New Jeep Driving School Opens In Sedona, Arizona

by Jim Walczak

Arizona Jeeping, Offroading, Videos

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Have you ever passed a dirt trail and wondered, “Where does that road go?”

Nena Barlow at Farabee's jeep rentals in Sedona Arizona

With the growing popularity of offroading, more and more people are seeking the answer to that question — which means the need for off-highway safety and etiquette training is more important than ever. Especially for Jeep owners who sometimes push the limits a bit more than most when they’re off-road.

Although many people use their Jeeps as a daily driver for on-road transportation,each and every day new Jeep owners are tempted to brave the occasional dirt road or even try some rock-crawling. But most people don’t realize that even driving on a smooth dirt road will require different techniques than driving on pavement. To top it all off, more intense offroading requires an entirely new set of skills that you simply can’t learn by watching a video.

Now there is an accessible, convenient and affordable provider for off-highway driving instruction: Sedona Jeep School.  If you live near Sedona, Arizona (or you’re looking for a reason to take a vacation), I’d encourage you to get some insider tips and 4×4 driving instruction from the pro’s at Sedona Jeep School. Lynnette and I did.

Sedona Jeep School offers 4×4 driving instruction in your own four-wheel drive vehicle.

They also offer convenient Jeep rental packages through their relationship with Farabee’s Jeep Rentals.


What Makes This Jeep School Different?

sedona-jeep-school.gif Owner/Instructor, Nena Barlow, created Sedona Jeep School to fill the gap between Jeep tours and Jeep rentals — as well as to serve visitors who have their own 4WD vehicles and would like to push their skills to the next level. This type of Jeep & offroad training promotes responsible off-highway recreation while providing instruction in the finer points of 4×4 technique.

After a lifetime of offroading and 8 years in the Jeep tour industry, Nena has logged some serious off-road hours. She says, “Lately, more and more Jeep tour guests are asking about driving themselves or picking my brain about what their 4×4 can do. People are looking for off-road education.”

Nena (who was recently featured on the NBC Today Show with Peter Greenberg) has been instructing professional tour guides for years. She has also spent a good deal of time riding with acquaintances to teach them four-wheeling in their own vehicles. She says, “I realized that with more and more people buying trail-capable vehicles these days, more and more people want to learn how to safely and confidently use their vehicles.”


What Is The Offroad Training Like?

nena-at-sedona-jeep-school.jpgA typical 4×4 instruction session with Sedona Jeep School starts with questions like:

  “What types of terrain have you driven before?”
“What level of rugged terrain do you want to learn to drive?”

Then, the instruction moves on to a “getting to know your vehicle” session before the instructor climbs in the vehicle with you to head out and tackle some terrain.

While in the vehicle, instructors educate clients in off-highway driving techniques, as well as trail etiquette and outdoor preparedness.

one-of-the-many-trails-off-the-main-road-in-sedona.jpgAfter a course with Sedona Jeep School, you will have an understanding of your own capabilities and the capabilities of your vehicle. In just one session, you will gain skills for safe, responsible, and enjoyable outdoor recreation.

Nena says, “Fun is what it’s all about. I get to teach people about having fun, and help them find out where that dirt road goes!”

Check out some of Nena’s Jeep School videos.