Overland Trail Guides Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us as we chat with Christian Fick about his time exploring southwestern Oregon.  The Wild Rivers Discovery Trail is a 225 mile overland route in southern Oregon  was developed by Overland Trail Guides.  While most Oregonians head inland in search of views, this section of western Oregon features those vistas seldom seen in this part of the state.  The region of southwestern Oregon got its name due to the numerous Wild and Scenic Rivers along this stretch of coastline. This section of coast is part of the Klamath-Siskyou ecoregion, that's home to the largest concentration of Wild and Scenic rivers in the lower 48.  Prior to the establishment of commercial fishing, the salmon and steelhead runs along this section of coast were said to rival those in Alaska.  

The Flat Tops Adventure Trail
The 225 mile long Wild Rivers Discovery Trail travels from the Oregon-California border, hugging the coastal mountain ranges as it heads northward to its terminus in Port Orford.  The track crosses through the watersheds of more than half a dozen rivers, with fantastic riverside and creekside camping opportunities.  For those looking to extend the adventure, one can easily connect the Wild Rivers track with the Steelhead Adventure Route (Smith River NRA / Northern CA) and the Siskiyou Crest Adventure Trail, that sits on the eastern side of the Rogue River-Siskiyou NF.  

To get the GPX File, complete route guide and more, please visit our website. 
www.overlandtrailguides.com

Originally, a favorite among the van life and outdoor recreationalist community (surfers, rock climbers, etc), more and more folks are using their Sprinter 4x4s to explore the dirt roads of the backcountry.  And while many Sprinter owner stick to mellow gravel and graded dirt roads, there is a small group of folks pushing deep into the backcountry on trails geared towards 4x4s.  

For this episode, we chat with Dan Blanchard, Sprinter Sportsmobile owner, and longtime OTG member.  Dan has persistently been in touch with us, touting the capabilities of a Sprinter Van when driven by an experienced off road driver.  And we completely agree, an expert driver is capable of pushing the limits of a vehicle far beyond the driving skill and capabilities of your average Joe or Jane.  We chat with Dan about his experiences buying his Sportsmobile Sprinter at the start of Covid, and then using it to explore the West and gradually taking on harder and harder trails.  If you're wondering about the limits of a Sprinter van, then be sure to tune in!  

About Overland Trail Guides
Overland Trail Guides, or simply OTG, features North America's most extensive directory of curated overland routes (90+ routes and growing).  You'll get recommendations on appropriate vehicle, technical ratings, best time to visit, places to see and camp, and more. 

www.overlandtrailguides.com

The Owyhee Canyonlands are an expansive wilderness covering more than 2 million acres with rugged canyons, low elevation mountains, and rolling hills of sagebrush in the high desert of Eastern Oregon and Southern Idaho.  We talk with Matthew Mangus of Mangai Rollin, who's been exploring the Owyhees for a number of years.  

You can learn more about Matthew's creative agency, by visiting https://www.mangai-rollin.com/

The Owyhee Discovery Trail
If you're intersested in exploring the Owyhees, check out OTG's Owyhee Discovery Trail.  A 200+ overland route through some of the better known places in the Owyhees, and some out of the way places as well.  https://www.overlandtrailguides.com/post/owyhee-discovery-trail

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.  

If you live in the American West, there's a good chance you've either been to Baja, or it's on your overlanding To Do list.  And take it from us, every overlander should visit Baja at least once in their life!  But being in a foreign country, there are a few things you'll need to prepare for when crossing the border into Baja.  

We talk with Kiley Johnson about some of his recent experiences exploring Baja.  The first was with a guided tour lead by Pacific Overlander, where the group traveled from Tecate at the US-Mexico border down to the quaint seaside town of Loreto in Baja Sur.  The second trip Kiley and crew went without a guide, and explored the mountains and Baja's east coast along the Sea of Cortez.  Turn in to learn more about Kiley's adventures, along with some tips and recommendations to help you prepare for your first Baja trip!

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of curated routes, including various routes in Baja and Sonora, Mexico.  To check out OTG's Mexican Overland Adventures, CLICK HERE.  

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.  

