Off-Road Jeep Trails in North Carolina

If you are ready to have an awesome adventure, knowing where to take your Jeep off-road can make a big difference between a fun drive and an awesome experience.

Here are four places in North Carolina where you can have a great time driving your Jeep through trails ranging from easy to difficult.

Fort Fisher State Park

Four-wheel drive vehicles are allowed seasonally with required permits at Fort Fisher State Park. Here you will find six miles of beach and trails through a salt marsh at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, a park touching both the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River.

The entrance to the beach has looser and deeper sand which makes it fun and sometimes a little challenging to drive through. The north end of the beach is not typically crowded. Also located in the parks is a state aquarium, Civil War-era historic site, and there is a boat ramp and paddling launch nearby.

Brown Mountain OHV Trail System

The Brown Mountain OHV area is located an hour and 45 minutes northwest of Charlotte in the Pisgah National Forest.

While the entire Brown Mountain OHV system spans about 34 miles, 4×4 vehicles are limited to a certain group of trails that span about 8 miles and a trail pass is required. Typically trails are open from April to January and they are popular among 4x4s, ATVs, mountain bikers and hikers.

The Outer Banks

North Carolina has a few different beaches that allow off-road vehicles. Located in the Outer Banks region in North Carolina is the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which allows permitted off-road vehicles to drive on the shore right up to the ocean.

There are numerous permit requirements that the National Park Service mandates to ensure the protection of important wildlife habitat. Be sure to read the FAQs here. Access does change frequently during the breeding seasons of protected birds and sea turtles so be sure to check before you go.

Badin Lake In The Uwharrie Mountains

Located about an hour and a half east of Charlotte is the Uwharrie National Forest and the Uwharrie Mountains. Within the national park is the Badin Lake OHV area which is open for motorized recreation for dirtbikes, ATVs, UTVs, side-by-sides, and full-sized 4-wheel drive vehicles with the purchase of a day or annual pass/permit to be displayed on the vehicle.

The trail system is open from April 1^st to December 15^th annually. It has 6 trailheads to access the 16 miles of trails. The area is made of former logging and mining trails cut into mountainous terrain and the Uwharrie River basin so there are several dropoff points that make for beautiful views. The trail ratings range from 3-8 and are suitable for beginner-to-intermediate drivers.