Sponsored

Apalachicola National Forest

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Southwest of Tallahassee is the Apalachicola National Forest. I'll post about adventures there as I explore it, learn things, and hit the highs and lows in my 2021 Badlands Sasquatch.

August 4th, 2021
My first little journey. What a thrill to get out there among the trees and start making use of this vehicle's capability. Trail turn assist makes some uncomfortable noises, but it was a blast to try out several different modes and such.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628520677021
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628520645973
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628520654497
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628520687154
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628520627141


August 8th, 2021
On this trip I took a few friends with me. With their help navigating and spotting, we dove deeper into the forest and found ourselves crossing through some tights spots and decent water. From my novice point of view, this trip was pretty intense. The Bronco, however, was unimpressed as it happily and casually chugged on through everything. One of the most fun things was squeezing through a narrow passage while crawling over a downed tree in 4L. Great adventure and lots of good learning time behind the wheel. Next time I'd like to get some video.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628521091823

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628521102395

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628521113622

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628521125643

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1628521133320


August 23rd, 2021
I've been dying to check out one of the beachy blue holes in the forest, and I squeezed that adventure into an extended lunch today. What a ridiculously fun place to drive around and really dig in to the Bronco. With all the sand there, I was able to employ trail turn assist to its greatest potential. Used it to squeeze through a super tight tree spot and also to do some mini donuts. The entry trail was oddly blocked by cut down trees, but there was another (trickier) entrypoint right next to it. I'm not sure what the story is there, but the way in was no tougher than the way out. One of the water holes on the way in was a little scary, but it turned out fine and there are ones just as bad or worse on the way out.

Only took a couple photos during a pause, but this is the kind of spot that deserves video next time. The Bronco blasts through all of this and makes an otherwise average Monday lunch break into a joyous, raucous adventure. I felt like a happy kid on a playground.

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest image

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629751569773

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629751577093


August 24th, 2021
Well I left the office just to go get tacos, but the woods were calling me so I headed on back in for another round. It turns out where I went yesterday is supposed to be ATV only, and I felt compelled to redeem myself by paying better attention to the Motor Vehicle Use Map. I found myself in some pretty tough terrain on 360-A due to the amount of water, and I eventually decided to give up and turn around. According to locals I talked to afterwards, that was the right call. That last water hole gets pretty deep. I've now got what sounds like a squeaky belt, but I'm hoping it dries out and quiets down. Otherwise, the Bronco remains seemingly unscathed. (But I haven't checked for scratches yet.)
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629838085585

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629838147141

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629838278641

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629838199114

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629838218956

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1629838240891


September 3rd, 2021
I recently made friends with a cool Jeeper, and we finally got out there together. He's got a winch, so we were able to push things a little further than I have so far. We both found ourselves stuck once each, which was honestly pretty freaky for me. First time getting the Bronco stuck, and it was in deep enough water that a lot of it came on in around the doors and pooled on the floorboards. As a novice, the feeling of my sandaled feet being submerged in water while in the vehicle was foreign and disconcerting. :LOL: Everything turned out completely fine, though, since the water wasn't nearly high enough to reach the air intake. The wash out interior did its job really well. Ended up very easy to clean using a combination of a wet rag and vacuum. The only unintentional moisture collection I could find a day or so later was a slightly damp padding under the rubber flooring just behind the driver's side floor air vent cut out. I felt around as best I could and didn't find any pooled water under the flooring, so I think that's all well and good. Ready to rock on out there again soon. I've got a few pictures taken by both of us, and Jeep friend put together a little video including a couple neat drone clips of the Bronco doing some water crossing. I might follow up at some point with an edited version of the same footage since there's a little moment where it hangs and since I'd pick music other than the Nutcracker Suite. But to each his own of course. :LOL:
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197456764

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197476570

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197723473

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631200457184

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197505576

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197570639

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197603876

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197532726




September 4th, 2021
Took a couple friends and my son with me on some of the same trails that Jeep friend and I hit the day before as well as some new and lovely ones. We got a decent little video clip where I hopped over a mound then used trail turn assist to hit a specific line back up and park for our lunch break. Also got a neat pic of the front cam when a big ol' spider was hanging on for a ride.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197976817

