***************DO NOT RUSH TO REGISTER WITHOUT READING EVERYTHING BELOW****************

Below you will find many details regarding this event. What? When? Where? Cost?

It is extremely important to take the time needed to read over this info. Being informed is key to you having  fun, staying safe, knowing what to expect, and is essential to a successful event. Things like rig requirements, permits, accommodations, discounts, and code of conduct. It's a lot I know but it's listed to help you know what's ahead. PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BEFORE SIGNING UP. DON'T BE THAT GUY THAT DOESNT READ AND THEN ASK QUESTIONS THAT ARE ANSWERED IN THESE DETAILS

*****EVERY DRIVER IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER SEPARATELY. IF YOU NEED TO REGISTER FOR A FRIEND IT MUST BE IN 2 SEPARATE TRANSACTIONS*******

Winter Wonderland @ Windrock 2024

It is that time again for the infamous 4th annual Winter Wonderland @ Windrock…. AKA #WWW2024

What is Winter Wonderland???

Welcome to Venture Unknown's biggest event of the year! Held at the 73000 acre WINDROCK Park every year since 2021!!  Get ready for some of the best off-roading this side of the Mississipp!!! Windrock Park is the largest off-road park in the country and we will spend 4 action packed days there! Camping, live music, veteran raffles, big raffles, educational workshops, return of the chili cook off, and of course team based trail rides throughout the 300+ miles of this offroad mecca!! It is meant to bring folks together for fun, teamwork, and camaraderie. If you seek REAL adventure, community, and a little bit of chaos……this is the event for you!!

Everything VU does revolves around 3 guiding principles…. Explore, Educate, and Encourage. We hope you experience all of those here at WWW!!!

We will be on the trails A LOT throughout this event. 2 of the 4 days (Friday & Saturday) will be set aside for the team rides. With opportunity to ride anytime you like including night rides!! We also like to make this awesome event about getting together, making new friends, learning stuff, and having a good time in the 20 acre event area. The pavilion is where the action is!! Most everything that happens off the trail happens at the pavilion. Come for the chili, workshops, raffles, out of this world BBQ! Free coffee for the big kids and hot chocolate for the lil ones. Its COLD so we are bringing in off ground fire pits everywhere, and a bucket of hand warmers free for the taking. Come out and see why Winter Wonderland is the Venture Unknown event that everyone comes to even if it is freezing!! Oh and did I mention snow wheeling??? Oh yea if we are lucky!!

 When will be there ?

Jan 11 Thursday - Jan 15th Monday 

Check in opens at 8am Thurs

Clear out Mon by 10am 

Registration Info

****Opens Oct 1st @ 7pm eastern time THEY WILL SELL OUT FAST

*****Early access and discounts for patreons Sept 25 @ 7pm eastern time

To join the Venture Unknown patreon please visit here…

Venture Unknown | creating a community | Patreon

Max rig count / registration ends

Registration will end when all available tickets are sold out.

We only can accommodate 20 teams of 10 rigs each. (200 driver tickets MAX) Unlimited passenger tickets.

This will be strictly enforced due to previous events going over capacity. When it's full it's full. Quality over quantity is essential to a good time for all.

Ticket packages

This year tickets have been simplified. All attendees must have a ticket and arm band to participate. 

*Driver ticket with event (swag) pack includes 1-4 days : $110

*Passenger ticket (no rig) event pack sold separately: $12

KIDS 15 AND UNDER FREE

*Extra event pack: 5 raffle tickets and swag $30

*Raffle ticket packages:  $18 online now or 5 for $20 at the event

*Rig camping \ copilot: No team assignment and no event pack included. Camping ONLY: $70 This ticket is by request only and must reach out to Sean. 

Whats included ???

Here's what's in-store for you fine folks and included with your entry:

*4 nights of camping within the event area

**5 free raffle tickets to enter any of the general raffles (veteran and first responders raffles is not for general attendees)

*Free giveaways to our veterans and first responders!!

(last year almost everyone of our fine men and women won something),

*Free raffle ticket to enter workshop raffles throughout the event (every workshop will have prizes). (This ticket handed out at workshop)

*Over 50 sponsors supported this event last year and we gave away over $25000 in prizes! A full set of 5 tires up to size 37 up for grabs from our favorite tire company….BFG!!!!!!

*We are giving away a special engraved (Restore the Outdoors) AR15 rifle (100% proceeds from this special raffle will go to Venture Unknown Foundation to help keep trails open and accessible) no general raffle tickets used for this one.

*Several educational workshops taught by folks that know their stuff spread throughout the event (GAIA, Recovery, Trail repairs \ tools, 12v /solar, Treadlightly, Off Grid cooking, Cold weather camping,  GMRS, and more

*Flex ramp competition with prizes. Come show us what ya got!!

