Has anyone been to Telico Plains in Western NC? A friend of mine wants to go there next weekend to do some light off road driving. He has a Jeep ZJ 4x4 and I have a SE 4x4. Both trucks are in stock form. Can someone who's been there recommend a trail for us?

A group of us from the Southeast Xterra Club and Florida Xtreme Xterra Club ventured to Tellico back in July. The stock X's found plenty of challenges (meaning rocks scraping the undercarriage and crawling slowly across the terrain) on the easy level four trails. I would recommend those and also someone that's exprienced in off-roading to tag along. Spotting will be required along with the normal off-roading equipment. The non-stock X's had no problems with the level four trails, but later on found the harder ones to be quite tasking. Be sure to use good spotting techniques and patience.

If you stick to the easy trails, you'll probably be ok in stock form (lose your step rails and front flaps though). Just don't get too overconfident and take any of the more difficult trails. Some look easy at first, but can turn pretty technical and you can really do some damage. Tag along with someone who has been there before of you can. I haven't been there in a few years, but Tellico can get pretty tough in a few
places (especially of it's rained). Good luck and be careful.

It is a little late in the season for a stock X on the trails at Tellico. Usually the toughest trail conditions are in the late fall to winter before spring trail maintenance (if any) takes place. We had clearance issues with the stock X on trail 4, which was the easiest at Tellico, besides trail 1, which could be driven in a 2 wheel drive as it is essentially a dirt/gravel access road.

first off, the terms "light offroad driving" and "Telico" do not belong in the same sentence. Telico is one of the toughest public OHV areas on the east coast, it is not your average public OHV park that has a little hard stuff and some stock friendly trails. 85% of the trails are not stock friendly if trail 5 is any indication and from what I have read since then. not to mention that the trails are different every time since there is so much percipitation up there. From talking to people we met up there, trails that are listed as one difficulty could be different once you get on them. so above all be careful and use common sense. if you don't feel comfortable don't do it.

just stay on the simple trails, they will be challengining enough for you in a stock vehicle. and remember that the trail ratings are for Jeeps, usually built up ones. so don't get overconfident. The problem you will find with any other trails besides trail 4 is that once you commit to go down that trail, you HAVE to go down it, as you will not make it back up. make sure you have recovery gear and people that know what they are doing. and if it has rained recently up there and you have stock tires, it is going to be VERY interesting for you , much less if it has been snowing.

the guys in more heavily modified Xterras took trail 5, listed as being on the low end of moderate, at the Plant Tour trip sponsered by SEXC and SWXC last May and it took us 4.5 hours to go 1 mile on that trail. and we were lucky at the little body damage we got. Rich popped a tail light, I scraped some paint off and Carlton got a tiny ding on his door. there were times where we were driving on the cliffs edge.

I hope to go back next year sometime as it was a blast, but i am not running any other trails before i ride them shotgun with some else in their built up jeep to see if an Xterra can even make it through other trails. like i said, once you commit to go down a trail, there is no going back up in many cases.

[ 11-03-2001: Message edited by: Synchro ]

I guess the Telico is not really for us. We'll look for some other trails in the area then.

Hey...don't forget the Pathfinder that went down the tough trail too!!!!....

Sorry man. I didn't forget you, just that he was asking about Xterras. long time no hear from man!!