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631197990998

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198001628




September 5th, 2021
Cleaning day! Here are some pics to show the dirty floorboards after taking on forest water. Interesting to note that the air splitters pop right out and back in easily, which may be handy for thorough cleaning. The passenger side floorboard in my particular Bronco seems a little tighter and better aligned/cut than the driver's side. I'll include a couple pics to show that, but I'm hoping that the drainage system makes it a non-issue. Popped off the two front doors for the first time to make it easier to clean, and I ended up leaving them off for a while. Fuuuuuun to drive like that.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198058490

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198066087

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198075135

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198087388

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198174377

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198185345


September 6th, 2021
All doors and windows off for a little Labor Day drive down to Shell Point beach. Super fun. Our 4 year old son loved it, and so did we!
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Sponsored

 
Last edited:

ilbastarge

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2021
Threads
11
Messages
1,169
Reaction score
2,770
Location
Northeast
Vehicle(s)
Tesla X
Your Bronco Model
Undecided
Clubs
 
Southwest of Tallahassee is the Apalachicola National Forest. I'll post about adventures there as I explore it, learn things, and hit the highs and lows in my 2021 Badlands Sasquatch.

August 4th, 2021
My first little journey. What a thrill to get out there among the trees and start making use of this vehicle's capability. Trail turn assist makes some uncomfortable noises, but it was a blast to try out several different modes and such.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769


August 8th, 2021
On this trip I took a few friends with me. With their help navigating and spotting, we dove deeper into the forest and found ourselves crossing through some tights spots and decent water. From my novice point of view, this trip was pretty intense. The Bronco, however, was unimpressed as it happily and casually chugged on through everything. One of the most fun things was squeezing through a narrow passage while crawling over a downed tree in 4L. Great adventure and lots of good learning time behind the wheel. Next time I'd like to get some video.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Psst, don't forget a come-along, one of those folding type of blade anchors (because it looks really soupy) and a strap or two. <Just trying to help>
 
OP
OP
pandapaul

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Psst, don't forget a come-along, one of those folding type of blade anchors (because it looks really soupy) and a strap or two. <Just trying to help>
100%. I absolutely need to get all of those things and I forgot to take a first aid kit. 🤦‍♂️
 
OP
OP
pandapaul

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Updated with my first trip to a blue hole. 😁
 

TRMFAM

First Edition
Well-Known Member
First Name
Rob
Joined
Jul 13, 2021
Threads
1
Messages
334
Reaction score
473
Location
OK
Vehicle(s)
66 & 73 Bronco, 21 MDX A-Spec, 20 Raptor
Your Bronco Model
First Edition
Clubs
 
I love it! Thanks for posting...so awesome to see you out enjoying it and exploring!

I have to admit seeing you standing out in that one part all I could think was Gators! Are they in that area or? Coming from my area it would be water moccasins to look out for and they are bad enough but gators just give me the chills!
 

Sponsored
OP
OP
pandapaul

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
I love it! Thanks for posting...so awesome to see you out enjoying it and exploring!

I have to admit seeing you standing out in that one part all I could think was Gators! Are they in that area or? Coming from my area it would be water moccasins to look out for and they are bad enough but gators just give me the chills!
Gators and water moccasins both, but I'm not sure if they hang out in those blue holes or not. I've been assuming so and keeping an eye out just in case. So far all I've seen are black bear and deer.
 
OP
OP
pandapaul

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Updated with a trip to 360-A, which was honestly pretty spooky. I should stop doing these by myself, but I'm kinda addicted to it.
 

MSparks909

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Miles
Joined
Jul 22, 2020
Threads
13
Messages
288
Reaction score
759
Location
ENC
Vehicle(s)
2014 Ford F-250
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
I used to wheel there back in college (2010-2012) with my 06 Power Wagon on 37s. Those holes can get deep! Ask me how I know…I highly recommend a winch/tree strap & a tow strap + 2 steel shackles if you’re going to be doing a lot of solo exploring. I ate through 2 synthetic winch ropes wheeling there before I switched back to steel cable. Sand in the winch rope fibers is hell on them…
 
OP
OP
pandapaul

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
I used to wheel there back in college (2010-2012) with my 06 Power Wagon on 37s. Those holes can get deep! Ask me how I know…I highly recommend a winch/tree strap & a tow strap + 2 steel shackles if you’re going to be doing a lot of solo exploring. I ate through 2 synthetic winch ropes wheeling there before I switched back to steel cable. Sand in the winch rope fibers is hell on them…
Yikes. Yeah the Bronco makes it difficult for me to see the dangers, since it just rips through everything so effortlessly. That one huge water hole, though, was plenty scary to send me back the way I came. I very much want to get a winch, but I'm hoping for a solution that won't lose any of the frontend technology (camera and safety stuff).
 

