Here's another one that may come in handy as we all contribute. Post up your favorite trail or wheeling spot. I know, a lot of folks don't want to give up their good hunting spot and I'm not asking that. I'm just asking if there's that secret spot you wouldn't mind taking a couple Jeeps along. Bonus points if the local rust bucket Suburban on 68"boggers hasn't torn the hell out of it


I'll start. Dave, I found this map just doing a quick google search and wondering if it makes sense to you since it's in your neck of the woods. http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/misc/orv/orvtrailmp.pdf

 

I don't recall being on that trail, but know of it, as well as many others that go up into Caribou Hills. There are some that you can take Jeeps on, but MOST are 4 wheeler trails. You have to remember, so much of the trails down here hare full of swamp, and where a 4wheeler can run right over the top, a 4k pound jeep would get swallowed up whole. A friend of mine has a cabin up in Caribou hills, and indeed you can take a Jeep or other 4x on that trail after breakup. Some of those trails also go through native lands and you can't pass unless you have permission. Unfortunately they are getting pretty sticky about trespassing and there are all kinds of rules and regs.....especially during hunting season.
I'll see if I can talk to a buddie of mine about this trail and see what he says.

 

Mystery Creek Road on the Kenai Peninsula. It's kind of a nice trail. Not much for extensive wheelin', but it's a pretty neat, and long trail. For quite a ways it's just a plain gravel road that you can take anything on. But as you start getting farther back in, it gets more interesting. There is a spot where they call the Beaver Ponds.....it's just a flooded part of the trail. At times it can be deep and at others not bad at all. From the times I've been through it in my lifted CJ5, I doubt I'd even have a problem with my CAI in the JK. But it can be muddy. The times I have taken the trail, I've always been going out to a duck hunting spot, which means taking a turn off down to the Chickaloon River. But if you don't take the turn off, you can take it quite a few miles more out towards Chickaloon Bay. I have never taken it farther than the turn off so can't say what it's like after that. I have some friends that have tho, and didn't say there were any nasty spots. There also is a cabin down towards the end that, as far as I know, you can stay in. You might want to call the Forestry Service about that in case they have you make reservations like they do with so many cabins nowadays. You may not want to tho, as 2 guys died in that cabin because they lit a charcoal fire in the cabin and the fumes killed them. It was a Grandfather, father, and son. The boy lived as he was sleeping down on the floor. It was quite a shame. BTW....the trail is only open during moose and duck season. I've been on the trail fairly recently, but I haven't been down to my duck hunting place in over 10 years, so don't know what has gone on down the trail. They could have done anything to it by now.....who knows?

If you have the Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer, look on page 71. Right above Skilak Lake see the word NATIONAL in bold black letters. Look between the letters "A" and "L" and you will see where the trail begins as you just come down out of the Kenai Mts. When you get close, and if you don't watch closely for the trail, you'll blow right by it at 60mph. You'll know it's the right one as there is a gate right at the highway that will be open when you can go back in.
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I did a google search and found this link. If you remember, awhile back, I mentioned a trial that went to a mine up around Kenai Lake on the way to Seward. Well, here it is. I noticed that it says for ATVs and trail bikes. When I went on the trail with a buddy in his F150, it was plenty wide enough. But we only got not even above treeline if I recall, before it got too muddy and he stopped. It's only a 10 mile trail, but who knows if a JK can make it all the way or not. I'll keep looking for more info. Anyway, check it out.... Wow....click on the "trail map" icon for a great aerial photo!!!
http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/t.../ride_7f28.htm

Just found another link. This looks like it would be a real cool place to go. At the least, the scenery looks fantastic...
http://travel.webshots.com/album/566891015YapWrk

Hmmmmm.....did some more searching and now I don't know for sure what trail we started up....the Crown Point Mine trail, or the Falls Creek Mine trail. Forgive me as this was back in 1985 I think and it was only that one time. Now I'll do some searching on the Falls Creek Mine.

Well I can't find anything more about the Falls Creek Mine Trail other than this.... The 3.5-mile-long mine road was usable by all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in 2000; the road begins at Crown Point, across the highway from the Trail River campground road.

And this......

Trail Location
The Route Is Located in Southcentral Alaska On the Kenai Peninsula.
This Route Originates at A Point On the East Side of the Alaska Rail-
Road Approximately 18 Miles North of Seward. the Trail Runs Eastward
Up the Falls Creek Valley and Up the South Side of Solars Mountain.
The Trail Terminates at the Falls Creek Mine. the Route Is Located
In the USGS 1:63,360 Seward B-7 Quadrangle and Is Approximately 5
Miles Long.
Historical Documentation
The First Gold Discovery On Falls Creek Was in 1905. Subsequent Pro-
pecting Resulted in Lode Mines, Which Were Active Between 1908 and
1912. the Section of This Route, Which Goes Across State of Alaska
Land, Is Currently A Forest Service Right-Of-Way. This Route Is
Shown in the 1973 Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Trails Inventory As Trail 6 On Map 63 (Seward Quadrangle).

So if it's a "Forest Service Right-of-Way......that could mean that it is closed to motor vehicles. But unless we check it out I guess we won't know.

 

Dave you got some more trails in store then I've ventured on here. I've got good ol' Jim Creek which is a disaster to even consider wheelin in and the Buffolo Mine area that I do want to venture more on but time is running out.

Maybe after a re-group this winter and some shit works out I'll head down your way with some folks in tow and hit some trails down there (if you don't mind). I know theres a bunch up near Fairbanks but who the hell wants to go up there?

 

Yeah, and who wants to drive 350 miles south to wheel trails down there? lol
I see all kinds of jks all over the place here and only one has had project jk stickers on it so far, and the guy from eielson afb of course. I wonder what all the fbx jeepers are out doing?

 

So where are all the trails in the FBX area?...

I've only found some pitiful ATV trails on base so far.

 

I think all the good trails are well guarded secrets in Alaska I was just up in fbx at my cousins house and we did a little wheeling behind his house along the chena river. Got a little squirrly and broke through the ice but luckily is was only about a foot deep.

You should have a local group of guys up in that area that might take you out.....of course might be like the locals here who believe a trail rig should completely demolish the land with a V8 turning 44" pitbulls

 

The fairbanks offroad lions seem to be some cool people and they aren't all about the 44" pitbulls. And there are some pretty cool trails up towards chatnika