Jeep Trail Maps Now Free on Where2Wheel

Huge news! All the Jeep trail maps on Where2Wheel.com are now available for free!

If you aren’t familiar with Where2Wheel.com, you need to go visit the site right now and sign up.

Imagine having immediate access to over 700 Jeep trail maps all over the U.S.A. Now stop imagining and sign up because it’s free. There are no catches or gimmicks to gain access to these Jeep trail maps.

(Don’t worry if you were already a supporting member of Where2Wheel. The team has you covered! You’ll be receiving an email about how they are going to take care of you.)

For those new to the site, go ahead and come back here once you’ve signed up. I’ll tell you the story of how this all happened and why.

Jeep Trail Maps: Much Needed Resource

Like most avid Jeep enthusiasts, husband and wife David and Brittany Peregoff had been searching for Jeep trail maps online. They weren’t having much luck.

It was late 2013, and though they were on Christmas vacation at Disney World, their minds were elsewhere. Somehow, surrounded by Mickey and friends, they were still thinking about getting their tires dirty and going on their own ride. One they didn’t need to wait in line for.

Knowing he wasn’t alone in his search for Jeep trail maps, David recognized a massive hole in the off-road community. There was a significant demand for these maps, but a short supply available online. David knew that avid off-road enthusiasts were aware of all the trails in their local area. But how could he tap into that knowledge and share it with others?

Thankfully for all of us, David brought this up to Brittany, and together they did something to solve the problem.

Jeep Trail Maps: Vision for a Crowdsourced Platform

David envisioned a platform where Jeepers all over the nation could input the Jeep trail maps they were familiar with, in one online location. His was a vision for a crowdsourced resource that would be supported by off-road enthusiasts.

But the vision didn’t stop there. As David and Brittany continued to brainstorm, they wanted to be able to add more than just Jeep trail maps. They wanted to include features like:

• The ability to give trails an overall rating.
• To know how well specific trails were kept up.
• How difficult the trails were.
• The ability for users of the platform to provide their own unique insight into each trail.
• Which other Jeepers were currently in the same area.

This was the first part of the vision. And to their credit, they went for it. Where2Wheel.com became a reality.

But there were problems.

Transparently (David himself admits it), the first few iterations of the platform were terrible. But thankfully for all of us, David and Brittany knew they were onto something and persevered.

The journey wasn’t without sacrifice. David sold his car. Then he convinced Brittany they should take the house downpayment they’d been saving, and use it for web development. (And you thought you had a hard time convincing your significant other about those Jeep parts you’ve been wanting….)

They continued one foot in front of the other for about a year.

Jeep Trail Maps: A Third Member Is Added to the Team

It took David and Brittany about 10 months to go live with the first public iteration of Where2Wheel.com.

About two months later, Andrew Hantge, a Jeep enthusiast who had just moved to the area where David and Brittany lived, messaged the couple online.

Andrew had no idea what he was getting himself into when he sent that initial message.

The three of them got together for the first time not long after, at a gas station of all places. They hit it off immediately. Andrew explained to them that he loved their idea for Where2Wheel. More than that, he was passionate about the community aspect of Jeeping, and that part of it really spoke to him.

The three of them were all speaking the same language.

The gas station meeting turned into several brunches, and culminated with David and Brittany offering Andrew the opportunity to become a co-owner of Where2Wheel. They had become fast friends.

Andrew accepted the offer, and the team celebrated with a few Bud Lights and whole lot of smiles.

Jeep Trail Maps: Jeepers Are the Key

Where2Wheel.com is a crowdsourced platform. That means it only works when the Jeep community gets behind it.

Currently, there are over 8,200 users on the platform.

With Where2Wheel now being free for all off-road enthusiasts, there’s no reason not to share this with every off-road friend you have. The more the merrier. I’d also encourage you to invite your Jeep friends to like the Where2Wheel Facebook page which already has over 44,000 fans.

Think about it. More wheelers using the platform means more Jeep trail maps for all of us.

Let’s all work together and get every Jeep trail in the U.S.A. on this platform.

Keep in mind though the idea is not just to use the maps, but to participate and build the platform so we can all benefit! Where2Wheel has a lot more functionality than just Jeep trail maps. The maps are currently the most used section of the site, but there is so much more to Where2Wheel.

The platform also allows you to:

• Create a profile
• Mark your current location
• Add photos to your profile
• Add a cover photo to your profile
• Make friends and add them to a friends list
• Talk with other Jeepers
• Create groups
• Create events
• And a whole lot more

As of this writing, I’m still experimenting with the features and haven’t exhausted them all yet.

Where2Wheel even has a point system. Every time you take specific actions on the platform, like creating a trail, you get points attached to your account. Those points get you entered into raffles for prizes. Basically, you are rewarded for contributing to the platform.

In the past, Where2Wheel has given away BubbaRopes and even a $500 gift card to RockRidge4WD.com!

Lastly, as a user of Where2Wheel, if you ever encounter a problem, just send an email to support@where2wheel.com. They are great about tackling issues. I’ve personally submitted two support tickets, and the problems were fixed the very next business day.

Also, before you go looking, there is not an app for Where2Wheel, but it is in development. The team anticipates it will be 18-24 months before the app is available.

If used fully, the Where2Wheel platform has the potential to become a Jeep lovers’ paradise.

Jeep Map Trails: The Future of Where2Wheel and Another Dream

As if all this weren’t enough, there is more to come from the Where2Wheel team. I want to be careful how much I say here, because they are still working behind the scenes.

My understanding is that the next big thing is going to be epic.

After a few years of working on the platform, the team discovered there wasn’t only a lack of Jeep trail maps, but–in some cases (especially in the eastern United States)–a lack of anywhere to go off-roading.

Because of their access to Jeep trail maps, the Where2Wheel team has identified densely populated cities in the United States with nowhere to go wheeling within an hour’s drive. So, in accordance with their mission to “make off-roading more accessible,” they are doing something about it.

The Where2Wheel team is actively trailblazing once again.

They are currently talking with potential investors and the appropriate government agencies to make their next dream a reality.

Their data shows there could be as many as 18 million off-road enthusiasts who lack convenient and affordable places to wheel.

The dream is to create small-scale off-road parks (40-100 acres) within an hour’s drive of these cities. Because of the park’s small size, they would have an amount in the budget to change obstacles quarterly, so enthusiasts would want to return.

Their biggest challenge right now is funding. If you are a corporate or angel investor and are interested in getting involved, get in touch with the Where2Wheel team. They already have several municipalities interested in having a park.

The Jeep community has always been a strong one. I’m hoping the very best for the Where2Wheel team. I hope you’ll join me in getting behind the team, and that you’ll share this article with your wheeling friends.

Until next time, keep it dirty and wheels side down.

~ Eric