Take Your Jeep Further With the Badge of Honor Program

Collecting points and getting rewarded for things you enjoy is fun—just look at how popular achievements and trophies are in video games these days. If you’re an off-road enthusiast like many of us at The Faricy Boys, you can get into achievement hunting here in the real world, thanks to Jeep’s Badge of Honor program. We have plenty of amazing new and used Jeeps for sale that will let you embrace the Jeep lifestyle and everything these unique vehicles bring to the road—and the trail. The Jeep Badge of Honor program helps recognize your adventures. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate off-roading and the deeply rewarding challenges that come with it than this program and the amazing ways it lets people come together in the off-road community.

What Is the Jeep Badge of Honor Program?

If you’re familiar with achievements and trophies in video games, then you can think of the Badge of Honor program as a similar system but in real life and for going to popular off-road trails. For folks who aren’t into gaming, think of the Badge of Honor system as bragging rights that combine digital badges and a bit of social media with physical rewards that let you show off where you’ve been and what you’ve done while off-road. We should mention that even though this is a program created by Jeep, you don’t have to own or drive a Jeep to join, though you’ll miss out on some rewards.

To get started, you simply download the Jeep Badge of Honor app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, depending on what sort of device you’re using. You can then set up a quick profile for yourself, and if you own a Jeep, you can input your VIN to prove ownership to Jeep (this will be important later). Once you have the app installed, you can browse the various trails that are part of this program. While there are hundreds of amazing off-road trails throughout the country, Jeep has chosen several dozen to be a part of the program as the quintessential trails that every off-road fan should consider.

Earning Points and More

When you get started with the Badge of Honor app, you’ll have 0 points and the rank of Newbie within the system. Don’t feel bad; this is where everyone starts. From there, you can earn points in order to increase your rank. Earning points is quite easy and basically comes down to going out and having fun on the trails included in Jeep’s Badge of Honor system. You simply go to a trailhead indicated in the app and check-in to show you’re there, at which point you’ll be awarded 200 points for that trail. Yes, you get points just for checking in. The app doesn’t track whether you actually run the trail, but lying about something like that is just depriving yourself of an amazing experience.

There are other ways to earn points in the app by interacting with other users, creating a light social media feel to the whole experience. For example, posting a picture you took while out on the trail earns you 20 points, while commenting on a trail page to share your experiences or let others know about current conditions can earn you 10 points. As you earn points, your rank in the Badge of Honor program will increase with the following levels:

100 points: Trail Rookie
800 points: Trail Explorer
2,500 points: Trail Commander
4,000 points: Trail Pro
6,500 points: Trail Expert

As you can see, you’d need to run 33 trails in the Badge of Honor program to rank up to Trail Expert within the system. Of course, posting pictures and making comments could reduce this, but as far as we’re concerned, the whole point is to get out there and have some fun off-road, so we’re not worried about ways to earn points the fastest. You’re not competing against anyone else, simply earning points as a way to show where you’ve been and what you’ve done.

What Kinds of Trails Are Included?

At the moment, more than 60 different trails across the US are included as part of this program, though it launched with fewer than that, and Jeep has been adding to it ever since going live with the app. These trails encompass just about every skill level possible, so no matter how much experience you have, you can find something in the program that you can tackle—assuming your vehicle is up for it. Each trail includes a difficulty rating from 1 to 10 that indicates how much of a challenge it is: 1-3 means an easy trail that can be great for beginners, while 4-5 marks moderate difficulty, 6-7 lets you know you’re in for a demanding trail that will test your skills, and 8-10 are reserved for the most challenging paths.

As we said, the qualifying trails are scattered across the country, so you can look at this program as an opportunity to not only go off-road but also schedule some long-distance road trips. Right now, Utah is at the top state with 11 different Badge of Honor trails in the program—it should be no surprise that eight of these are found in the Moab region. However, we’re right behind them as Colorado ties California with six trails each for second place in the program. Five of our trails are around Telluride, but the most challenging option here in Colorado for a Badge of Honor is Holy Cross up near Leadville, which will definitely put your skills to the test.

The Badges of Honor

What, exactly, are these badges we keep talking about? Checking in at a trailhead not only earns you 200 points but also qualifies you to receive a badge for that trail. You get a digital badge added to your account in the app to show that you went to that trail, but that’s not all. If you have a Jeep (remember where you enter your VIN?), you can receive a physical badge—a Hard Badge—from Jeep to commemorate your off-road experience. These badges have been specially created by the Jeep design and engineering teams to showcase your achievement, and you can affix them to your vehicle or simply collect them.

There’s a unique badge for each location that lists its name, shows the state it’s located in, and displays an outline of the trail. From Black Bear Pass here in Colorado to the Rubicon Trail in California and the Top of the World Trail near Moab, you’ll earn a badge for every new location you tackle. It’s up to you if you just want one or two badges, feel up to the task of collecting all six here in Colorado, or want to take on the herculean task of conquering all 60+ Badge of Honor trails. Whatever you decide, you’ll be able to share your triumphs with others and connect with a larger community of off-roaders through Jeep’s unique program.

Taking Your Off-Road Experience to the Next Level

We love the Badge of Honor program and think it is a fantastic way to bring off-road enthusiasts together. For those of us who live for hitting the trail, it is often a solitary experience or shared with just one or two other people, rarely an adventure taken on as part of a larger group. With the Badge of Honor program, we can more easily connect with each other, show off the places we’ve been, and comment on the adventures we have out on the trail. Plus, if you notice a Rubicon Trail or Holy Cross badge on someone’s Jeep, you know that you’re looking at more than simply another mall crawler; here’s someone who shares your taste for fresh air and wilderness devoid of pavement. What better way to find a kindred spirit and perhaps even spark up a new friendship based on your love for the trail?