Rlack75

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Ron
Joined
Jan 22, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
1,064
Reaction score
3,028
Location
Marietta GA
Vehicle(s)
Bronco
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Southwest of Tallahassee is the Apalachicola National Forest. I'll post about adventures there as I explore it, learn things, and hit the highs and lows in my 2021 Badlands Sasquatch.

August 4th, 2021
My first little journey. What a thrill to get out there among the trees and start making use of this vehicle's capability. Trail turn assist makes some uncomfortable noises, but it was a blast to try out several different modes and such.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769


August 8th, 2021
On this trip I took a few friends with me. With their help navigating and spotting, we dove deeper into the forest and found ourselves crossing through some tights spots and decent water. From my novice point of view, this trip was pretty intense. The Bronco, however, was unimpressed as it happily and casually chugged on through everything. One of the most fun things was squeezing through a narrow passage while crawling over a downed tree in 4L. Great adventure and lots of good learning time behind the wheel. Next time I'd like to get some video.
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769


August 23rd, 2021
I've been dying to check out one of the beachy blue holes in the forest, and I squeezed that adventure into an extended lunch today. What a ridiculously fun place to drive around and really dig in to the Bronco. With all the sand there, I was able to employ trail turn assist to its greatest potential. Used it to squeeze through a super tight tree spot and also to do some mini donuts. The entry trail was oddly blocked by cut down trees, but there was another (trickier) entrypoint right next to it. I'm not sure what the story is there, but the way in was no tougher than the way out. One of the water holes on the way in was a little scary, but it turned out fine and there are ones just as bad or worse on the way out.

Only took a couple photos during a pause, but this is the kind of spot that deserves video next time. The Bronco blasts through all of this and makes an otherwise average Monday lunch break into a joyous, raucous adventure. I felt like a happy kid on a playground.

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769


August 24th, 2021
Well I left the office just to go get tacos, but the woods were calling me so I headed on back in for another round. It turns out where I went yesterday is supposed to be ATV only, and I felt compelled to redeem myself by paying better attention to the Motor Vehicle Use Map. I found myself in some pretty tough terrain on 360-A due to the amount of water, and I eventually decided to give up and turn around. According to locals I talked to afterwards, that was the right call. That last water hole gets pretty deep. I've now got what sounds like a squeaky belt, but I'm hoping it dries out and quiets down. Otherwise, the Bronco remains seemingly unscathed. (But I haven't checked for scratches yet.)
Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769

Ford Bronco Apalachicola National Forest 1631198232769
My guess is Trail Turn Assist sounds a lot like slamming on your anti-lock brakes in the snow ❄ or on ice 🧊!

“Clickity-Clack-Clickity-Clack-Clickity-Clack…”
 

Sponsored
OP
OP
pandapaul

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
My guess is Trail Turn Assist sounds a lot like slamming on your anti-lock brakes in the snow ❄ or on ice 🧊!

“Clickity-Clack-Clickity-Clack-Clickity-Clack…”
Yeppers! And it's odd to purposefully push through that with accelerator. That said, it's awesome and so much fun. Legitimately useful in some tight spots too.
 

maximus3686

Big Bend
Well-Known Member
First Name
Ben
Joined
Jul 21, 2020
Threads
1
Messages
102
Reaction score
382
Location
West Virginia, USA
Vehicle(s)
2023 Ford Bronco
Your Bronco Model
Big Bend
Clubs
 
Great pics, sounds like a blast!
 
OP
OP
pandapaul

pandapaul

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Paul
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Threads
9
Messages
379
Reaction score
972
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 Badlands Sasquatch
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 

Southern Girl

Badlands
Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2020
Threads
8
Messages
3,253
Reaction score
7,783
Location
Florida
Vehicle(s)
1974 Bronco/2023 Bronco
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
This looks like a really long version of my road, but more fun because you don't have to drive on it when you're on the way to work. Is there a particular road/trail you took? We've been going to state forests and management areas on the weekend. There are some good 4x4 trails down by Croom I want to check out, too.
 

wetdog

Base
Well-Known Member
First Name
Bruno
Joined
Jul 7, 2021
Threads
5
Messages
1,112
Reaction score
2,448
Location
pacific coast
Vehicle(s)
2019 jl
Your Bronco Model
Base
Clubs
 
Snake bite kit + winch for next trip👍
Sponsored

 
 


Top