TN TrailJam 2019 was a homerun and I almost missed itI Then I spoke with Paul McCallister from Topless in TN Jeep Club and he told me I would be missing the best event of the year. I thought it was going to be just ‘another off-road event’, but boy was I wrong. I have been to many off-road events and fundraisers, but this one felt like I was at a State or County Fair – a fair where you brought your own ride and determined the level of excitement you wanted.
What is TN TrailJam?
TN TrailJam is an annual off-roading Jeep only event held at and by Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, in Hurricane Mills, TN, hosted by Topless in Tennessee. A portion of the profit benefits the 23rd District Child Advocacy Center. The 23rd District Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit agency that serves children who have been victims of abuse. The CAC covers children from Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart county in Tennessee.
Setup for Success
Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, in Hurricane Mills, TN, was the perfect venue for the event. The accumulated off-roading knowledge of Topless in Tennessee Jeep Club volunteers and the event experience of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch made this off-roading event an outstanding success for its second year. The collaboration between the club volunteers and the staff of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch made for a well-run and organized event. It was hot outside and the volunteers and staff stayed at their designated posts the entire time. I really don’t know how they did it. The staff and volunteers worked together for weeks to create trails for all driving experience levels. I personally have never seen trails maintained and marked so well. Maybe it is because the Ranch is much more than just an off-road park?
LLR is an event center, full campground, and tourist attraction all based around country music icon Loretta Lynn. The Ranch hosts over 20 different events a year. These events include, but are not limited to, horseback trail rides, chuckwagon races, dirt bike trail rides, concerts, side by side events, and the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship! They have a Loretta and Friends 18,000 sq. ft museum, gift shops, guided tours and more!
Trails and More
I did not arrive until Friday afternoon so I wasn’t able to drive as many trails as I would have liked to. I concentrated on driving the easy and moderate trails, but there were trails that were tremendously harder. One of the many events was a Hill Climb Challenge and, at last count, only two stock Jeeps made it up the hill. For the most part, I concentrated on the fun events, and there were a lot of those to choose from. I could write more but don’t think I could say it better than Jobie Marcellino.
Jobie said, “All I can say is it’s totally different from any other Jeep event I’ve ever attended. There is something for everyone. It has trails for every level driver. There are wine runs, a scavenger hunt, glow night ride, obstacle course, mud pit, hill climbs, Barbie Jeep races and more. There is never a dull moment. It’s just different. I promise you will not be disappointed.”
You can’t have an event without music at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. The pavilion stage on Friday and Saturday nights were hopping with Larry Fleet, Tim Daley, 6south Band and DavidX (David Russell, Loretta’s Grandson). It was also hopping with the shenanigans of the craziest of off-roaders. This was a perfect way to finish a long day of activities.
I decided to take a drive around the ranch and ended up at Western Town. This was a nice picturesque, unexpected break in the middle of a hot Saturday afternoon. While having ice cream at Western Town, I met a family that regularly comes to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch with their boys for the moto-cross events. This time they saw TN TrailJam listed as an event on Loretta Lynn’s Ranch website and decided to rent a Jeep and see what it was all about. They were totally impressed and said they’ll be back next year.
Other Things to Mention
Loretta Lynn’s Ranch is an entertainment venue, but there were also great comments about the camping facilities. They have (18) cabins, Stagecoach Hill for motorhomes (55 pull through 50 amp full hookup), general camping areas with power and water (over 250), and rustic camping for the hard-core tent campers. In other words, camping for everyone. If you are not a camper there are motels close by. 
For those interested in upgrading your Jeep or just some specialty parts, there were vendors available to meet your needs. I personally enjoyed the food vendors! I would suggest for vendors, including food vendors, start reserving a spot now, as TN TrailJam is going to be even bigger next year.
Note: For vender details contact Anthony@LorettaLynnRanch.net.
I met so many people from all over the country. Some of the states that were represented were CA, AZ, NH, MA, LA, KY, IL, FL, GA, WI, MO, SC, NC, IN and OH. More than 20 states represented in total. People from Canada was also in attendance. Everyone I spoke with had positive comments, with only one exception. Several people commented that they missed some of the activities because they were on the trails or got distracted and did not hear the event was starting. One person suggested that because cell phone coverage was so bad that perhaps they should have a designated CB channel, FRS radio channel or a PA loudspeaker to make announcements on.
Until next year
Ticket and Camping Information
Don’t miss TN Trail Jam 2020 Book your Tickets and Campsite.
Date and Time Thu, Jun 18, 2020, 9:00 AM thru Sun, Jun 21, 2020, 5:00 PM CDT
Tickets through Eventbrite “CLICK HERE”
Campsite Reservation Inquiries MUST call 931-296-7700
A very well written, 100% accurate, review. I was there and can attest ???
Thank You very much on your feedback.
Awesome review and 100% accurate.
Thank You for your input.
Ed