**Amazing BBQ from Blue Hound Barbeque will be avail for Fri, Sat, and Sun breakfast and dinner

*Live music from Vilai Harrington & The Hamptones THEY ARE GOOOOOD

*Return of the chili cook off championship with bragging rights, prizes, and trophies and yes you too will get to taste some of the very best recipes from all our chefs!

*Big ol community fire firewood provided

*Team based guided trail rides lead by experienced VU trail leaders

* the always exciting ..VU night rides

*And of course the Venture Unknown WWW2024 event pack returns !! Included with every driver or extra event pack ticket  VU special gift, event patch, and event sticker. (2022 gift was VU monogrammed beanie, 2023 was a custom silipint VU cup) Because were you really there if not for the swag??

Most of all ….an event full of our VU friends and an atmosphere that can only be described as WWW!

Raffle tickets

*General raffle tickets 5 free with every driver ticket or extra event pack

*Extra raffle tickets available

(5 for $18 avail online now or 5 for $20 at the event) see raffle coordinator at the pavilion

*Food drive 1 free raffle ticket for every item up to 10 tickets (can be used on any general raffle)

*Every veteran and first responder is given a raffle ticket for special raffles (Handed out before the raffle)

*Workshop tickets are free and handed out at each workshop

*Venture Unknown Foundation AR15 engraved with "Restore the Outdoors" Raffle tickets will be available onsite only and will sell for $20 each or 6 for $100 General raffle tickets can not be used for this item

Volunteers…. yea YOU!!!

It takes a village to help this event kick butt!! The form link below will take you to the sign up. All volunteers will be invited to a staff only lunch and Blue hound BBQ plate is on us! We also will give you 10 raffle tickets at the event. Special color event hoodies \ shirts avail with a discount code. 10% off promo code by request if we've notified you already. All volunteers and captains still need to register now. If we inform you are a volunteer after you've registered I will make up the discount in other ways. Sponsors or vendors see paragraph at the bottom of these details.

Link to form here. Volunteer Form

Itinerary

There will be a lot going on for the entire 4 days of this event. We will release a full itinerary very soon. A schedule will also be avail on site so you may stay informed on when and what is going on. You can best bet it'll be packed full of fun. Please stay tuned!

Most importantly is to be present at 9am at the pavilion for ALL driver meetings 

Rig requirements *READ THIS*

Listed below are the minimum requirements needed to attend this event.

*31s ATs minimum / 33s MTs recommended

*Factory skids minimum

*Sliders and armor recommended

*Rear and front recovery points MANDATORY (hitch shackle is fine)

*Winch recommended but not required

*Recovery gear mandatory (minimum required shackles, straps, full size spare tire) recommended gear (snatch blocks, kinetic rope, spare parts (ie CV axles)

*Safety equipment mandatory ie first aid kit, fire extinguisher

*GMRS radio Handheld or hard mount and a way to charge them. Loaners avail but best to be self reliant GTX1000 Midlands are decent Amazon.com: Midland 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio - Long Range Walkie Talkie with 142 Privacy Codes, SOS Siren, and NOAA Weather Alerts and Weather Scan (Black/Silver, Pair Pack)

Where is this offroad fantasyland??

WINDROCK PARK

Phone # 8654353492

Pavillon / Event location 599 Windrock Park Ln, Oliver Springs, TN 37840

General Store location  921 Windrock Rd, Oliver Springs, TN 37840 GET PERMITS HERE

Campground Office 555 Windrock Park Ln, Oliver Springs, TN 37840 GET PERMITS HERE

Permit Info

***VERY IMPORTANT***

Park permits are required per person per day  (INCLUDING passengers) that enter the trail system. Annual Permits are available and recommended if you ever plan to return to the park. Permits are available for purchase from the campground office or general store.

Park permits are NOT included in this event and must be purchased separately.

VERY IMPORTANT to arrive with your park permit in hand for EVERYONE in your party at check in.

VERY IMPORTANT if permit is bought online you still MUST go to campground office or general store and print your hard copy NO EXCEPTIONS

For cost per day or annual passes please visit this link

General Store | WINDROCK PARK - The South's Premier Off-Road Adventure Park

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are we sleeping???

Sleep? Who needs sleep? You can sleep when you're dead! OK OK I forget everyone isn't an animal like me. Your ticket covers camping in the event area for field camping up to 4 nights (Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun). Any early arrival you will need to provide your own accommodations as the event area will not open till 8am Jan 11 Thursday morning. Some have rented cabins at WR, AirBNB, discounted hotels (see below for info)  there are also reservable camps for $18 per night that are located outside the event that have water and power. To rent WR cabins are camps call the campground or reserve online. Listed under Windrock contact info

Hotel discounts will be shared before registration opens. 

Camping in the field??

