Run the Uwharrie and Big Creek Trails While Raising Money for Veterans: Mission Uwharrie 2026

One skill set that interests me is vehicle mobility/overlanding. I wanted to learn more after reading about the Long Range Desert Group in World War 2 and the Unit’s hunt for Scuds in Iraq. When the team from Mission Uwharrie contacted us about attending Mission Uwharrie, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to 1) learn more about overlanding and 2) support this event.

Mission Uwharrie‘s Objective

Mission Uwharrie is a weekend gathering in North Carolina (Nov 20-22) that brings the military/veteran community together with the overland and outdoor communities. In addition to bringing the communities together, the team plans to connect participants with vendors, sponsors, and military community resources. This both builds community and networks people so that we can take care of each other in hard times. With our military backgrounds and experiences, this is a great opportunity to do both.

The Event

To start, weekend tickets are $129 per adult and $99 for veterans, and weekend tickets for kids ages 5-15 are $47 per kid. The Saturday pass costs $52 per adult, $39 for veterans, and $26 per kid. With the weekend pass, passholders receive a variety of benefits, including 2 meal tickets, access to the vendor area all weekend, weekend camping spots, and access to all activities. Saturday ticket holders will have access to the venue from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., along with one meal ticket. Saturday visitors will also get access to all the activities and challenges, including driving an Ineos Grenadier through a capability course.

The challenges offer a variety of activities where participants can enjoy themselves and prove their skills. Mission Uwharrie is hosting archery, fly casting, and sniper observation drills, to name a few. The adventures are events where guests can overland on trails in Uwharrie National Forest and Big Creek OHV, a privately owned network of trails. I am looking forward to those adventures and to starting to learn how to travel overland.

For guests who are bringing families, there will be base camp activities to enjoy. Base camp will have food trucks, live entertainment, and a kids’ play area. Base camp is also the place to network and connect with other guests, vendors, and veteran support resources.

Why I’m Going

As I mentioned before, when I first heard about Mission Uwharrie, my interest was piqued both by the adventures and by the mission behind the event. Because of my military service and childhood as a military kid, I understand, to an extent, some of the needs veterans and service members deal with. Because the Mission Uwharrie team is working to connect this community with resources, I want to help make this an impactful event for everyone there. Get your pass, and I will see you at Uwharrie!