Jeep Off-Road Adventures in Gore, VA with Appalachian Off-Road Adventure
If you have ever wanted to try an off road adventure, the team at Appalachian Off Road Adventure can make it a reality! This is an incredible experience delivered by an experienced team that has a focus on safety and fun at the same time! In order to take advantage of this great adventure, this post is designed to give you the steps you need to have a great day leading up to your adventure along with the post adventure activities.
The Appalachian Off Road Adventure is based at The Cove Campground in Gore, VA with an address of 980 Cove Road, Gore, Virginia 22637, United States. Once you have determined your transportation method to the location, work with the Appalachian Off Road Adventure to book your experience. Their is limited availabiity for this experience, so you should book early. The experience is also dependent on the weather and the winter time could impact the schedule therefore it is best to book your reservation for a future date so you can get it on your calendar. The team makes it easy to put the transaction on the credit card and they use the traditional method to talk to you and gather the information over the phone.
Prior to your departure for the Appalachian Off Road Adventure, you will want to prepare for your day. The experience is located in the Cove Campground and this is a traditional camp ground. For those of you that have not been camping, this means their are no restaurants. You need to be self-sufficient when you arrive. You will want to pack a cooler for lunch and snacks. If you are short on ideas, here is a menu that you can copy:
- Cleaning and setup supplies to include: Chairs for all parties attending. (While the camp ground has picnic tables, you can find a secluded area if you want to stay separate from the other campers),
- Hand soap and bottled water. Please note, while their are “Rest Rooms” at the check in location, as of September 25, 2021 their is a lacking of running water. I am not sure what the thought process on that is.
- Cooler with Ice
- Small folding table
- Table cloth
- Chlorox wipes for hands and to wipe down the table
- Plastic fork, knife and spoon for all parties
- Trash bag
- Visit Wegman’s or your local sandwich place and obtain Ham and Cheese sandwiches on Wheat or White bread. Do not add Mustard or Mayonaise to the sandwich. Ask to get those in a small packet. (Wegmans also has a nice selection of sandwiches in the container as well. They often sell out early, so don’t expect to go Friday night and get a big selection.)
- Purchase a container of fruit. Blueberry, Strawberry and Mango makes for a nice addition
- Purchase the Truffle Gouda Cheese from Whole Foods. (Please note you will need to cut this up the night before and place it in a solid container)
- Chocolate chip cookies or another suitable sweet for desert
- Bottled water and other beverages for drinks.
- Chips
Please note, you could bring the chips and some drinks in the Jeep, but do not plant to bring your entire cooler. This is off roading and your cooler may get “ejected” from the vehicle. They vehicles do have a small cooler in the back that is already secured for some drinks if needed.
The food planning is important, but you will also need to plan on what to wear. The key items for this adventure will include a change of socks and having 2 pairs of shoes. Based on the day, you may want to bring a shirt and pants. The trails can be muddy and you will want to have some dry materials for your post-adventure activities. Plan to watch the weather 2 days before your experience. In addition to the weather, feel free to hit up your ATM machine and have some cash on hand to off your guides a gratuity. They do an AMAZING job and cash still reigns!
On the day of your adventure, plan to head out and arrive at the location 30 minutes prior to the experience. The Cove Campground will have a small check in procedure and based on the time of year, their could be a line to get in. Please note, if you are driving an EV vehicle, as of September 25, 2021, EV charging stations are not available at the The Cove Campground.
Once you have arrived at the parking location for the Appalachian Off Road Adventure, greet your hosts, Michael and Angela. Spend some time to take some pictures with the “clean” Jeep because once you get back it won’t look the same. The guides will also distribute a 2-way radio for communication.
The tour departs with the guides in the lead vehicle and you start off with a warm up trail. Their is a trail numbering system that reflects the difficulty of the trail. It is AMAZING to get right into the off road activities. You have a great guide that shows you the initial path and all you need to do is follow the leader. If you have not driven a Jeep in a while or never, the capabilities of the Jeep product are amazing! The suspension makes for an enjoyable ride. The four wheel drive capabilities are impressive when matched with the extra size tires that are on the vehicle. I was VERY impressed with the Jeep product for this experience. The Jeep handles incredible inclines and “mud puddles” with incredible ease. Pictures do not accurately depict the elevation changes or depth of the puddle that the Jeep can handle. You will need to see it for yourself.
During the tour, the guides will position themselves at certain points to guide you over the terrain. Furthermore, the guides help “clear” the path for downed trees and overall keep you encouraged and safe.
The half day tour will take you on several paths through the woods and is complete with some great vantage points looking out toward West Virginia. Their is time along the tour to switch drivers, therefore this makes for a great group activity.
Once your tour is finished, you will arrive back at the same location. Now you can head off and find a nice lunch spot in one of the many fields that are available. The Cove Campground has a shooting range if you have your own weapon. I did not use this service, therefore you should contact the campground on the rules and use of the range if you want to do that after your experience.
The knowledge provided by the guides on this expereince is unparalleled. They have been in the area for many years and are VERY familiar with the trail. Their passion for off roading is apparent. You would be putting yourself at risk to drive up there and try the trails on your own. If you want to bring your own vehicle, work with the team at Appalachian Off Road Adventure to make sure you have the proper vehicle size, skid plates and correct size tires.
The Appalachian Off Road Adventure, is an amazing experience for yourself, or a group of friends. If you choose to go by yourself, know that you will meet a great group of people on the adventure that share your interest in off road capabilities.
This experience is going to sell out fast! If you ever wanted to try this, book the experience now to get in the system and add it to your calendar for an amazing experience! It would make a great present for anyone that likes an experience or likes to experience off road adventures.