The crew that wheels at the farm is a dedicated bunch. Duane Miles picked up a loner 388ci engine from his buddy’s drag car so he could come out and sling mud. Sitting atop Dana 60 front and 14-bolt rear axles, the ’93 Chevy Blazer worked great in the pit.The crew that wheels at the farm is a dedicated bunch. Duane Miles picked up a loner 388ci Agriculture is, and hopefully will always be, one of the lifebloods of our nation. From cornstalk and cattle pastures to cotton fields and long forgotten tobacco barns, farming is a rich part of America’s past, present, and future. While economic hardship and harsh weather can take their toll on the farmers of America, some are finding that the vast fields and expansive backwoods can have just as much recreation potential as profitable soil. While there was no shortage of mud, the property had a nice variety of hillclimbs and trails. Cliff Bailey is a regular at the farm and had no trouble working his ’79 CJ-7 through the woods.While there was no shortage of mud, the property had a nice variety of hillclimbs and trai We recently got invited to spend the weekend on some farm property just outside of Youngsville, North Carolina. Hiding down a few sprawling dusty backroads and between the dense forests are over 150 acres of 4x4 play land. Since the farm’s owners have cut back on their cultivating, they decided to create an off-road club/private park that offers their extended group of friends and family a legal place to go wheeling. Using the land for hunting, wheeling, and farming, the property owners have created a happy balance that fits both their business and pleasure needs. Private wheeling areas have grown wildly popular over the past decade. Though not all of them are accessible to the general public, many have open invites and free ride weekends to share the park and adopt new members. We had an absolute blast cutting through the muddy fields and rural acreage of the Carolina farmland and hope to see more private parks like this pop up around the country. Charles Smith’s ’98 Jeep Cherokee is built for crawling boulders in the rocky mountains of North Carolina, but that didn’t keep him from playing in the mud. To give the Jeep a little more off-road prowess, Smith fitted the homebuilt lime-green XJ with a full-width Dana 44 front, a Dana 60 rear, and 38-inch TSLs.Charles Smith’s ’98 Jeep Cherokee is built for crawling boulders in the rocky mountains of When most truck owners lose the forward gears in their rig’s transmission, they generally throw in the towel and call it a day, but Dustin Baker plays by a different rulebook. After his super-high Chevy no longer wanted to move forward, he spent the rest of the day blasting through the mud in reverse!When most truck owners lose the forward gears in their rig’s transmission, they generally Other than a few friendly races amongst the locals, no official competitions are held at the farm. This means when you get bogged down at the end of your mud run you can simply back up and keep hammering down until you make your way out of the pit.Other than a few friendly races amongst the locals, no official competitions are held at t To keep the property interesting, the owners often bring out heavy pieces of equipment to build new obstacles and dig out old ones. Manley Jones’ tractor-tired YJ is usually one of the first to give a new obstacle a go. Like most of the mud pits, this hill didn’t stand a chance against the nitrous-snorting mud monster.To keep the property interesting, the owners often bring out heavy pieces of equipment to Even without a front driveshaft, Ray Deane got in the action with his ’01 Cherokee. Though a heavy right foot was a must, the 381⁄2-inch Boggers helped him go more places than even he thought possible.Even without a front driveshaft, Ray Deane got in the action with his ’01 Cherokee. Though One of the coolest setups on the farm was the side-by-side hole-and-hill pits. Each of the water-soaked and clay-lined pits is a little different from the other, and neither is what we’d consider easy.One of the coolest setups on the farm was the side-by-side hole-and-hill pits. Each of the Some of the holes at the farm are pretty deep. This particular trench swallowed Clay Morgan’s 36-inch Swampers in a matter of seconds and even filled the inside of his Jeep with some frigid muddy water!Some of the holes at the farm are pretty deep. This particular trench swallowed Clay Morga Ricky Bell and his ’82 S-10 pickup were up to trying even some of the deepest pits. Powered by a small-block V-8, a TH350, and an NP205 feeding a set of 21⁄2-ton Rockwells, the mega-mini was at home in the mud.Ricky Bell and his ’82 S-10 pickup were up to trying even some of the deepest pits. Powere No matter whether you were stuck, broke, or simply out of gas, someone’s usually there to pull you out. And when that someone gets stuck, someone else is ready to pull him out!No matter whether you were stuck, broke, or simply out of gas, someone’s usually there to By Ali Mansour Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
