It's pretty rare when a new OHV/ORV park opens in the southeast so when we hear about it happening, it's cause for celebration. Even though this new park is in South Carolina, it's reported to be within 3-4 hours of Tellico, which makes it game for a weekend or even a day trip for those who get up early enough.
I spoke with Skip, the owner of the new park, a long-time Jeep guy whose son has been bouncing around in a Jeep since he was a baby. Skip's dream was to someday open an OHV park so he and his 4x4 buddies didn't have to make the 3-4 hour trip to Tellico every time they wanted to go wheeling. There have been no OHV parks in South Carolina...until now. With the help of some local 4x4 clubs, Skip has pulled together the Gulches ORV Park and is adding trails, obstacles and amenities all the time.
Here's some information about the park from Skip:
The Gulches ORV (Off Road Vehicle) Park is located in Laurens County, South Carolina, about 30 minutes outside of Greenville. It's fairly remote so Google and Mapquest don't seem to be much help but you can check out their website for a map.There are lots of 4x4 shops and hotels within an hour's drive.
While the park offers 80 acres of private land on a river, it's loaded with lots of smaller obstacles like a tank trap, rock crawling area, etc. Runs are all clearly marked.
Onsite camping is available with notice and some electricity is available (call for info). Skip has provided lots of parking for trailers and some RV's. A portapotty is provided onsite.
Their Grand Opening is July 15, 2006 and will include a 4x4 Challenge, similar to the Top Truck Challenge; 7 events including a hillclimb, towing contest and more. Live music and BBQ will entertain and nourish everyone who shows up.
It's nice to have some variety. We should support our local 4x4 businesses and we could always use more OHV access in the southeast.
I'll put the grand opening on our calendar. How about we schedule an TNVJC trip to the Gulches? Don't wait for me to organize it. This is your club! Post up a date your free and let's see if we can get people to sign up. I might even sign up, depending on the date.
Check the website listed here for info on pricing and pics, etc.:
http://www.gulchesorvpark.com/
