Hi All, we just moved to Cookeville a couple months ago and wanted to see if anyone could recommend an area to get offroad in our Jeep that is within an hour or so of us? Thanks! Not looking for anything crazy, just getting some dirt under the tires in the woods.

You are about an hour and a half from Windrock.

That's about as big as it gets.

Wish you were farther east. I love Chuch Swan WMA. That's where my Jeep gets most of its mileage.

@finslayer83 where is that place you just went?

Windrock is in Oak Ridge and 73k acres. Best park east of MS.

Coalmont OHV is between you and Chattanooga, also fun.

Member at both but Windrock can be a harsh mistress. Coalmont is also 1/2 the distance from me (middle tn).

ETA:  Public trails? Prentice Cooper north of Chattanooga and LBL west if you near Clarksville.

What's the legal status of Catoosa's logging trails?  The gravel roads are public but maintained well enough that they would be boring even in a mid-size sedan if they weren't running through some nice scenery with wildlife.  The logging trails look like they would be at least mildly interesting in a Jeep, and I have seen them mentioned once or twice online as decent trails, but I haven't seen any "official" statements beyond one of the neighboring counties promoting them to hikers.

Thanks, all! I’m not looking to do any wheeling, just looking for logging roads to cruise and see some scenery. I’m used to all the public lands out west, I could be on forest service roads in 30 minutes from wherever I lived.  Sounds like I’ll have to drive a little ways for that.

I saw Catoosa mentioned, it’s about an hour and a half from me so that’s probably the best option for public access. My wife and I plan to do a lot of long weekends, exploring around East TN and the surrounding areas, I guess I will have to get the majority of my public lands fix out that way.

As you have discovered, TN has no BLM lands. Almost all are USFS or National Park. There are some state WMA’s but you need to find out what their policies are and they can vary from WMA to WMA. One thing though concerning WMA lands, all of them, is no alcohol is allowed, period. That may or may not be an issue for you but it’s a recent change and highly enforced.

Thanks, I have read that about the WMA's but not an issue, I save the drinking for back at camp or the cabin.

To be clear, it’s not just the drinking, it’s the possession of alcohol.

Having it in your vehicle or camp on the WMA is strictly prohibited. And they do check.

There are also some state forests, and they can also vary from one to the next.

Varying policies on what roads are open to anything other than hikers and mountain bikers.  Varying policies on whether or not camping is allowed (being allowed seems to be the less common option) and what restrictions are in place when camping is allowed.

https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife-management-areas.html

https://www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests/state-forests.html

There are quite a bit of Dirt roads North east off you  in the Wilder Mountain area Between Livingston and Jamestown. I moved to the area  a few miles south of wilder last year and sometimes take a Sunday afternoon Drive for an hour or 2. Lots of cool windy skinning asphalt roads some dirt and some renegade trail.

Here is a Nice Ride

111 North out of Cookeville
293 East to Hy 84
Cross HY 84 (Dry Hollow)
Left Shiloh Road To Route 85
Right on 85 to HY 164
Left on 85 at  HY 164 split
Left on Big Sandy Road Wilder
lots  of Dirt roads up through this area (Some great fire cuts made with dozer last year that are fun. In State land Probbally not legal. Some straight up  or down if solo be prepared)
Find Your way North to Hwy 52 and go west back towards Livingston

Understood, thanks again!

Thanks, I will check this out! Appreciate the detailed route info!