@SteveC-Pro4X I see what happened here. You changed your screen name.
How was the trip to get your camper? Are you back from it yet
How was the trip to get your camper? Are you back from it yet
Members with information/experience/interest in Pennsylvania State Forests for off pavement travel/dispersed camping
- Thread starter DevilDodge
- Start date
Enthusiast III
Yes DevilDodge I changed my screen name. Thanks for the BESP and BESF clarification.
The westbound trek was in October & November - it was wonderful. Came back a changed man. My YT channel features 13 trek videos - the first video is HERE.
In March, I am heading west again for 5 months - starting in Arizona then slowly working my way to Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Washington. There is so much to see and do out there.
The westbound trek was in October & November - it was wonderful. Came back a changed man. My YT channel features 13 trek videos - the first video is HERE.
In March, I am heading west again for 5 months - starting in Arizona then slowly working my way to Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Washington. There is so much to see and do out there.
Awesome. Very jealous of your travel. Glad to hear it went well. Will have to check out your you tube videos. Thanks for sharing.
CopperBrownJK
Rank IV
Enthusiast III
I’m in Manchester , Pa and have been to BESF and Michaux which is much closer to me , headed up there tomorrow for some driving and hiking
Enthusiast III
What a great thread! You are (almost) making me excited to return to PA next year. I'm honestly not looking forward to the (crowded) east coast when there is so much open rec area out here (WA).
We'll be based in Orwigsburg but don't mind traveling far and wide for adventure.
Area of interest: dispersed camping as much as possible, anything off road
Type of involvement: meet ups (oh wait thats below too)
Type of vehicle: 02 F250 & 96 Bronco both extremely off road capable
Your ability to get out: very available (husband is retiring) for day trips, overnights, last minute, and well planned adventure
Any areas of interest: no idea. all the places?
Areas of outdoor interest: hiking, hunting, waterfalls, lakes, anywhere thats dog friendly and scenic
Interest in meetups or group rides: yes!
I should be researching a Death Valley trip coming up in March but I wanted to say HI and bookmark this thread for future use.
Melinda
We'll be based in Orwigsburg but don't mind traveling far and wide for adventure.
Area of interest: dispersed camping as much as possible, anything off road
Type of involvement: meet ups (oh wait thats below too)
Type of vehicle: 02 F250 & 96 Bronco both extremely off road capable
Your ability to get out: very available (husband is retiring) for day trips, overnights, last minute, and well planned adventure
Any areas of interest: no idea. all the places?
Areas of outdoor interest: hiking, hunting, waterfalls, lakes, anywhere thats dog friendly and scenic
Interest in meetups or group rides: yes!
I should be researching a Death Valley trip coming up in March but I wanted to say HI and bookmark this thread for future use.
Melinda
Winter Report
www.dcnr.pa.gov
Some good information not only for conditions...but for the areas that are state parks and the activities they provide
Purple Lizard has added a new symbol tontheir maps. This will help our electric overlanders find some mire range
PA State Forest Camp Sites
maps.dcnr.pa.gov
Above is the link...they are hard to tell here...click the words
Interactive map for state forest motorized camping sites.
I may have posted this before...but it is a great tool.
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Just noticed something. When you click on the campsite. You then click on the name when the bubble and an availability tab comes up. You can then check for when the aite is reserved.
This is awesome. Will make planning a lot easier.
But also shows how popular these sites are already. Dang covid made everybody a camper it seems. And are sending many of us deeper into the woods for adventure. Ugh.
Hope to get out soon.
So much snow right now though. Lots of forest roads are sticking people in their place.
Good times
This is awesome. Will make planning a lot easier.
But also shows how popular these sites are already. Dang covid made everybody a camper it seems. And are sending many of us deeper into the woods for adventure. Ugh.
Hope to get out soon.
So much snow right now though. Lots of forest roads are sticking people in their place.
Good times
Looks like quite a few are reserved over the next month. Anyone here making the trip and have the reservations?
Man I want to get outdoors and explore.
Man I want to get outdoors and explore.
Very helpful...thanks for the link @ DevilDodge. Can't wait to start planning and get exploring.
Enthusiast I
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So much great information here, thanks.
Recently settled back in the SE PA region, after some extensive travel throughout the country. I am so ready to get back out on another adventure. I am hopeful to get some time in this spring and summer in a number of the forest regions you all have mentioned.
I have been hoping to meet up with some like minded adventurers for a meet and greet. Perhaps a rigs and coffee style event.
I started a thread on the East Region page
www.overlandbound.com
If any of you are interest, drop me a line!
Best,
Derek
Recently settled back in the SE PA region, after some extensive travel throughout the country. I am so ready to get back out on another adventure. I am hopeful to get some time in this spring and summer in a number of the forest regions you all have mentioned.
I have been hoping to meet up with some like minded adventurers for a meet and greet. Perhaps a rigs and coffee style event.
I started a thread on the East Region page
SE PA (South East Pennsylvania) Regional Meetup??
Calling all of those in the Southeast PA Region! I just recently settled back into the SE PA region and have been wanting to meetup with like minded adventurers and gauge interest in a regularly scheduled local meetup. Would any of you have interest in getting together for a monthly gathering...
If any of you are interest, drop me a line!
