This past weekend the Motobilt team took a quick trip down the road from Alabama to Missouri, looking to see if the renowned Southern Missouri Off Road Ranch (SMORR) trails were tough enough for our rigs. This event, hosted by the Great American Crawl (GAC), provided a good opportunity to showcase the rigidity and performance of Motobilt mods and gave us the chance to hang out with the Rockstar Garage crew. Our favorite part, though, is that all of this was provided without cost. Absolutely no registration or trail fees.
While most of our team—Bender, Hallie, and Bobby—only had to suffer through a 12 hour drive to Missouri, Aaron traveled all the way from Utah to take a crack at the twists and turns of the Missouri landscape. The long trips turned out to be worth it as soon as we were struck by the park's pristine condition. GAC had taken the time to carefully prepare, perfectly maintain, and prime the trails for hundreds of Jeep enthusiasts to either conquer or be conquered.
The first day of GAC at SMORR kicked off with a run down detailing the day's events for the hundreds of off-road enthusiasts in attendance. Despite being their largest event yet, the GAC crew managed to handle everything smoothly. Mother Nature even chipped in with a light morning shower, which slicked the trails a little but helped keep the dust and temperatures down. We couldn't have asked for better wheeling conditions.
For those who aren't familiar, SMORR is a massive park that spans nearly 1,000 acres, dedicated exclusively to off-roading. It offers a diverse range of trails that vary wildly in difficulty, all the way from a nice Sunday drive to hardcore obstacles like waterfall ledges. Our favorites were the tight, canyon-style trails that required precise wheel placement and careful maneuvering. The park also featured challenging rock ledges for those brave enough to test their mettle.
Throughout the first day we explored several trails, which offered us a variety of challenges and a couple of needed rests. We can't overstate how great it is to have such a variety of options and also to know what it is you're in for before you start down a trail. Navigating the park was pretty straightforward, which is a luxury that is certainly not afforded at every park, and we didn't have any problems finding our way back to the home base. The base itself provided many accommodations, featuring everything from simple camping spots and RV hookups to cozy cabins, and a large, covered pavilion which provided a great spot to relax, eat, and socialize in the evenings.
We kicked off the second day on the trails bright and early with the Rockstar crew. The park's owner, Brandon, gave us a tour of the park, stopping periodically to share insights about SMORR. By the way, you don't need to wait for an event to check out this park. We highly recommend making a trip out there if you can.
Once we were off the trail, we set up our tent to showcase our Motobilt rigs—AlumiBOB, RockJeep JT, Valyrian JT, and the famous El Jefe. It gave those in attendance the chance to see our rigs up close and allowed us to demonstrate how we use and test our products in real-world conditions.
The GAC crew then treated everyone to a delicious BBQ dinner and a generous giveaway, featuring prizes from Motobilt, Rugged Radio, PRP, Mickey Thompson, Baja Designs, SPOD, Steel-It, Power Tank, Rockstar Garage, Dirty Life Wheels, Warn, and Factor 55. The day ended with some friendly competition and fun games, adding to the camaraderie of the event.
Of course we came for the trails, the thrills, and to show off a bit, but the highlight of the trip was the people. This event certainly wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't for the GAC crew, the SMORR staff, or the atmosphere provided by all the people who have the same passion for tearing up the trail. We’re already looking forward to our next GAC trip at Adventure Off Road Park (AOP) in Tennessee this weekend. We hope to see you out there on the rocks with us!
