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Description:
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by David Killion
It is one of the farthest places we go to wheel but is worth it. It is situated in the Kiamichi Mountains. The area is full of rocky hills and ledged galore. Clayton is generally considered
to be an area for the big boys. With all the extreme wheeling it is best to have at least 33"-35" tires, locked front and rear and have a winch. It doesn't hurt to have some good driving and spotting skills too.
Clayton is made up of 3 different areas. The old area known as Hurd Creek and Three Stage is now privately owned and will take an access fee to get into this area. The fee is not posted, nor is the area. The areas around this are National Forests land and requires a $25 per person fee that can be obtained at the local grocery store. NFS Rangers patrol the exits of these trails and check to see if everyone in the group has a fee tag. If they don't, it has been rumored that they will impound your rig and set a court date about 30 days out.
Clayton, itself, is a sleepy little Oklahoma town. They have 3 small motels and a couple of cottages near Clayton Lake (7 miles south) and Sardis Lake (7 miles north). There are also campgrounds at these areas. There is 2 cafes in town and a grocery store. There is also 2 parts stores.
Freilings:
A new area 10 miles north of Clayton near Yanush has opened called Frielings. It has $10 per vehicle access fee. It includes some 350 acres of hills and lots of rocks. They have trails rated from 3-5 on a 1-5 scale. They have a couple rated 5++. This area was established by the SWFWDA out of Dallas. There are a lot of trails that are aimed at the intermediate to expert rigs. Many of the tougher obstacles have bypass trails. This area will be further explored in future runs.
Green Acres:
This area is the newest area. It is right out of Clayton to the west and runs up and down hills and draws that are full of hugs boulders. This area has been established by the Oklahoma City Trailchasers. They tout this area as having only trails rated a minimum of 5. This is an extreme area that requires the best built rigs and the best drivers and spotters. His might be a good Sunday run for the hard core guys. |