As Selimyar posted last week on the other board, Livingston is still open, but only to licensed roadworthy vehicles. I went there Saturday and Sunday and played in the mud quite a bit.

On Saturday, I was told many different stories by everyone at the truck stops ranging from "It's completely closed" to "They'll only ticket ORV's if they are on the main roads" to "You'll be fine - the cops like Toyotas" <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />
I met with US Forest Service men Maynard and Junior <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> (I'm NOT kidding...) who were friendly as can be and set the story straight. The place has become too popular, and even though it is within the boundary of a US Forest, the individual property owners are concerned with the liability of the frequent injuries/fatalities, vandalism, and potential for serious forest fires. Crime is a big problem there now (I counted 3 burned-out abandoned vehicles - one that Maynard <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> said was a 2002 Chevy just stolen and dumped last weekend). If you have a road-legal vehicle, you can pretty much go anywhere on the main roads you want, other than the road that leads onto the Shellowtree Trace Trail, which is closed for "improvements". Maynard and Junior <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> did say that next year most of the main roads would be "improved" as well, but not to look for any lessening of the ORV restrictions. Even if you do have a licensed vehicle, if you are pulling/towing an ORV, or are with a group that has ORV's, you will be told to leave the area or be ticketed. Most of what the group of 8 USFS rangers, 12 KYDNR, and 2 Barney Fifes were doing was "mopping up" - groups were given 30 min notice to leave and ticketed/towed/arrested if ignored.

M&J <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> did like the Toyota, asking all kinds of questions about the goodies installed. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/coolg.gif" alt="" /> They took some pictures even.. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/coolg.gif" alt="" /> They tried to follow me as far as they could in there pea-soup green Tahoe. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> I even got to pull out a stuck county sheriff in a POS S10 Blazer. He was really a pr1ck, and was hassling me even after I pulled him out - but good ole M&J <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" /> came back up behind me and pretty much ridiculed the a-hole Buford Pusser wannabe...
So the final: all the roads and most of the side trails are pretty much OK, but the fun obstacles (such as the "Field" and the "Playgrounds" are off-limits). The "Schoolbus" trail to the river is OK, but any other trail to the river bottoms is off-limits as well. The USFS guys are to be marking the designated trails better in the fall...

Pic of the "Man" at the Field and some light mud shots (the wife didn't/wouldn't get dirty to take any other pics...)

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

LMAO

thanks for the heads up.

So you said the "field" is closed. But isn't that a pic at the "field" with the green Chevy? Whats up with that?

I'm glad we can still ride there though. Hopefully they will let us ride on the good trails. We need to show them that most 4wd'ers are responsible, and that all the deaths and injuries are ATV'ers.


Let's see some more pics!

Yeah, that's a pic of the "Field" (ever see it that empty??). It's off-limits now... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I had noticed the "improved" roads were the ones that were rutted about 3 feet deep, bulldozed, and now eroded to about 4 feet deep. It would be difficult w/ IFS and w/o lockers to cross some of them. It was a really a slick, muddy, mess. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

After I pulled Barney Fife out of a mud hole, he was able to make it out to the Field w/ the rest of the USFS guys. They sat there for about 30 min, then set out back for the main entrance to clear out the stragglers.

When I first showed up about 11 am on Saturday, there must have been about 500 people leaving. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> It was really wierd - I had the whole place pretty much to myself both days, so I had to make sure I didn't get into something I may have regretted. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

Hey, I just wanted to bring this back up. You remember the trail where me you and Josh went last time? By where "Virginia's Crack" is? Is that still open? I'm itching to go to that spot with my SAS. I'm getting shocks and a driveshaft finally this weekend so I want to go back soon. Hopefully it dries out there. Up here we are supposed to get a whole week without rain. We havent had a week without rain since this time last year.

You said it was open, then you said they were making everyone leave, which one is it. I tow my rig as a 5:29 with lockrites would not run to good on a 3 hour highway run. Is it open to camping and running or not?

You mean this crack... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />




I couldn't find "Virginia's Crack" on any of the public roads, so I'm assuming it's now a no-no too... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

If you have a street-legal licensed vehicle, you have every right to be there (just not camp). If your trailer queen is street legal, then you're also OK.

If you had a legal truck but were "associated" with someone w/ a buggy, rail, 4wheeler, etc - you were made to leave though. I guess they did not want to fart around w/ the temptation that someone would eventually pull the unlicensed vehicle off the trailer. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

No camping? That sucks.

I think my next trip is to the badlands.

WTF????? no camping??? then damn, it's not even worth my time to go down there then <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> and im not gonna spend all my $$ on a hotel room. might as well just head over Natural bridge ( its closer) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />