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Finding dirt and gravel roads

33K views 32 replies 13 participants last post by  pdwestman 
#1 ·
How do you guys find dirt and gravel roads? Ok I know I can just go out and look for them but is there a map or listing of these roads somewhere? I have been searching for a while now and asking the authorities and no one has a clue as to where to get maps of "unimproved" or dirt and gravel roads. I have gone to the pendot site and gone to the county and township maps but they don't show dirt and gravel roads as any different than paved roads. I have gone to the Gazatier (sp) and still nothing. There is supposed to be over 20,000 miles of dirt and gravel roads in Pa. There must be maps of these roads somewhere. Any ideas???

thanks
 
#2 ·
Thumbs -

AAA maps can be good. There are also topo books that usually cover large areas and show forest roads and jeep trails. You can sometimes find USFS maps at the ranger station - these usually show the forest Service roads.

I've also had some success with MapQuest. Go to "directions" and put in a start and destination. Under the destination theres a "Directions Options" link. If you expand it and check "Avoid Highways", "Avoid Toll roads" and "Shortest Distance" it will often route you on unpaved roads. You can also click on "Avoid" on any leg of the directions and it may route you onto unpaved roads if you're persistent enough.

Also have had good luck with Garmin Mapsource, as the maps usually show all roads. With Mapsource you can view a route in Google earth to see your route from satellite photos.

A lot of the 4X4 clubs have websites with trail and route reviews.

ADVRider has a section of the forum for trading/posting GPS .gpx files of adventure rides, many of which are unpaved.

There are some pay sites for sharing off-roading info, but i haven't ever found them to be really worthwhile.

Tom
 
#3 ·
Thanks Tom

I have really been searchin here and have come up with nothin. I went to AAA this afternoon and they looked at me like I had three eyes. They couldn't even tell me where to start to look. I will try mapquest again but I can't get it to get to the detail I need to find the dirt and gravel. I have thought of the topo maps but again can't find where to get them. I was just lookin at the county maps that show on the legend unimproved roads but don't show any on the maps. I know they are there but they don't show them. I look to find the roads I have been on but it just shows them as local roads and not any different than the paved ones.

There used to be a bunch of unpaved roads around here but over the years they have disappeared. I have to go about an hour now to get to them. Going into a new area and just ridein around lookin for dirt and gravel with no idea if they are an eighth of a mile long or 20 miles long can get to be a bit of a drag. I have looked at the local county maps but they don't distinguish between paved and unpaved either. I'll try mapquest again and see what happens.

thanks for the help this is harder than I expected. LOL
 
#4 ·
#6 ·
Google Maps. Choose a location and look for the non-asphalt roads.

Mountain Bike information. You should find an occasional route that allows motorcycles. Myn bikes have better information on the Great Divide Ride than motorcyclists do.

Google Search "motorcycle off road" or ???

Today I found a 100 mile road of mixed surfaces from a photo that said Henness Pass Road. Can't wait to give it a try but that won't be until mid October or later.​
 
#7 ·
Here's a suggestion

Have you tried contacting your state Department of Natural Resources? In Iowa, the DNR publishes a sportsman's guide, which is essentially a detailed atlas of the state broken down into smaller areas that show all of the wildlife refuges, public hunting areas, creeks, lakes, as well as every little road that will take you there. I suspect most DNRs have a similar publication, or could steer you to one. Or, on a trip a a while back to Kansas, I found a wonderful book in a truck stop called "Kansas Backroad Adventures," which showed how to get to all kinds of cool, out-of-the-way places off the beaten path. And some of them were way, way off the beaten path!
Good luck!
 
#8 ·
Thanks for all the help guys. Keep it commin. I'll track down some of these tips today. Yeah this is a real old area. It really is suprising how if you get a bit away its still pretty rural. They just paved the only gravel road I know of around here last year. Wasn't a whole lot but it was something. Now I gotta find something within reason to ride to. About an hour or so from here there are a ton of dirt and gravel roads. The problem is gettin a handle as to where they go.

Well you guys have given me some good leads. I'm gonna check em out.
 
#9 ·
Tim

I am tryin to find non asphalt roads on google maps. Can you give me the site you use? Maybe I'm missin something here but I can't find anything that will allow me to look for non asphalt roads.
 
#10 ·
Thumbs,

I was born in Williamsport, Lycoming County PA. Get yourself a Pennsylvania Atlas & Gazetteer at your local book store. Pennsylvania has so many state forest roads and gravel roads you should be able to wear your bike out.

