The Backcountry Brief

Welcome to this week's Backcountry Brief. Your weekly roundup of what happened, what's ahead, and stories from America's Backcountry.

Like what you see… be like Rock Lander and share with your friends!

Share

📰 Country Report: Last Week & What's Ahead

🤔 Of Interest (to me): Matt's Off-Road Games Just Proved What This Community Is About

🗺️ Trail Guide: Broken Arrow — Sedona's Red Rock Masterpiece

🗨️ Forum Watch: The Week's Top Discussions

I've been keeping up with some news that matters. Here's what stood out this week:

A quiet but significant win for veterans. The VA withdrew its appeal in a case that challenged limits on education benefits for veterans who served continuously. The result: 1.2 million veterans are now eligible for up to an additional year of college benefits under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills. The Supreme Court ruled in Rudisill v. McDonough back in 2024 that vets who qualify under both programs are entitled to all 48 months they earned. The VA had been dragging its feet. Now it's done. These men and women served their time. The benefits were always theirs. Full story at WTOP.

The Major Richard Star Act hit another wall in the Senate. Despite 77 Senate cosponsors and 316 in the House, Senator Blumenthal's request for unanimous consent was blocked. The bill would end the "wounded veteran tax" — the dollar-for-dollar offset that forces 54,000 combat-injured, medically retired veterans to choose between their earned retirement pay and VA disability compensation. That could mean an extra $1,200 a month for these wounded warriors. Blumenthal has now filed it as an amendment to the defense spending bill. Contact your senators. This one matters. Read more at Military Times.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Hemani this month — a case testing whether the federal government can prohibit firearm possession by users of controlled substances. With marijuana now legal in dozens of states, this case could reshape how the Second Amendment applies to millions of Americans. A ruling is expected by summer. Meanwhile, the Court has stacked its conference docket with eight new Second Amendment cert petitions, including challenges to the federal felon-in-possession ban, Illinois' open carry prohibition, and the AR-15 ban case out of Connecticut. The Second Amendment pipeline at SCOTUS has never been fuller. Full breakdown at SCOTUSblog.

The King Shocks 39th SCORE San Felipe 250 starts tomorrow. This is the opening round of the 2026 SCORE World Desert Championship, running through Saturday in Baja. If you got hooked on desert racing after the Mint 400 last month, this is the next chapter. Details at SCORE International.

Easter Jeep Safari — the 60th Annual — kicks off this Saturday, March 28 in Moab. Nine days of trail rides through some of the most stunning terrain on the planet. Vendor Expo runs April 2-3 at the Old Spanish Trail Arena. If you're headed that way, trails are filling fast but last-minute spots are sometimes available at the registration desk. Metalcloak will be there running the CTI Flex Trailer and giving away cool shirts! Register at rr4w.com.

This Sunday, March 29, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. March 29, 1973 was the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam and MACV was disbanded. Nine million Americans served during the Vietnam era. 58,220 never came home. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is hosting a wreath-laying at the Wall in D.C. at 1:00 PM. Communities across the country are holding ceremonies — from 21-stop county tours with gun salutes and Taps to welcome-home luncheons. If you see a Vietnam vet this week, you know what to say. Welcome home. Find events at VVA.

Looking a little further out — mark April 4 on the calendar. It's National Jeep 4x4 Day. Enough said. Read about it here.

And the National Park Service just announced National Park Week will run August 22-30 this year, themed "Celebrate America's Story" in honor of the 250th. Entrance fees waived on August 25 for U.S. residents. Junior Ranger Day kicks it off on August 22. Start planning now. Details at NPS.gov.

Every March, the red sand of Sand Hollow starts kicking up before you even clear the Hurricane city limits. That's how you know the Games are on.

Matt's Off-Road Games wrapped up Saturday at Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah, and if you weren't there, you missed something special. Three days of wrecker competitions, jalopy jeep racing, mini trophy truck battles, and military-versus-military vehicle showdowns — all set against 16,000 acres of OHV paradise in southern Utah.

