400 acres directly west of the park entrance that they do not have the funds or man power to open and maintain. If you formed an ORV plan you could fund the opening of that land to the public and create a revenue stream for the Prarie park. The increase in traffic would undoubtedly bring more people to the area and thus more dollars to the state and facility. I just don't know ho to get my voice loud enough to getthe attention of someone in Springfield. We need local clubs to work with National organizations to create a voice for off roaders here. The whole southern half of the state is pubic land and we as a community shold be able to create a way to integrate into the existing parks and create an outlet where everyone could access for a fee. Imagine that, Illinois as a destination?

Sorry for the rant.

[YJ_95]

im not saying that im illegally off roading and im sorry if i sounded like it but what im saying is that if it has an owner and he sais its ok, go ahead.