Info About Clayton, Oklahoma and Yanush Area
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Clayton, Oklahoma- Places to stay:
Clayton Country Inn 918.569.4165 A&A Motel 918.569.4101 Sardis Inn 918.569.4101
K Country Hotel 918.569.4101 Clayton Lake State Park 918.569.7981 (Outside of town)
Minnetonka Christian Camp 918.569.7856 (3 miles South of Clayton) Under new management 2006
Indian Mounds Campgrounds 918.569.4761 Hickory Ridge Cabins 918.569.4992 (5 mi. N. of Clayton)
Yanush Store RV Only 918.522.4353
Just Opened 3-06 Sardis Lake Country Cabins 918.755.4585 or 918.693.9325
Lots of parking for big rigs and long trailers and wheelers are welcome.
Also NEW "Best Steaks in Clayton"
Lakeview Cafe at Sardis Lake Store-
Open everyday 918.569.4667 Cafe' 918.569.4633 Store
5 Miles North of Clayton on Hwy 2 Across the lake before the turn to Frielings
Places to stay in nearby Talihina:
Kiamichi Inn 918.567.2243 Taylor's Hotel 918.567.2885 Catholic Church Apt. 918.567.3696
Lazy K Inn 918.567.2162 Horse Haven Ranch 918.567.4200
Where is Clayton?
Public Land
Permits are required to wheel on the public land around the Clayton area. They can be purchased at either of the two grocery stores for $25.00 per person and are good through December of the year purchased.
DO NOT SPEED through town, or you might go to jail, directly to jail without a pass to get out of jail. Get the picture?
If your truck is not street legal and current on inspection stickers, you might want to trailer it to the trail head.
Yanush Area
Yanush is a few minutes from Clayton and has some tough trails. Head North out of Clayton on HWY 2- signs should say to Yanush. Follow past the cut off to HWY 271. Watch for Yanush store and gas/ campground (grass lot) on the left. Turn Left on the road that runs beside the store, follow til you hit dirt, and pick a trail. A couple of the trails in this area are "Dynamite" and "Magazine Hill". Both are great trails. There are more trails that don't have names that we know.
Frielings Place
Frielings is private land open to all wheelers for $10 per day per rig. About 15 miles North of Clayton it's still close enough to the town of Clayton to do day runs and still stay in Clayton. Or Mr. Freeling does allow camping when arranged prior to your arrival (dry and non electric- at the top of a really steep hill).
Areas to wheel: Clayton has miles and miles of moderate to extreme trials. Access to the trails can be challenging at times due to ever changing people controlling the access roads. You can buy a one year access permit at either of the local grocery stores and they have maps. Green Acres and Frielings are open year round with a day fee only. No permits required for those places.
Green Acres
New in 2003 "Green Acres" just outside of Clayton is a must now days in Clayton! Just ask at the A&A hotel how to get there. You'll park at the local welders shop (Slim's) and then you will pay $20 per rig to wheel for the day at the entrance road. It's been developed by Dallas clubs so all trails are clearly marked by name and level.
Closer View Clayton Area
Some of the trails in this area are:
"Upper Powerline" and "Lower Powerline" which consists of lots of creek crossings, steep rocky upgrades and views that go on for a long time. A good place to start and test Clayton.
A more advanced trail is "Jim and Juanitas"- also know to club runners as the "ABC Trail" is off of "Powerline" and is rather difficult for anything less than 38" tires. Although it can be done with some bypasses and potentially long day of it if you are up for a challenge! Jim and Juanita's is mostly large rocks through a fairly dry creek bed, leading up a descent incline from bottom to top. When you get near the top you will have a choice of going straight (easiest), left or right- thus "ABC trail".
"Herd Creek" is a long drive through a small river or creek that depending on time of the year, can be a really fun trail. Lots of big rocks and challenging maneuvering on this one. If you make it to the end of Herd Creek you can then go up "Snake Pit". Watch out for Water Moccasins if you are on this one in the summer months.
"Snake Pit" which is a series of rock ledges to the right that is a pretty good challenge after doing "Herd Creek".
Other trails in Clayton are "Purple Headed Monster" which is an ever changing loose rock climb around corners and steep inclines and is fun for even the guys running 33's. This is a trail cut by a Dallas area club, so it is pretty well groomed as far as branches.
You have probably heard of "3 Stage". It is a rock surface that climbs at an intense grade. With a ledge at the base that you must "give it gas" to bump over, without letting off, and losing momentum to get your back tires up.... be careful on this one.
One of my favorite trails is "Rock Creek". It takes off away from the bottom of 3 Stage. It is a challenging trail, that as the years pass becomes more challenging. On a wet day it is pretty difficult for 35's or smaller tires. But can be done!
"McKinley Rock" is beautiful. If you're brave enough you can drive up on it for some great photo's, but be careful... those could end up your last photos of your truck if you go too far!
There is a horse camp near the bottom of 3 stage. Please be respectful of the horses and be wary of the operator of the camp as he has been known report wheelers near his property. If you see private property signs, obey them. It's not worth the potential fines you may face unless you keep lots of cash in your back pocket... Your Clayton weekend could end in your friends trying to get you that "Get out of jail- not for free card"!!!
If you haven't wheeled in Clayton, you need to. It's worth the hassles of the permits and private property. It's among our favorite spots since 1992.
The new in 2003 "Green Acres" just outside of Clayton is a must now days in Clayton! Just ask at the A&A hotel how to get there. You'll park at the local welders shop (Slim's) and then you will pay $20 per rig to wheel for the day. It's been developed by Dallas clubs so all trails are clearly marked by name and level.