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SFWDA returns to the Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion in 2020, even bigger and better!

GSMJI_SFWDA_Classroom

The Southern Four Wheel Drive Association - SFWDA.org is excited to once again host the Annual "Off Road Education & Environmental Stewardship Workshop” at the GSM Jeep Invasion.

We will cover Tread Lightly principles as well as best practices on technical skills, along with trail safety topics. Watch our video series of short films covering topics We will also cover topics like Vehicle Rollover Recovery, Spotting, Safe Hi-Lift jack Operation,Trail Etiquette, and discuss best practices in each scenario. Learn the techniques to safely navigate through your next off road adventure!

Jake White from CartoTracks will be joining us in our classroom for a special 1hr limited availability totally FREE Off Road Navigation Course.

For the first time this year we are providing free HANDS-ON off-road education. That’s right we will have a Jeep JK in the parking lot where our the one and only Michael Morrison from Morrison‘s outdoor adventures will be showing off his skills as a professional off-road instructor. Watch and learn as he demonstrates best practices #TreadLightly! #Cartotracks #MorrisonOutdoorAdventures #GSMJI #SFWDA

To learn more visit www.SFWDA.org

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Make it a PREMIUM Holiday this year.

Our all new 2020 Premium SFWDA Gear is here, and is shipping out the door now.

The only way to get these is to be an active Premium SFWDA Member. Premium Membership to SFWDA would make a great Christmas present for your off-roading spouse or friend!!! For just $50 annually you get a fresh designed and super soft and comfortable hat and shirt combo in your select size delivered free of charge right to your home. What are you waiting for…..

Join or Upgrade Today!

Our 2020 Premium Membership Packages are shipping now

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4LOBOUND Crew Donates $500 to support the ongoing battle of the Daniel Boone Back Country Byway

We have been holding back on a little secret we are super excited to finally share. So, before we all gather up at this Saturday for our Summer Meet & Ride to benefit an amazing cause I thought this would be an opportunity to announce another great cause. One that SFWDA has been earnest about for years now and one which just received a generous $500 donation from the 4LOBOUND crew! Together they have generated proceeds from patch and sticker sales and put it forth to hit their first goal of $500 and donated it all to SFWDA in support of the DBBB.

We at SFWDA wanted to graciously say Thank You! Thanks to everyone who has supported #4lobound and your efforts to raise money. Your donation will go a long way to support the ongoing expenses of the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. It could not have come at a better time either. In fact we are deep in a long battle to legally reclaim safe and clear passage throughout the whole planned Byway, but we could use more support.

You too can now DONATE online right here, and right now, right on our website with any computer, tablet, or smartphone. All you need is a credit card or even a Paypal account; no registration required. No minimum required. Anonymity is secure.

We appreciate your support!

We really dig the trail and we know this will go a long way to making sure that stays open.
— Thanks again, -4LOBOUND crew

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Dixie Run 33 is going LIVE - Registration opens up at 8 AM - Wednesday June 12th

Join the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association for the 33nd edition of the premier Southeastern U.S. trail riding event. Join hundreds and hundreds of like minded four wheel drive enthusiasts as we bring our 33rd Annual event to the acclaimed Adventure Off Road Park, in South Pittsburg, TN.

Online ticket sales are going live at 8 AM Eastern on Wednesday, June 12th. Register Here

Driver Weekend Tickets will be just $90 for vehicle through July 7th.

Our event schedule will include Excursion rides on Friday afternoon and Saturday to some beautiful scenic local vistas; scheduled trail rides at the park, Ladies Only rides,Free Hands-On OHV Educational Classes, and much much more!.

All weekend pricing includes access to the trails at AOP, a Saturday night dinner, and camping on site for one night, or the whole weekend. SFWDA and our supporting Business Partners will be supporting a huge raffle on Saturday evening.

Learn More… https://www.sfwda.org/dixierun

#sfwda #dixierun #dixierun33

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Join SFWDA this coming Memorial Day Weekend at Hawk Pride Mountain Offroad!

Join SFWDA this coming Memorial Day Weekend for our 16th Annual Trailfest.

Trailfest is 3 days and nights worth of fun for the whole family! Explore miles and miles of amazing off road trails. Camping from tents to RV's are all welcome, with hot showers and bath facilities. Dinner on Saturday night. Free Top Notch Off Road Educational Courses, and a TON of Guided Trail Rides. This is all included!
Most importantly though you're supporting a core mission that benefits us all in the Off Road Community. All proceeds from our 501.c4 not-for-profit Association fund our Grants Program. Adopted to assist Parks, Clubs, and the whole Off-Road Community in an effort to preserve OHV trail access in the Southeast Region and educate others on Best Practices. We are proactively fighting to ensure our sport thrives on for many future generations.

