Heading back to the mountains. WNC JeepFest 2026 returns to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds in Maggie Valley, North Carolina on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6, and Trail Gear Oasis will be on the ground as a vendor for both days.
This is the 7th annual WNC JeepFest, hosted by the WNC Jeepers club and presented by Outlaw Offroad. Two days of stock-friendly guided trail rides through some of the best terrain in Western North Carolina, a Saturday Show and Shine, the Glow Parade at dusk, food vendors, live music, and one of the most welcoming Jeep crowds you'll find anywhere in the South.
If you've never been, this is the year. If you've been before, you already know why people keep coming back.
Event Details
Event: WNC JeepFest 2026 (7th Annual) Dates: June 5-6, 2026 Venue: Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, 3374 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley, NC 28751 Presented By: Outlaw Offroad Host Club: WNC Jeepers Website: wncjeepfest.com Tickets: Buy here
Why This Event Hits Different
WNC JeepFest isn't trying to be the biggest event in the country. It's trying to be one of the best, and it pulls it off every year. Maggie Valley is tucked into the Smokies right next to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and the trail terrain here is something you just can't get on a beach or a flat dirt lot. Real mountain wheeling. Real elevation changes. Real views.
The crowd is local, the host club runs the show with their own hands, and the proceeds go directly back to Haywood County and the region. This is a Jeep event built by Jeep people for Jeep people, and you can feel it when you roll into the festival grounds.
If you've spent the spring at beach events on the coast, this one hits different. Cool mountain air. Pine trees. Switchbacks. Roll your sleeves down.
Stock-Friendly Guided Trail Rides
This is the headline. WNC JeepFest runs guided trail rides on June 5, June 6, and June 7, all through Western North Carolina backcountry that you can't easily access on your own. The rides are stock-friendly, which means if you're rolling a bone-stock Jeep on factory tires, you're welcome. The trail leaders know the terrain and pace the runs accordingly.
If you've been thinking about getting your rig dirty but didn't know where to start, this is the lowest-pressure entry point in the region. You ride with a group, you've got a trail leader up front and a sweep at the back, and you come off the trail with a story and a few new contacts.
Western NC trails are a different animal from beach driving or open desert. Tight tree lines, rocky climbs, mud after rain, creek crossings, and views that make every photo look like a brochure shot. If you've never wheeled the Smokies, do it on a guided run first.
Saturday Show and Shine
Saturday June 6 is the main festival day. Gates open at 9am. Show and Shine registration runs until 1pm, and award presentations are at 3pm.
The Show and Shine is open to any registered Jeep at the festival grounds. Polish it up if you want, leave the trail dirt on if you want. Both win awards at this event. Bring your rig the way you actually drive it.
If you're a VIP Show and Shine entrant, you can start staging at 8am.
The Glow Parade
Saturday night, this is the moment. At dusk, the Glow Parade stages outside the Festival Grounds fence and rolls west on Highway 19 to the Ghost Town parking lot and back. Colored lights only. Tops down, light bars and rock lights doing the work.
If you've never run rock lights or a light bar at full color, this is the event to test the setup. The route runs through Maggie Valley with families and locals out on the sidewalks watching the parade go by. It's one of those nights that turns into the best memory of the weekend.
Live Music Friday Night
Friday night after the gates close at 7pm, the party moves to Bearwaters Bistro Creekside from 8pm to midnight with live music. Creekside venue, mountain air, cold drinks, and a crowd full of Jeep people who just spent the day on the trail.
Don't skip Friday. The full weekend is where this event earns its reputation.
Vendors and Sponsors
The vendor area at WNC JeepFest features automotive vendors, food vendors, and gear suppliers. Outlaw Offroad headlines as the presenting sponsor. The full sponsor and vendor list is up on the WNC JeepFest sponsors page and vendors page.
This isn't a 100-vendor mega village. It's a focused vendor area where you can actually have a conversation with the people behind the booths. If you're shopping for parts, recovery gear, lighting, apparel, or trail covers, you'll get more attention here than you would at a 2,000-Jeep event.
Where to Stay
Maggie Valley has cabins, motels, and resorts within minutes of the festival grounds. The whole valley books up fast for JeepFest weekend, so don't wait.
Visit Haywood is a local tourism partner of the event and a solid starting point for lodging. Maggie Valley proper is the convenient choice. Waynesville is 15 minutes east and has more dining options. Asheville is about 45 minutes east if you want to make a bigger trip out of it and tack on a few days exploring.
If you're trailering, the festival grounds and surrounding area have parking options, but check the official lodging page for the most current recommendations.
Getting to Maggie Valley
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is about 50 minutes east of the festival grounds. Knoxville (TYS) is about 90 minutes northwest. Charlotte is about 2.5 hours east.
If you're driving, Maggie Valley is right off Highway 19 just east of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From Atlanta, about 3.5 hours. From Raleigh, about 4.5. From Nashville, about 4.
The drive in is half the fun. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Highway 19 climbing into the mountains are some of the best Jeep miles in the country.
Come Find Us in Maggie Valley
We'll be set up at WNC JeepFest both days. Stop by and walk through our 2-in-1 Jeep Wrangler trail covers in person. We make Jeep-specific fitments for the JK and JL 2-Door, JKU, JLU, TJ, and LJ.
We'll also have our brand new Sidekick Universal Shade on display. Universal fit, straps to anything, deploys in minutes. Built for camp, trailhead, tailgate, or anywhere you can anchor it. Come see it set up.
You can read the specs online and watch our setup guides, but seeing a cover on a real Jeep beats every photo we've ever taken.
See You in the Smokies
Real Jeep families. Real trail terrain. Real mountain town. WNC JeepFest is one of the events we look forward to all year, and it's the kind of weekend that reminds you why you bought a Jeep in the first place.
Follow Trail Gear Oasis on Instagram and Facebook for live coverage from the event. If you're rolling into Maggie Valley June 5-6, come find us.
See you in the mountains.