Vermont Overland Guide Services

TRAIL IMPACT OF JEEP TOURING

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One of the first questions that may come to anyone’s mind upon learning about Vermont Overland’s jeep tours is, “Wow, will they be out tearing up public roads and trails?” This is a perfectly valid question and one that we, as off-road enthusiasts, grapple with every day. Vermont Overland’s answer to this question is a confident and resolute “No!” Here’s why:

Vermont Overland off-road tours follow the traditional Vermont “jeeping season” which extends from mid to late May through early December. In other words, we do not, ever, venture off-road during mud-season, when unmaintained roads and trails are most vulnerable to damage.

Vermont Overland trail rides take place either on private land, access to which we have written permission from the landowner, or on mapped, accepted and duly classified Class 4 town highways that are well utilized by the public.

Vermont Overland jeep tours always adhere to the principles of Tread Lightly. We are even “Copper Partners” of Tread Lightly.

Vermont Overland utilizes only truly capable trail rigs as our guide and tour vehicles. Our trucks are specially equipped for the least trail impact possible. We also carefully tailor our self-drive tours for minimal impact given the customer’s vehicle’s capabilities.

Vermont Overland jeep tours never utilize private land snowmobile trails or any other private land that we do not have permission to use. We also do not run any off-road jeep tours during snowmobiling season.

Vermont Overland jeep tours never utilize ancient roads that are not also mapped, accepted and classified town highways, unless the ancient road is clearly used by the public and accepted as such and, even then, only when necessary.

Vermont Overland jeep tours never utilize any public roads that are not clearly and frequently used by motor vehicles. In other words, we would never cut live greenery to gain trail access or drive over someone’s lawn, garden, septic system or any other privately improved land regardless of whether it’s a mapped town highway or not.

Now, that’s not to say that driving on an unmaintained town highway doesn’t have some impact. Indeed, it does. Yes, you see tire tracks and, certainly, there’re muddy ruts at times. The point is that this impact is little more, if any, than the impact any motor vehicle has on a Class 3 town-maintained dirt road. The thing to remember about this impact is that these are roads. They are not designated walking trails, equestrian trails, biking trails, or trails exclusively reserved to any user group. They are roads and, as such, their logical and historic use is to provide right of way from point A to point B in a vehicle, whether that vehicle is a horse and buggy in 1790 or a modern day jeep in 2008.

Further, responsible and prepared jeeping on public roads has specific benefits for other non-motorized users. We carry chainsaws to remove the endless deadfall that accumulates on our backcountry roads. Our trucks have winches that we use to perform necessary trail maintenance, like dragging rocks and deadfall into place to fill washouts. And, to be sure, we’ve all seen or heard of the ill-prepared wheeler who goes back into the woods to churn up a mud hole and throw empty beer cans out of the back of his rig along the way. Well, all I can tell you is that the more you see responsible users like those you’ll see on Vermont Overland trail rides, the less you’ll see of these few bad apples.

So, please, be rest assured that Vermont Overland is doing its part to not only tread lightly, but also to benefit all users of our lovely historic byways in the process.