Trail Academy
Everything we teach is free. These are the lessons our community learned the hard way, so you do not have to. Start here, then come learn hands-on at a meetup.
The fundamentals
Lesson 01You do not need a lot of equipment to get out and explore. If you want to start overlanding, just get out there and do it. A stock high-clearance vehicle, dry-season conditions and a group to ride with will take you farther than a garage full of gear.
Lesson 02We go in together, we all come out together. A stuck truck at sunset turns into a night in the swamp when you are solo. Ride with a crew, tell someone your route, and know that the group is your best recovery gear.
Lesson 03South Florida trails in the summer wet season are no laughing matter. Water hides holes, mud swallows winch points, and what was a road in March is a canal in August. Check conditions, and be proud of turning around.
Lesson 04Never feed an alligator, no matter how docile it looks. Fed gators lose their fear of humans, endanger people and usually end up destroyed as a nuisance. Observe from a distance, store food properly and give every animal room.
Lesson 05Cell service dies a mile past the gate. Our crews run GMRS and ham radio on every ride, in partnership with the South Dade GMRS Club. A $30 radio and a license form are the cheapest safety equipment you will ever buy.
Lesson 06Fires in rings, trash packed out, campsites left cleaner than you found them. The difference between access and locked gates is how the last group behaved. Be the reason these lands stay open.
Our conservation pledge
Adapted from tread-lightly and leave-no-trace ethics for Florida's wetlands, and taught on every single ride.
Designated trails only. One shortcut through wet prairie leaves scars that last decades and closes trails for everyone.
Use established crossings at fords, slow and steady. Never blaze new lines through sloughs or marsh.
Everything that rides in rides out, including food scraps. We leave campsites cleaner than we found them.
Distance, silence and zero feeding. From gators to gopher tortoises, we are guests in their home.
Rings or containers only, never during burn bans, always dead out. Florida pine flatwoods burn fast.
We cap rides and camp registrations so the land recovers behind us. Twelve rigs is a convoy, thirty is a problem.
Permits, seasonal closures, hunt dates and water levels checked before every ride. Regulations protect the resource.
Interactive
Work through this before your first group ride. Your progress saves on your device, so you can come back as you gear up. Bring the finished list to a meetup and roll out with confidence.
Keep learning
Trail runs, gear installs, wildlife safety and honest trip debriefs. Subscribe and take the Trail Academy with you.
Watch on YouTubeThe fastest way to learn is a guided meetup with people who want you to succeed.
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