Plan a trip to the North Central part of the state. Look at the area around Slate Run PA. there are hundreds of miles of state forest service roads in that area alone. I could go on and on but you get the picture, now get the Atlas.
 
#11 ·
Thanks. Yeah I have a Gazattieer. The problem is it doesn't distinguish secondary roads from dirt and gravel. I go up around Marshalls Creek and up around Honesdale. What I am tryin to do is to have a general idea as to where these roads are before I get there and not spend days lookin for them. I got a hold of a guy from Lacawana county this afternoon and he said he has a map that shows dirt and gravel roads but I would need a county map to figure where these roads are. I know there are a ton of these roads I just would like to have a handle on where they are before I set out for a days ride. From where I am Marshalls Creek is about an hour and a half and Honesdale is another hour or so. Its kinda a haul even before I get there. LOL
 
#12 ·
Gary,

A nice weekend trip or maybe a three day extended ride would give you plenty of time to see the Pine Creek Valley. That is where Slate Run and all those roads are at.

Take 476 up to I80, take I80 West to the I 180 exit to Williamsport, Stay I 180 right through Williamsport until you reach the Rt 44 North exit at Avis Pa. Rt 44 will be one of the best rides you've been on.

Take the Rt 414 exit from 44 to Camel / Slate Run area and you can ride that as far as you want. 414 will take you up to Rt 6 and you can ride Rt 6 all the way back to Honesdale if you want. If you were to do this I would plan on 4 or 5 days. It is an incredibly beautiful trip.
 
#13 ·
Hey thanks. I'll keep that trip in mind. As a matter of fact I am headed that way on Friday. My buddy and I are headed to Hammondsport NY. That is where the Glenn Curtis museum is. They are goin to fly a rep of the America on Saturday. We aren't takein the bikes but we are goin right through Williamsport. I've been out there a couple of times but again not on the bike.

I thought gettin maps that show unimproves or dirt roads wouldn't be that hard. I guess I was wrong. LOL
 
#15 ·
Hey thanks. I'll keep that trip in mind. As a matter of fact I am headed that way on Friday. . . .We aren't takein the bikes but we are goin right through Williamsport.
<snip>

Indirectly he seems to be pointing to to the REAL question . .

A LOT of people have the pleasurable situation of being only a relative few miles from the 'trailhead'. When the urge strikes, it's just 'dress & go' {after work, a Saturday morning, whatever}.

Although the machine will get the rider almost anywhere {'an ADVENTURE bike'} it's still a pain to have to ride two hours {there & back} for an hour of riding !! [I went through the same thing when I kept a boat at a yard on the Sassafrass River in Maryland] .

Planning a 'few day' trip is out of the question, and the simple answer of keeping a bike trailer handy presents another whole set of problems !!

Regards,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop
{Montgomery Co., PA . . getting back after 30+ years 'bikeless'}
 
#14 ·
Open a new tab and type in Slate Run. Choose the google map, use the satellite option with labels. Zoom in, look for Slate Run Road, follow it north to Francis Rd. this is the gateway to some great country. Zoom in and drag the map around, Morris Run Rd. Bear Run Rd. it seems never-ending once you are there.
 
#17 ·
I use my GPS maps to identify areas where roads appear in an older version and don't exist in the newer version. Often these roads are abandoned but sometimes a land owner has assumed ownership of the road and put up a gate. Only way to confirm their existance is ride them and see what's there.
 
#22 ·
I grew up in Pennsylvaina;

Hey Thumbs,

I grew up in PA. and sent you a PM with what you need.

Ard
 
#23 ·
I find dirt/gravel roads from county DOT maps. Google DOT County Maps with a state name and you can go from there.

Most states have these online in PDF formats.
 
#24 ·
Guess he doesn't have the e-mail notification set up like I do.................... Heck not only did I tell him which maps but where to get them. There are more State Forrest Roads in Pennsylvania than you could ever ride. I wanted to put him on some that are not only all day trips but scenic also.

Ard
 
#26 ·
bryce

I am checkin the dot maps but so far they don't so any in pa. Now I have only checked a couple of countys but nothin. They all show as secondary roads. I am in the process of downloading a county where I know there are a lot of dirt and gravel to see if it will show up there. It seems these maps for pa countys aren't very detailed. I'll keep lookin though.
thanks
 
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