Overland Trail Guides Podcast

We talk with Brent Baker from Oregon Adventure Trucks about the overlanding journey. We'll start off by discussing car camping, move to dispersed camping, and eventually progress to full-on adventure travel. We'll discuss the essential gear you'll need for your first camping trip, an overview of the preparation for adventure travel, and some things to consider as you begin your travels into the backcountry.

We chat with Christian Fick about his time battling triple digit heat while exploring the Wild Rivers Discovery Trail in southwestern Oregon. While most folks head inland for views, the Wild Rivers track is one of the few places along the Oregon coast where views can be had in spades. And with more than half a dozen rivers along the track, there's certainly no shortage of angling opportunities or swimming holes!

With so many folks burnt out from the daily grind of the corporate world, more and more folks are trying to figure out a way to turn their passion into profit. We chat with Brent Baker of Oregon Adventure Trucks about his path from the corporate world, to landing a job at EarthRoamer, and eventually starting Oregon Adventure Trucks.

The MERUS Adventure Park is a first of its kind off roading and outdoor recreation private park in the Texas Panhandle. Covering 5500 acres and more than 50 miles of off roading trails, MERUS is situated in the rugged and beautiful Palo Duro Canyon, the second largest canyon complex in the country. We talk with Dirk van Reenan, founder of CEO at MERUS about his vision, the creation of the park, and what the future holds for MERUS.

The Gold Butte Adventure Route is a 350 mile overland route in southern Nevada that was developed by Overland Trail Guides. We like to call the route the gateway to red rock canyon country of southern Utah and northern Arizona. The Gold Butte ADV Route sits on the northern edge of the Mojave desert and with dozens of hikes, slot canyons, and Native American Heritage sites along the way, there's a lot to see and discovery.

The infamy of the Burning Man festival has brought infamy to the Black Rock Desert. But beyond Burning Man, Black Rock is filled with geological wonders and a wealth of Native American and Pioneer History. We talk with Joey Grimmer about his time exploring the 200+ mile Black Rock Adventure Route with the OTG Crew over the Summer of 2022.

The Owyhee Canyonlands are an expansive wilderness covering more than 2 million acres with rugged canyons, low elevation mountains, and rolling hills of sagebush 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.

The Olympic Mountains and Olympic National Park are one of the treasures of the Pacific Northwest. For the past several months, we've been working on a 600+ loop through the Olympic Peninsula that we're calling the Olympic Traverse. We chat with Jeff Thiel about his experience doing portions of the route earlier this summer. If old growth rainforests, crystal clear streams and rivers, wild beaches, and glacier capped mountain peaks are your thing, you'll definitely want to give this episode a listen! You can check out Jeff's Youtube channel Where to Next, which also features his adventure into the olympics. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0Jm3cbHRzlHaTSno9s8Rw

The 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. The Mojave Road route and over two dozen points of interests are available for download at www.overlandtrailguides.com If you want to hit the trail with John, check out his dual sport touring and adventure website: You can learn more about the OTG's featured route, the High Water Mark Trail at www.overlandtrailguides.com

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. Overland Trail Guides features two routes in the Mendocino NF. The Mendocino Backcountry Discovery Trail (167) and the Mendocino Grand Circuit (301 miles). www.overlandtrailguides.com

The Plumas Backcountry Discovery trail is but one of the routes that comprise the greater network of California Backcountry Discovery Trails. The Plumas BDT is based in the heart of Gold Country in the northern Sierra Nevada. This region of the Sierra may not see as many visitors as other places like Lake Tahoe and the eastern Sierra, but don't let that fool you! Lusher and more heavily forested than the mountains to the south, the Plumas BDT is full of hidden secrets, great campsites, and fantastic views. We chat with Daniel Dempsey aka Overland Family Land to learn a bit more about his experience exploring the Plumas BDT. You can learn more about the OTG's featured route, the Death Valley Adventure Trail at www.overlandtrailguides.com

The Ozark and Ouchita mountain ranges form the greater Interior Highlands of the American Southeast. We chat with Arkansas native, Joey "the Brofessor" Slayton about overlanding in the Natural State, and why you should consider looking east of the Rockies for your next overland adventure! You can find routes like the High Water Mark Trail and the Ozark Adventure Trail (coming soon) posted at www.OverlandTrailGuides.com

The Kofa Pioneer Trail is a 243 mile overland route that travels through the unspoiled Sonora Desert wilderness in Southern Arizona. We chat with John Liotte to hear his experience exploring the Kofa Wilderness. If you want to learn more about John's dual sport touring company, please visit www.BigThumpers.com