Best,
Derek
Disabled, abandoned vehicles reported on state forest roads across Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reports more disabled and abandoned vehicles on snow- and ice-covered state forest roads than in any previous winter in the past 20 years.
It is pretty ugly out there. And this weekend is going to get warm. If you do go out...be sure to get out to a manageable road before sunset. The melting snow will be ice and unless you are prepared...you will be stuck.
Good luck and safe travels to anyone venturing out.
Wonder how long it will be until they start requiring a reservation fee. With the popularity of camping right it will be fun trying to sift through all the sites to find one available.
Traveler III
TL;DR: should we wait until a later date to make the trip north and stick to state parks here in VA with current conditions?
Mornin, everyone! Looking for some current condition ground truth for BESF. We're down in NW Virginia now, and desperate to get back up to visit Dear Olde State while exploring BESF with a modded 1st gen Sequoia, small RTT trailer and our intrepid furry jerks. But...with the weather being as it's been, and the rather warm temps expected next week, what're roads and trails like right now? We're looking to head SOMEwhere Sun thru Tues for a couple nights of decompressing, and also testing some gear.
I saw some of the snow reports for area state parks. Poe Paddy/Valley report a few inches of snow with possible ice pack, and BESP (emphasis on the P as opposed to F) reports only spotty areas of an inch or less. This leads me to believe that with the warmer days (and below freezing nights through the weekend) it may be a disgusting mess. While I don't care about the truck, I do care about needing about a dozen towels to dry the dogs off after every hike. Knowing a majority of hiking trails in the area are pretty rocky, it still bears asking what kind of conditions those are in as well; particularly up on the ridges where there may be more snow.
Alternatives are just hitting a state park down here (likely Douthat) and saving the trip up north until a later date when there's not a constant freeze/thaw. The downside to that is that I expect all the motorized spots to be reserved far in advance. Trying to take advantage of being on a one week on/one off schedule right now...not knowing how much longer that will continue. Admittedly there's also part of me that's reticent to visit campus right now if things are draconian and are going to suck the life out of any visit
Mornin, everyone! Looking for some current condition ground truth for BESF. We're down in NW Virginia now, and desperate to get back up to visit Dear Olde State while exploring BESF with a modded 1st gen Sequoia, small RTT trailer and our intrepid furry jerks. But...with the weather being as it's been, and the rather warm temps expected next week, what're roads and trails like right now? We're looking to head SOMEwhere Sun thru Tues for a couple nights of decompressing, and also testing some gear.
I saw some of the snow reports for area state parks. Poe Paddy/Valley report a few inches of snow with possible ice pack, and BESP (emphasis on the P as opposed to F) reports only spotty areas of an inch or less. This leads me to believe that with the warmer days (and below freezing nights through the weekend) it may be a disgusting mess. While I don't care about the truck, I do care about needing about a dozen towels to dry the dogs off after every hike. Knowing a majority of hiking trails in the area are pretty rocky, it still bears asking what kind of conditions those are in as well; particularly up on the ridges where there may be more snow.
Alternatives are just hitting a state park down here (likely Douthat) and saving the trip up north until a later date when there's not a constant freeze/thaw. The downside to that is that I expect all the motorized spots to be reserved far in advance. Trying to take advantage of being on a one week on/one off schedule right now...not knowing how much longer that will continue. Admittedly there's also part of me that's reticent to visit campus right now if things are draconian and are going to suck the life out of any visit
Expedition Master I
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Theres been a ton of melt over the last week or so but the issue with BESF, and not a new one, is that any of the roads in the north side of ridges basically stay in the shade all day long. Ice pack has ALWAYS been an issue there and will remain so. The unfortunate increased popularity has only made matters worse. That said you can certainly get around as there are hundreds of miles of roads there.TL;DR: should we wait until a later date to make the trip north and stick to state parks here in VA with current conditions?
Mornin, everyone! Looking for some current condition ground truth for BESF. We're down in NW Virginia now, and desperate to get back up to visit Dear Olde State while exploring BESF with a modded 1st gen Sequoia, small RTT trailer and our intrepid furry jerks. But...with the weather being as it's been, and the rather warm temps expected next week, what're roads and trails like right now? We're looking to head SOMEwhere Sun thru Tues for a couple nights of decompressing, and also testing some gear.
I saw some of the snow reports for area state parks. Poe Paddy/Valley report a few inches of snow with possible ice pack, and BESP (emphasis on the P as opposed to F) reports only spotty areas of an inch or less. This leads me to believe that with the warmer days (and below freezing nights through the weekend) it may be a disgusting mess. While I don't care about the truck, I do care about needing about a dozen towels to dry the dogs off after every hike. Knowing a majority of hiking trails in the area are pretty rocky, it still bears asking what kind of conditions those are in as well; particularly up on the ridges where there may be more snow.
Alternatives are just hitting a state park down here (likely Douthat) and saving the trip up north until a later date when there's not a constant freeze/thaw. The downside to that is that I expect all the motorized spots to be reserved far in advance. Trying to take advantage of being on a one week on/one off schedule right now...not knowing how much longer that will continue. Admittedly there's also part of me that's reticent to visit campus right now if things are draconian and are going to suck the life out of any visit