We chat with Jeff Thiel from Washington state about his experiences exploring the Olympic Peninsula this past summer.  We'd shared a route still under development called the Olympic Traverse, and Jeff agreed he'd provide us with some boots-on-the-ground intel, recognizing that the route hadn't been fully researched and developed at the time.  We're happy to say that Jeff's feedback has been a godsend and it's motivated us to finish up the route guide before winter rolls around.  The Olympic Traverse is a 600+ mile loop through the Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest that visits some of the Pacific Northwest's most spectacular scenery.   

Check Out Jeff's Youtube Channel at Where to Next?

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of curated routes, including the Olympic Traverse.   

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.  

The California Crest Trail is poised to become the grand daddy of overland routes in California.  Once fully developed, the route will span approximately 1,500 miles, with over 1,000 miles of dirt backroads and traversing a wide variety of ecosystems from the high desert to the lush evergreen forests near Mt Shasta.    

Largely built along the backbone of the California Backcountry Discovery Trails, OTG has been persistently extending this network of routes by developing the Shasta-Trinity and Tahoe BDTs in 2020.  In 2021, OTG looks to develop the route even further south and east to create the California Crest Trail.   Once all is said and done, the route traverses through the basin ranges and high desert, central and northern Sierra, southern Cascade Ranges, the Klamath Mountains, and the Coastal  Mountains of Northern California.  

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of curated routes, including the Mojave Road.  

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.  

The 138 mile long Mojave Road is one of the most iconic overland routes in California.  And while it's not the longest, most technical or arduous track, the stark beauty of the Mojave desert, quirky attractions, and rich pioneer history makes this route the perfect weekend get away.  And because it's relatively mild on the technical rating scale, it's a great route for beginners to try their hand at overlanding and off road exploration. 

We chat with John Liotti from Northern California about his experiences on the old Mojave Road and why he keeps heading back to the deserts of the American Southwest.  In fact, you may recognize the voice or name, which is because we had John on a previous episode to discuss the Kofa Pioneer trail.  

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of curated routes, including the Mojave Road.  

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.  

With nearly 100,000 square miles of public land (nearly 88% of land is public), Nevada is an Overlander's Paradise.  If you thought the Basin and Ranges that dominate much of Nevada as a barren wasteland, you'd be sorely mistaken.  The mountain ranges and basins that separate them are rich with pioneer and mining history, and the hidden canyons and mountain peaks hide craggy trails and high desert forests made up of various juniper and pine.  

We talk with Mike Henderson from All Terrain Family about some of the hidden gems and his favorite places to explore near his hometown of Reno, and why Nevada is the free-est state in the lower 48 (sorry Texas!).  Whether you're seeking out a quick day trip or a multi-week dirt adventure, Nevada has got you covered!  

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of routes across the American West.  Check out our growing overland route library at www.Overlandtrailguides.com . 
 

Mike Henderson / All Terrain Family Youtube Channel
https://allterrainfam.com/
 

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of curated routes.  

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.  

At over 900,000 acres, the Mendocino National Forest sits about 3 hours north of San Francisco.  Despite its proximity to the Bay Area and Sacramento, many outdoor enthusiasts have never visited the forest.  "The Mendocino" as it's called is filled over 1,000 miles of dirt roads and trails, and is the perfect place for a weekend get away, or a weeklong adventure exploring the backroads.  Dylan Pankow aka Bluebeard Adventures has established himself as the go to person on Youtube for all things related to the Mendocino National Forest.  We sit down and chat with Dylan about the forest, and save of his favorite places to explore and camp.

Dylan Pankow's Youtube channel
 

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of curated routes, including:

• Mendocino Backcountry Discovery Trail (167 miles)
• Mendocino Grand Circuit (301 miles)

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.  
 

Since its inception, the High Water Mark Trail has gone through numerous iterations.  The trail is one of the most popular overland routes in the greater Southeast, and gets its name from the numerous creeks and rivers that must be forded along the route.   We sit down and chat with Matt McClellan from Ozark Overland Adventures bout the history of the route, bringing it back to life, and what you can expect should you decide to take on the High Water Mark Trail!  
 

Overland Trail Guides features thousands of miles of curated routes, including the High Water Mark Trail.

Ozark Overland Adventures Website

Want to Support OTG?
You can support us by buying one of our subscriptions at Overlandtrailguides.com or by supporting us on Patreon.