Learn More about our Grant program and how it directly benefits us, and how you can put it to use. https://www.sfwda.org/grants

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Want to win a set of BFGoodrich Tires - 5 Tires up to 37" - Scott Fields Benefit Raffle

Scott Fields Benefit Raffle sponsored by BFGoodrich Tires

Want to win a set of BFGoodrich Tires
 5 Tires up to 37"!

$5 Raffle Tickets are being sold right now. Show your support for a good friend of the whole OHV Community especially here in the Southeast, and literally for decades now. Winner drawn live, June 23, 2018! 

Scott Fields and family are in need of your support in this challenging moment. 100% of proceeds will go directly to the family.

Get your tickets at a local event near you. 


$5.00 Tickets - Must not be present to Win - Live Drawing June 23, 2018 

BF Goodrich has donated a set of five tires to be raffled off in support of the Scott Fields Benefit effort. Raffle tickets will be available for just $5.00 each at the Scott Fields Benefit Ride, Carolina Beach Jeep Go Topless Day and Clemson 4Wheel Center Poker Run this weekend and other events until June 23 when the winning ticket will be drawn at the SFWDA Uwharrie Meet and Ride. You do not need to be present to win so buy a handful of tickets...

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Scott Fields Benefit Ride - Saturday, May 19th @ Uwharrie - Camping - Raffle - Fund Raiser

Scott Fields Benefit Ride

Hosted by Carolina Trail Blazers & True Patriot

Saturday, May 19th

Trail Riding * Camping * Raffle * Fund Raiser 


Scott Fields has dedicated decades of service and support of OHV recreation in North Carolina. 


Event Hosts True Patriot Inc and Carolina Trail Blazers welcome all to the Scott Fields Benefit Ride May 19th.

 Camping is available for $10 per rig for Friday and Saturday for those wanting to ride in the forest, daily trail pass not included. Camping is included with a $50 donation for the private rides on Big Creek Rocks and Grand Overland District, Ledger Shoals. Rides will be organized by moderate and difficult to take driver experience and vehicle capability into consideration. All rides will leave the event center around 9:30 and return by 5. Lunch is not provided, however, Texalina BBQ will be on hand when the rides return to the events center. 

The raffle will start at 6. Many thanks to Piedmont Performance Diesel & Off-Road for reaching out to MetalCloak and providing the complete install of either a Game Changer or Rock Sport lift kit; as well as Hi-Lift Jacks and Accessories, Root One Six Off Road, and Apex Overland for all of the awesome raffle items.

...UPDATE: thank you Rugged Ridge, Southeast Overland, and ARB for adding to the raffle!...

This event is only possible because of the phenomenal community that Scott is a cornerstone of who have come together on short notice to make this happen. He has greatly impacted the wheeling and veteran communities for many decades and we are honored to be able to do this for him. Scott is in a battle for his life against a rare cancer. All monies will go directly to Scott to cover medical costs, bills, and support his family. Please come out and support this event so all can show their love and appreciation for this great man.

https://www.gofundme.com/scott-fields-mtn-of-medical-bills

Texalina BBQ on site Saturday!!

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Win This Jeep - Help Support our dear friend Scott Field's fight with Cancer

Many of you do not know our good friend Scott Fields. Here is a little look into his OHV life. Scott is very sick and we are trying to support him, his family and the current issues. Please help us help Scott in this time of need. Support the Carolina Trail Blazers, Jason Watson and Team, as they support the Fields family.
— SFWDA President; Ray Stanley

A message from the Carolina Trail Blazers, James Belcher.

The Uwharries, prior to becoming a national forest in 1961 by decree of President John F. Kennedy, were used for hunting, gold mining, timber and farming. All of those activities left a system of roads and trails throughout the forest which continued to be used by recreationists after the Uwharries were name a National Forest. Motorcycles, trucks and early 4wd vehicles accessed the forest for many purposes. With the advent of the ATV in the early 70’s usage of the forest increased.

