Welcome to the
at MERUS Adventure™ Park
What is the TrailRecon Challenge?
The TrailRecon Challenge is an off-road/ overlanding challenge created by MERUS Adventure™ park owner Dirk van Reenen and Brad Kowitz of TrailRecon.
This is an incredible 3-day 2 night journey to test your skills and equipment in one of most beautiful canyons in North America, Palo Duro Canyon. The challenge can be run on one of two routes; The Challenge or the Extreme Challenge.
You will descend 850 feet into the earth and navigate through 4 geological layers of exposed dirt, sand, rock, stone, and the legendary “red dirt” and face more obstacles than you can count along the way with some of the most incredibly beautiful scenery in Texas through Palo Duro Canyon.
The prize!
When you complete the challenge you will receive your one-of-a-kind SERIALIZED Coin and Badge to show the world that you completed one of the most epic off-road challenges in America. These are high-quality metal and stand out compared to other badges in size, color, and quality.
This is also your chance to earn your challenge coin that you can pull out and throw down if you ever run across Brad on the trail:)
Watch Brad and Dirk's adventure
on the TrailRecon Extreme Challenge
Things to See and Experience Along the Way
As you navigate the challenge you have opportunities to see incredible sites including a 120-year-old logging cable system, large pieces of petrified wood, hoodoos, purple dirt from the aquatic era when the canyon was underwater, and you can stop by and explore one of our caves along the route and see the spectacular earth below the surface of the canyon.
improving Your Skill and experience
One thing we constantly hear at Merus from visitors from across the country is how much their skill improves from running our trails for 2-3 days. We have designed and built these trails to be a fully engaging experience. Our trails have obstacle after obstacle after obstacle to keep the fun and adrenaline flowing and create a one-of-a-kind experience.
Both routes take 3 days and 2 nights to complete with a total trail running time of around 15 hrs for the Challenge and 19 hrs for the Extreme Challenge.
Running either one of these challenges will greatly increase your level of skill and experience due to the vast number of obstacles and challenges along the way.
Camping and lodging
You can choose to camp along the route overlanding style or you can stay at an RV site, Glamping site, or Cabin. If you don’t want to haul all your gear on the trails and run lighter, choose to set up a base camp on the Rim of the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon. We also have full hookup RV spots available on the rim.
We allow 10 rigs to run the TrailRecon Challenge each weekend on either a Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday timeline. You can also opt to “run with others” and we can connect individuals together to run the routes together (which is recommended) to be able to spot each other, help with recoveries, and build some epic new friendships.
Available Dates
Booking Your Challenge Trip
How it Works
Book the available weekend you want to run the challenge. It’s a 3 day, 2 night challenge and you can either book a Thursday to Saturday or Friday to Sunday
Once you book we will send you an email with all the info you need to get prepped for your trip.
GAIA GPS will be required for this challenge! We will send out maps prior to your arrival.
You will be required to map your route on GAIA to prove your completion and adherence to the trail routes
Plan your route to MERUS Adventure™ Park
Show up by 9:30 AM on your first day to check in and get briefed
Get ready for fun and adventure
What's Included
Your park access
Off-road passes for 3 days
2 nights of camping (glamping, cabins, or RV spaces are additional)
Your Serialized Badge and Coin if you complete the challenge
And 50% off park recovery should you need it
The Price
All ticket sales are final and refunds cannot be issued. Store credit can be offered in the event you cannot make your reservation.
Download the Gaia map files below
Check Out More of TrailRecon
at MERUS Adventure™ Park
Questions you might have
We limit the spots available every week for the TrailRecon Challenge to 10 rigs. To ensure you have a space available, registration is required.
The cost of registration includes camping fees at our designated camping locations that are part of the TrailRecon Challenge and TrailRecon Extreme Challenge. These locations will be marked on your map prior to you starting the challenges. Optional upgrades at one of our glamping sites, cabins, or RV hook-up slots are available for an additional cost.
Part of both the TrailRecon Challenge and the TrailRecon Extreme Challenge is the overlanding experience. However, you will have the choice to set up a base camp or to overland and stay at a different location each night.
Plan to bring as much water as you think you’ll need. Should you run out and need more, we can provide a few gallons.
We get it, there’s nothing better than gathering around the campfire after a day on the trails. However, MERUS Adventure™ is currently observing a strict fire ban. Propane cooktops are permitted and acceptable. NO WOOD, CHARCOAL, OR NATURAL BURNING FIRES ARE ALLOWED.
In addition, we ask that smokers be prepared to distinguish their cigarettes/cigars in their vehicle. This park is precious to us and we work hard daily to protect it. If you are found to violate these rules, you will be reminded once then asked to leave the park on repeated instances.
Absolutely! We love having pets and furry family at the park. The canyon does provide many natural hazards, in addition to the many vehicles at this event. So for the safety of the animal, we do require pets to be leashed and in your full control at all times.
Open alcoholic beverages and consumption are prohibited in off-road-vehicles during use on trails, in public parking areas. Alcohol consumption is allowed in designated camping and event areas only. Violators will be asked to leave the event.
MERUS Adventure™ All Rights Reserved 2022