This event started as a YouTube personality hosting a get-together. It's become something bigger. The crowds were wall-to-wall. Shannon and Jess Campbell brought their rigs out and spent the weekend wheeling Sand Hollow's ledges and canyons with a crew of friends. The Jalopy Jeep Challenge on Saturday had rigs that had no business running — and that's exactly what made it worth watching.

But here's what sets this event apart. Kids 12 and under got in free. There was a Kid Zone with off-road school bus rides and bounce houses. A portion of all ticket sales went to the Utah Public Lands Alliance and Search & Rescue. The grand prize giveaway was a custom-built 1988 GMC Jimmy worth $30,000 and a 2026 Polaris RZR XP-S.

An event that's family-friendly, supports public lands access, backs Search & Rescue, and still delivers three days of absolute chaos on the rocks. That's the model. More of this.

Watch the recaps at mattsoffroadgames.com.

Two weeks of Moab coverage in a row seemed like enough. So this week, head southwest.

Broken Arrow in Sedona, Arizona is one of the best 4x4 trails in the state — and one of the most visually stunning short trails in the country. The trail runs 3.8 miles through towering red rock formations, slickrock shelves, and ledge stair-steps that keep you grinning the entire way. The scenery is knockout beautiful. There's no other way to say it.

The route takes you past Submarine Rock — a massive, flat-topped sandstone formation that looks exactly like its name — and through the Devil's Staircase, a series of rock ledges that will test your tire placement and your nerves. The trail ends at Chicken Point, an overlook with views that stretch across the red rock canyons to the distant mesas.

The hike version runs parallel to the 4x4 route. If you've got family members who'd rather walk than ride, they can hit the same scenery on foot — about 3 miles round trip with 400 feet of elevation gain. It's an easy-to-moderate hike that kids can handle.

• Location: Broken Arrow Trailhead, Sedona, AZ (off Morgan Road)

• Distance: 3.8 miles (4x4 route) / 3 miles RT (hiking)

• Elevation Gain: ~400 feet

• Type: Loop (4x4) / Out and back (hiking)\

• Difficulty: Difficult for 4x4 (ledges, stair-steps, tight lines). Easy-moderate for hiking.

• Vehicle Requirements: High clearance 4x4 with low range. 35" tires minimum recommended. Expect rock ledges and off-camber sections.

• Pass Required: Red Rocks Pass or America the Beautiful Pass

Rock's tip: Get there before 8 AM. The Pink Jeep tour trucks run this trail all day and the parking lot fills fast, especially on weekends. Spring is the perfect season — temps in the 70s, clear skies, wildflowers starting to pop. Bring water and sun protection. If you're hiking, wear shoes with good grip on the slickrock sections. And if you're driving it, air down before you hit the first ledge. The rock is grippy but unforgiving. Trail info at FunTreks.

Enjoying my Backcountry Briefs? Share it with your friends!

Share

I keep tabs on a bunch of forums so you don't have to. Here's what caught my eye this week:

Over on Bronco6G, the Easter Jeep Safari thread is in full countdown mode. A dedicated "EJS Moab Trail Experience — Bronco Owners Welcome" thread is organizing group runs, with spots still available. The Bronco community has fully adopted Moab as home turf. There's also chatter from members who hit the Overland Expo SoCal two weeks ago sharing their favorite finds. Bronco EJS thread on Bronco6G.

On the JL Wrangler Forums and Jeep Gladiator Forum, it's all Safari all the time. Members are coordinating convoys and posting their trail picks — Sevenmile Rim on March 29, Steel Bender, Fins and Things, Poison Spider Mesa. One group is putting together a 10-vehicle convoy for a Wolfbox trail adventure. The energy heading into this weekend is electric. EJS planning on JL Wrangler Forums.

And over at Rokslide, the spring hunting prep talk is ramping up. A thread about the Bataan Memorial March in New Mexico drew attention — a 26.2-mile desert march honoring the American and Filipino soldiers who survived the 1942 Bataan Death March. Separate from the hunting talk, the general discussion board has threads buzzing about the Mile High Hunt Expo and the NW Hunt Expo. Spring scouting season is here. General discussion on Rokslide.

Until next week…

P.S. Got a story to share? Event for me to visit? A family adventure worth featuring? Leave a comment and let me know—I'm always looking for the next adventure.

####