In the late 70s and early 80s, motorcycle clubs, notably NC Trailriders, under the leadership of John Worsley, were using the forest trail system and developing and maintaining new trails. At this time Scott Fields was living on Badin Lake and as an active outdoorsman, Scott was an active user of Uwharrie National Forest. Scott was an ATV owner who frequently rode the Forest Service roads and hunting trails in the Uwharries. As a “local” Scott became friends with John Worsley and NC Trailriders. Scott would use his Honda Foreman ATV to serve as a pack mule for the motorcycle club as they performed their trail work carrying chainsaws, axes, gas cans and other equipment the motorcycle riders couldn’t carry.

In 1982 Scott purchased a “79 Dodge Power Wagon. This vehicle was capable of carrying much more trail development equipment and Scott’s role in developing the Uwharrie trail system increased as well. At about this same time Forest Service personnel and motorcycle club leadership began to have issues over the trail system usage and maintenance. Legal motorcycle access was even suspended for a short period between 1982 and 1984. It was at this time that Scott began to have a vision to incorporate the off road trails into a Forest Service operation that would serve the full size OHV users in addition to the motorcycles and three wheeler ATVs that were using the trail system. In 1984 the trail system was reopened for all motor usage and was being used by motorcycles, ATVs and full size 4wd vehicles which were becoming very popular.

During this same period of time, 1982-1986, a 4wd event called the Smoky Mountain Trek was being held in the Nantahala National Forest area called Tellico. With the proliferation of full size 4wd usage, the event began to grow beyond its bounds, and the need developed for a recreationist advocacy group to work with the Forest Service in maintaining the trail system.

In the spring of 1987 a new organization was formed to be an advocate for the many individual and club 4wd enthusiasts in the southeast United States. This association was formed as the Southern Four Wheel Drive Association. The inaugural meeting took place in Gatlingburgh, TN. Among the attendees was Scott Fields, a member of the Carolina Trail Blazers 4wd Club, Inc. Scott is a charter member of SFWDA as is the CTB club.

Through his contacts with local enthusiasts, Forest Service personnel and SFWDA leadership, Scott brokered a deal whereby SFWDA would assist the Forest Service in developing an OHV system in the forest which would bring to fruition his vision of a multi-user trail system.

Several of SFWDA’s leaders at that time were experienced heavy machinery operators and Scott recruited their services in operating the machinery that modified the single track trails into something suitable for full size 4wd vehicles. Gunnar Byrd, 2011-2013 SFWDA president, and Griff Shirley were the men on the machines during this phase of the Uwharrie OHV trail system development.

As with many Forest Service programs, the participation of the general public, especially sport specific enthusiasts, was a key to maintaining the new OHV trails. As Scott’s vision began to take shape, the need for someone to coordinate volunteer efforts in this maintenance was self evident. As a resident of the area, an enthusiast and visionary of the project, Scott was the logical choice, and so began his 16 year run as OHV volunteer coordinator for the Uwharrie OHV trail system.

In the mid 2000s Scott suffered some business problems which forced him to curtail his OHV volunteer activities and move away from the Uwharie area. The OHV volunteer coordinator position passed through several people and as participation and communication between the coordinators and the Forest Service declined the Forest Service decided to began using an Adpot-A-Trail Partner program. Instead of having a volunteer coordinator that would work with the various clubs and individuals, clubs would adopt a specific trail to maintain in the Uwharrie OHV system and the Forest Service personnel would coordinate with club leadership.

Without Scott Fields and his vision it is very doubtful that there would even be an OHV trail system in Uwharrie National Forest. He is owed a debt of gratitude from every enthusiast who uses those trails!

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This years Trailfest Premium Members Experience will be a little different than at past events. Here's How.... 

Trailfest Premium Members Experience is back in 2018! Better than ever......

Premium Members Experience is Back! 

You've been waiting for it and here it is! 

Join us at Trailfest on Friday morning at the main pavilion at 8:30 AM for coffee, donuts and a Premium Members EXCLUSIVE raffle. ALL Premium Members who come to Trailfest are welcome! There will be some great prizes and the only way to win them is to be an active Premium Member (with no outstanding dues!)

Afterwards, there will be a Premium Members ride. to sign up for that, go to the Trail Ride sign up page and register. We will pick names from those who show interest and be in touch with them on Monday of Trailfest week to confirm our Ride lineup.

Register for the ride here:
https://www.sfwda.org/event-calendar#id=146&wid=201&cid=1044

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the 2018 Annual Meeting Minutes in PDF format are now available online for your convenience

 These 2018 Meeting Minutes have been added to our Google Drive directory for archive and are also available for a direct download right here on our website.


We also have the complete Video "LIVE" stream view-able on any device through our Facebook Page - Videos.  https://www.facebook.com/SFWDA.org/videos/534150473610555/ 

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