Trail 12 is unnamed, like...
Trail 12 is unnamed, like most of the trails. John Long hammered his CJ-5 on numerous attempts before the AMC 360 started spitting oil out of the dipstick onto the exhaust.
Poison ivy, rattlesnakes, copperheads, and freshly cut trails make for a fun Memorial Day weekend. With the lack of public land in the Southeast, wheelers rely in large part on private off-road parks to get their kicks, and now you can add one more park to the list. Hawk Pride Mountain Off Road Park debuted last Memorial Day weekend with 1,000 acres and 35 brand new trails. At least a dozen more trails will be cut by the time you read this.
You can enjoy one of the impressive...
You can enjoy one of the impressive views as J.R. climbs one of the many ledges. After getting the correct line-in true Southern wheeling fashion-he backed up a bit and bumped his Jeep over the ledge.
Hawk Pride is the brainchild of Mark Smith (no relation to the Mark A. Smith who founded the Jeep Jamboree) and was created after he hit the proverbial brick wall trying to figure out how to use his newly acquired land. His intent was to plant trees or farm the soil, but closer examination quickly revealed that the land was not suitable for either purpose. The hills were too rocky and steep. Smith invited a friend to ride around the tract, and the friend immediately suggested that Smith build an off-road park. After getting turned on to the idea and doing research, Smith gave the go-ahead and hired several guys to work five days a week clearing trails and setting up the parking and camping areas.
That was January 2009. Less than five months later, the park opened to the public, even though all the trails have been cut by hand with chainsaws and no heavy equipment. Smith followed aerial maps and GPS to find the best place to put the main roads and which areas naturally lent themselves to becoming a trail. So far he has come up with enough to keep you busy all weekend. Once the dirt gets knocked off the big rocks and ledges, look for Hawk Pride to become a premiere off-road spot in the South. The park is located in Tuscumbia, Alabama, on Hawk Pride Mountain Road. For more information, visit www.hawkpridemountainoffroad.com. Oh, and bring your spare parts. You'll need them.
 The line on this 10-foot-tall...  The line on this 10-foot-tall rock slab hasn't been claimed yet. Rob Smith gave it several tries, but did a little three-wheel motion in the process. His buggy has a Ford 302, a C6, an NP205 case, and Rockwell axles. |  Cole Shirley warms up his...  Cole Shirley warms up his new half-tread 39-inch Krawlers on Trail 11. Jim's Garage in North Carolina built the Twisted Customs-inspired rig for Shirley with a 6.0L Vortec, an Atlas transfer case, a Spider 9 rear axle, and a Dana 60 front axle. |  Trails on the west side of...  Trails on the west side of the park are organized and numbered well with Upper Access, Middle Access, and Lower Access trails connecting over 20 trails on that side of the park. Here Terry Brooks and Kalem Threadgill line up to tackle Trail 22. |
 Jason Page hit a bad line...  Jason Page hit a bad line on The Waterfall and had a gradual, graceful flop on his side. After winching off the obstacle and letting the majority of the oil drain back into the engine, he cranked the Vortec 5.7L back up and rode the rest of the day, albeit fogging the mosquitoes. |  Jason Page hit a bad line...  Jason Page hit a bad line on The Waterfall and had a gradual, graceful flop on his side. After winching off the obstacle and letting the majority of the oil drain back into the engine, he cranked the Vortec 5.7L back up and rode the rest of the day, albeit fogging the mosquitoes. |  Jason Page hit a bad line...  Jason Page hit a bad line on The Waterfall and had a gradual, graceful flop on his side. After winching off the obstacle and letting the majority of the oil drain back into the engine, he cranked the Vortec 5.7L back up and rode the rest of the day, albeit fogging the mosquitoes. |
 Jason Page hit a bad line...  Jason Page hit a bad line on The Waterfall and had a gradual, graceful flop on his side. After winching off the obstacle and letting the majority of the oil drain back into the engine, he cranked the Vortec 5.7L back up and rode the rest of the day, albeit fogging the mosquitoes. |  Jason Page hit a bad line...  Jason Page hit a bad line on The Waterfall and had a gradual, graceful flop on his side. After winching off the obstacle and letting the majority of the oil drain back into the engine, he cranked the Vortec 5.7L back up and rode the rest of the day, albeit fogging the mosquitoes. |  We weren't really sure how...  We weren't really sure how the truck got there, but it took some creative winching to get it off the rock. Two of four bolts holding the transfer case onto the transmission were sheared off, which caused major fluid loss. Automatics like having fluid in them to work, so this S-10 couldn't move very well under its own power, even with 44-inch Boggers. |