This is for those folks that want that REAL experience!! It is a 20 acre field that will be full of VU members enjoying the event to the fullest!! This is a primitive camping area. 4 porta potties will be near the pavilion. Bathrooms and bathhouse with warm water showers are located at the campground (appx a 10 minute walk from the pavilion). If choosing to camp in the event area please come prepared for cold weather camping. Wear appropriate shoes, wool socks, long johns, gloves, cold rated sleeping bags, hand warmers, diesel heaters (preferred) or lil buddy heaters. A ton of firewood will be at the pavilion for the group fire and fire pits. If you choose to have a fire at your camp you will need to provide it yourself.  all firewood should either be certified bug free or bought locally. Historically it has snowed and rained. The field can get very muddy boots are highly recommended. Hey its an off road event not a ballerina show leave the Nikes at home. . Come prepared and you will be fine.

How will we communicate during and before the event??

We will have GMRS channels assigned to every team. Also some captains may add you to a FB messenger team chat. We recommend joining it to get to know your other 9 team mates  You can opt out in the registration questions.  A recovery and 911 channel / chat will be available to all attendees. This will be monitored in case of needing help or recovery during the event.

Stay tuned on VU FB page for live Q and A events, post, tips, sponsor spotlights, and discussions leading up to the event. 

More info here WWW Q and A

How hard are the trails??

Windrock bases its trails on 4 categories: green (easy), blue (moderate), black (difficult), double black (extremely difficult) Weather can change these difficulties up a scale quickly.

For this event all rigs need to be built to handle blue trails at minimum. We will not have a designated team running any other difficulty. NO GREEN TEAMS THIS YEAR due to unpredictability of weather turning green trails into blue ones. (ie snow, ice, rain). This is not a street tire / bone stock kind of event. Blue trails are doable with some experience, good spotters, and by following our minimum rig requirements below. We believe in helping folks gain confidence with their rig and look forward to growing to be better offroaders …. one trip, obstacle, mistake at a time. We highly recommend attending driving and recovery workshops at the event or prior. You will be in good hands as long as you do your part to prepare, listen, and learn.

Are we doing the food drive again????

Well of course!! Venture Unknown believes community is wherever we are. Last year, we broke the county record for the most food donations brought in to the Oliver Springs Missionary. We are bringing it back this year in hopes to break our own record. This year we were asked to bring hygiene items too since that isn't covered under food stamps. We will give up to 10 raffle tickets to each individual that donates an item to this effort. 1 raffle per item. Thank you VU for the compassion that continues to live within this group!!

Why team based rides??

Venture Unknown believes in team mentality, we DO NOT encourage the good ol boy mentality.. Riding in a group can be very rewarding when you give it a chance. We build our teams starting with experienced captains and tailgunners, then we balance our teams with a mix of people that you may know and people you may not know. VU was built on this concept of meeting strangers on the trail. These strangers have now become some of our best friends. While on group rides you can expect communication, experienced spotters, gear suggestions, shenanigans on comms, confidence building, and an experience that we hope you will carry on to your next adventure.

Team structure and why??

Teams will be no larger than 10 rigs (2 captains and 8 attendees) NO EXCEPTIONS

We want you folks to experience Windrock to the fullest and do not want to bog down the team with too many people. This is why this event is capped at 200 rigs. (20 teams @ 10 rigs each)

We realize all events are not run this way. But we are not those events. (see why team rides above). NO you may not just show up and jump on a team. We do not own Windrock Park. Anyone with a permit can come ride the park any day or part they wish. We ask to honor this request out of respect. The people in this event don't want 20 people dropping on their team.  Imagine if 100 people just showed up and jumped on a team? You are now weighing down that team and overloading that captain. Everyone on our teams purchased a ticket and followed our request. You are welcome to do the same if tickets are still available. We thank everyone for understanding this structure.

How will I be assigned a team??

We build teams from questions asked during registration. You are assigned a team by either requesting a captain listed or by specifics asked about your rig and experience. We can not guarantee you will get the captain of your choice due to (8) limited spots available per team. You will be handed team assignments at check in. Please know mixing it up and trusting our process is how VU group rides have existed forever. Fill out registration questions carefully!

Can we purchase shirts and hoodies????

Every year we commision an artist to create a theme for WWW. This artwork is always meant to capture the spirit of this crazy adventure. Last year over 150 people were sporting Winter Wonderland art on hoodies and shirts. These items will be of decent quality so they may last for years to come.  Shirts and hoodies are not included in the ticket order and will need to be purchased separately. Our artist is hard at work creating this years theme. At the time we do not have an example. You can either buy one and trust it'll kick butt or return later once we have examples listed. We apologize for this inconvience.

This will be for PREORDER ONLY. Pick up your order at event check in or mail to you in the case you do not make the event. ALL ORDERS WILL GO THROUGH THE VU STORE. 

