If you could pick one Jeep event to go to, but the catch is, without your Jeep
- Thread starter OutdoorEd
- Start date
Yep, Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. You won't regret it. Plus you can rent a modified Jeep or side by side if you book enough in advance.
My opinion would be different if he had his own Jeep. Rentals are probably already spoken for for 2025 Easter Jeep.
See what @NashvilleTJ thinks he’s been to both.
Not knocking the EJS at all, and I have never been and probably won't be able to go anytime soon, if ever. I would still choose TGSMJI personally just due to the amount of vendors.
Depends if you want to wheel, or look at Jeeps. Both Smoky Mountain and Jeep Beach (I’ve not been to Jeep Beach) are Jeep gatherings - think a gigantic Cars and Coffee. The vast majority are mall crawlers. But given the sheer number of Jeeps at both events, even a small percentage of hardcore rigs, and Jeeps that actually wheel, is still a hell of a lot of rigs.
If you want to wheel Moab and have never done so before, or do not have someone to act as a guide, Easter Jeep is a great way to be introduced to Moab. I’ve done EJS a few times.
It is crowded, but Moab with 4 or 5 thousand Jeeps rolling around is very cool. Red Rock Four Wheels does a pretty good job of manageing the groups. You have to sign up for specific trail runs, and they limit participation to 20 rigs on a run - 15 if you do Pritchette. Also, many of the EJS trails are closed during the EJS runs, and that helps a bunch. It is certainly slower than running the Moab trails with 3 or 4 rigs, but it is not nearly as bad as folks who have never done it think it is.
The huge advantage - especially if you are out there alone for the first time, is that every run has an experienced trail leader, mid-gunner, and tail-gunner who know the trail and the obstacles like the back of their hands. You also sign up for runs with similarly capable rigs, which is nice. It is a very well managed event. They’ve certainly figured it out after more than 50 years.
As has been noted, EJS requires pre-planning. Accommodations for that week can fill up a year in advance. Sign up for trails usually happens in January (you do it online) and the trails usually fill up in a day so. Also as has been said, renting a capable jeep to do the harder trails also requires lots of lead time.
All that having been said, I definitely recommend everyone do it at least once. Great way to meet people.
I've never really seen the point of Jeep Beach, but it *does* have an artificial obstacle course you can run - I might go next year as its only an hour away from me.
Also Panama City has a Jeep Jam, pretty much the same thing as Jeep Beach.
Pretty much just a bike week for Jeeps. I guess.
We have been to PCB Jeep Jam a couple times now... it's not really a big party scene like Jeep Beach is. Its about the same size and atmosphere as the Sheriffs Jeep Jam in Jasper GA.
Brianj5600
TJ Expert