Crawling along a sheer cliff's edge, sloshing through a muddy bog, or even pounding the desert dunes. Wherever there is a trail that can be wheeled, you will find the Toyota Trail Teams.

Crawling along a sheer cliff's edge, sloshing through a muddy bog, or even pounding the desert dunes. Wherever there is a trail that can be wheeled, you will find the Toyota Trail Teams. The three teams - East Coast, Central and West Coast - crisscross the country in their Tacomas, FJ Cruisers and Tundras, joining with other Toyota 4x4 enthusiasts at their favorite trailheads. Each team consists of two experienced professional drivers, a team manager and two team assistants. Life constantly on the road can be a little rough. But for these guys with mud in their veins, it's well worth it in order to spend their days hanging and wheelin' with other dedicated off-roaders.

The Trail Teams get a kick out of traveling to a different event each week because they know they'll get a fresh chance to wheel with drivers of all different skill levels. One minute they're talking shop with a guy who just completed another major mod to his Tacoma. The next, they're giving instruction to a father who just bought a stock FJ Cruiser because he's looking forward to off-roading and camping with his family. These connections, once made, last way beyond the end of the trail.

Given any opportunity to go wheelin' or talk wheelin', the Toyota Trail Teams will take it. This passion led the Trail Teams to create events of their own: Invitationals and Expeditions.

The Invitationals are a chance for enthusiasts to bring their own trail-ready Toyota rigs and head out with the Toyota Trail Teams on beginning, moderate or difficult rides. Even those without a rig are invited to join and wheel in the Trail Teams' modified and stock Tacomas, FJ Cruisers and Tundras. In May, over 200 people tackled the jagged San Bernadino Mountains at the first Trail Teams Invitational in Big Bear, CA. Another 200 descended on the Badlands Off-Road Park in Attica, IN this July for extreme 4x4 action at the second Trail Teams Invitational.

The Invitationals are big off-roading parties, but the Trail Teams Expeditions give drivers a more intimate and remote type of wheelin'. The Lead Driver for each team maps a custom route along some of America's least traveled and most difficult trails. About 10 rigs, with drivers of all skill levels, are recruited for the three to four day journeys. The first East Coast Toyota Trail Teams Expedition just recently completed their trek along North Carolina's Outer Banks. Making their way through sand and marsh, these adventurers experienced nature and wheelin' in a way few others ever will.

While it is a thrill to play host, the Trail Teams know that after weeks of hardcore wheelin', nothing beats the grassroots events put on by 4x4 clubs around the nation. These trails are where the teams get to demonstrate just how capable their Toyota 4x4s really are. On a personal level, the Trail Teams can share their vast amounts of trail and off-roading knowledge with each other.

Nothing could stop the Trail Teams from attending the TLCA's 20th Annual Rubithon. In fact, this year the Trail Teams led the first ever FJ Cruiser-only run along the notorious Rubicon Trail. From the mountains in the West to the mountains in the East, the Trail Teams rolled into Harlan County, KY for the Toyota Territory Off-Roaders Association (TTORA) Takeover. It was an incredible sight to see so many Toyota 4x4s exploring the newly opened terrain in the Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Park.

Currently, the Trail Teams can be found caravanning down a back highway on their way to another of America's favorite 4x4 trailheads. And the 4x4 community always has room for one more wheeler, so come out and join the guys for an off-road weekend. Be sure to click on the "More information" link below to keep up with their latest travels.

And as the Trail Teams always say, "Happy Trails."