Hoodies $40

Long sleeves $28

Short sleeves $23

Wanna sponsor WWW??

We invite vendors and sponsors to be a part of Winter Wonderland.  After all you folks make the event special!! VU has a philosophy called… “Full circle” We love to have sponsors for many reasons. One of those is so we may share your great product with our active community. We also like to thank our attendees by having a chance to win one of your products in one of our many raffles. Our community gets out and does so often! We are always looking for quality gear. Don't miss the chance to support an event of people that truly do appreciate YOU! Past WWW raffles have helped get companies names out there and hopefully new customers. Last year we had companies such as BFGoodrich, Morimoto, LFDoffroad, Taruca, Battlebuddy rallypoint and many more!! We have 4 different raffles to donate towards (General, Veteran, First Responders, and Venture Unknown Foundation.) Our goal this year???? Make sure every veteran walks away with a prize. After all, they deserve it. If you are interested in supporting this amazing event or wish to set up on our vendor row please fill out the following form. No donation is too small. We are simply grateful! All sponsors will be featured on event shirts.

If you are a vendor or sponsor and driving a rig on the teams please register as normal. If you are simply setting up a booth and NOT driving on a team then fill out the form below and await contact from Sean.

Sponsorship form

****IMPORTANT NOTES*****

DO NOT SKIP READING THIS

-IM SORRY NO REFUNDS AVAILABLE. EVENT PACK AND SHIRT ORDER WILL BE MAILED TO YOU AFTER THE EVENT

-THIS IS A RAIN OR SHINE EVENT. NO REFUNDS

-PER WINDROCK POLICY ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED INSIDE THE TRAIL SYSTEM. THEY WILL CHECK AT THE GATE. NO DRINKING AND DRIVING OR YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY BANNED FROM WINDROCK PER THEIR POLICY. ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED IN THE EVENT AREA ONLY. NO DRUNKEN BEHAVIOR PLEASE!

-SPEED LIMIT INSIDE CAMPGROUND IS STRICTLY ENFORCED @ 15MPH! DON'T BE THE GUY THAT GETS PULLED OVER. IF YOU ARE REPORTED SPEEDING YOU ARE PUTTING THE WHOLE EVENT AT JEOPARDY. YOU WILL BE WARNED AND SUBJECT TO LEAVE THE EVENT WITHOUT REFUND

-READ THE VENTURE UNKNOWN CODE OF CONDUCT IN THE POLICY OF THIS EVENT.

-WAIVERS WILL NEED TO BE SIGNED FOR BOTH WINDROCK AND VENTURE UNKNOWN (NO EXCEPTIONS)

-VENTURE UNKNOWN IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR RIG.

-ARRIVE AT CHECK IN TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL AND PERMITS IN HAND

-EVERY YEAR PEOPLE WASTE MONEY BUYING TOO MANY PERMIT DAYS. ONLY PURCHASE PERMITS FOR THE DAYS YOU INTEND TO RIDE. ONLY 2 OFFICIAL GUIDED DAYS ARE PLANNED (FRIDAY AND SATURDAY). OTHER DAYS ARE OPTIONAL

-SOMETIME IT IS BENEFICIAL TO BUY AN ANNUAL PASS IF PLANNING TO RETURN A SECOND TIME TO WINDROCK (THEY PAY FOR THEMSELVES)

-WINDROCK PARK PERMITS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN VU TICKET PRICES

-WWW Q and A

Hotel discount info

Hotel discounts for WWW attendees

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Oak Ridge has created a direct booking link for guests of your group at a special group rate of $114.00 per night plus tax. Please feel free to share this with any and all of your guests who may need overnight accommodations for your event. They simply need to the following links and then once on our website enter their CHECK IN and CHECK OUT dates then click CHECK AVAILABILITY to choose a room and complete their reservation:

https://www.hiexpress.com/redirect?path=hd&brandCode=EX&localeCode=en&regionCode=1&hotelCode=OKRIT&_PMID=99801505&GPC=VEN&cn=no&viewfullsite=true

The Staybridge Suites Oak Ridge has created a direct booking link for guests of your group at a special group rate of $129.00 per night plus tax. Please feel free to share this with any and all of your guests who may need overnight accommodations for your event. They simply need to the following links and then once on our website enter their CHECK IN and CHECK OUT dates then click CHECK AVAILABILITY to choose a room and complete their reservation:

https://www.staybridge.com/redirect?path=hd&brandCode=SB&localeCode=en&regionCode=1&hotelCode=OKRSB&_PMID=99801505&GPC=VEN&cn=no&viewfullsite=true

Ok that's it folks. It's a lot I know. We hope to see you there! Please PM or email if you have any questions.

sean@venture-unknown.com