Washington ATV Trails
Washington ATV Trails
The Best ATV Trails in Washington
The question of where to ride ATVs in Washington is easily answered because generally, the state is very ATV-friendly, and there are a multitude of good riding options. Washington has over 2,000 miles of trails, 5,915 miles of recreation roads open to off-road vehicles, 10,074 miles of county roads open to street legal ATVs and 152 trailheads and other recreation facilities. And you’ll love that the ATV trails Washington state has to offer are incredibly diverse, giving you the opportunity to choose between wide open spaces, rock-strewn mountains, scenic lakes and national forests – providing seemingly endless opportunities for ATV riders of all skill levels. You’ll also love the natural beauty of Washington, which is evident in abundance. So, where is the best trail riding in Washington? Where can I find ATV trails near me if I live in the Washington? Which Washington off-road trails are absolutely “can’t miss”? Below is a list of just a few of the most popular Washington ATV trails and UTV trails, compiled by the experts at Treadworld, with location information and websites where available.
Ahtanum State Forest
Location: Yakima County Washington, about 30 miles west of Yakima, WA
Website: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/Ahtanum/
With over 75,000 acres of wilderness beauty packed with ponderosa pine forest land, canyons, lakes and beautiful vistas, this area is home to some of the most popular off-road trails in Washington. The 70+ miles of old logging roads are ideal for ATV trail riding, offering a variety of terrain including loose dirt, sand, rocks, a few mudding trails, berms, and steep hills. Specifically, the Ahtanum State Forest OHV trail is a 29-mile, heavily trafficked loop trail that is rated “ moderate”. The forest is crisscrossed by a network of roads known as the “Green Dot” road network, consisting of over 562 miles of inter-connected roads in Kittitas and Yakima Counties, denoted by green “dot” signs (which is where the name originated. Duh!)
Bradley Trails ORV Area
Location: Wahkiakum County in northwestern Washington, just outside of Cathlamet, WA
Website: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/eng_rms_brad_06_full.pdf (trail map)
Though not as long as some other areas with 8 miles of trails, this is still among the most popular Washington ORV trails. Known for its mostly loose dirt 4-wheeler trails that can turn into slippery mud bogs during wet weather, the area also includes mostly hardpack, along with some trails that are quite rocky with some steep hills. The area is great for beginning riders, but also offers challenges for ATV riders and UTV riders with more experience.
Capitol State Forest
Location: Southwest of Olympia, WA, in the Black Hills of Grays Harbor and Thurston Counties
Website: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/capitol/
Split in half, the southern end of this 110,000-acre state forest is designated for non-motorists like hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians, but the northern section offers around 100 miles of ATV riding trails. Keep an eye open for the Capital Forest OHV trail, which is an 11-mile, lightly trafficked trail that is known for providing outstanding wildlife views. When the weather cooperates, you’ll find some of the muddiest OHV trails Washington has to offer here, ideal for riders who like to get dirty.
Cle Elum Ranger District ORV Trails
Location: In Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, headquartered at 215 Melody Lane,
Wenatchee, WA in the center of the state
Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recarea/?recid=57117
With over 400 miles of ATV trails in Washington, weaving through 375,000 acres, this is one of the state’s most popular areas for off-roading. The large trail system and diverse terrain offers multitudes of options that cover rolling hills, dense forests of Douglas fir and western hemlock in the west, open pine forests in the east, craggy peaks, meadows and secluded valleys. The Billy Goat trail is known for its beauty, for its steep climbs and descents, and for its difficulty—especially in wet weather when it can get very slick. The Cougar Springs trail is more suited for moderate experience riders, although it does offer some tight turns and squeezes.
Evans Creek ORV Area
Location: 25 miles South of Enumclaw, King County in western-central Washington
Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mbs/recreation/recarea/?recid=80335&actid=93
One of the most visited ORV parks in Washington state, Evans Creek is known by many names including Carbon River Valley, Poch Peak, August Peak, Toimie Creek, and Snoqualmie Ranger. Here you’ll find 45 miles of designated, multi-use trails that loop through forests, and up and down mountains and meadows – many of which offer inspiring views of majestic Mt. Rainier. The trails for 4-wheeler riders range from easy, smooth sections to more challenging sections of varying difficulty through rugged terrain.
Grant County Sand Dunes
Location: In eastern-central Washington
Website: https://www.grantcountywa.gov/456/Off-Road-Vehicle-ORV-Unit
Grant County Washington is known for three areas offering ATV trails and UTV trails on sand dunes inspired by Mother Nature. Those three are: the Grant County Sand Dunes and ORV Park, Moses Lake Mud Flats and Sand Dunes and Beverly Dunes, all among the most popular riding areas in the state, and located in the same general geographic area. Grant County Park is four miles outside Moses Lake, and offers exciting sand dune riding, or you can enjoy the nearby mud flats, an additional 3,000 acres of mud, sand and trails. Expect some small jumps and a few large jumps suitable for all experience levels. But don’t expect any shade. Or bathrooms. There’s another 3,000 acres with ATV and UTV riding trails on soft sand and over rolling hills in the Moses Lake area—though half of this motorized use area is closed from October through July to accommodate the nesting of migratory birds. At 300 acres, Beverly Dunes is smaller than the Moses Lake area, but is noted for being a very family-friendly place to ride, in large part because it has some long soft sand areas where you can open up the throttle a little, and because it has fewer “razorbacks”—dune hazards in the form of knife-edge ridges that are created when the wind blows sand in multiple directions.
Juniper Dunes OHV Area
Location: South-central Washington, 7 miles northeast of Pasco, WA
Website: https://www.blm.gov/visit/juniper-dunes-wilderness-ohv-area
In this sprawling, 3,920-acre, quite remote area dotted with sagebrush, you’ll find world class opportunities for ATV riding and UTV riding in loose sand including several sandy trails, sections of open dunes and several primitive roadways. This area is really just one-third of the Juniper Dunes complex, and the only third where 4-wheeler riding is allowed. Another section has been designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern with limited travel, and the third section is fenced and designated a wilderness area, which is closed to all motorized traffic and bicycles. Strong southwest winds create the dunes, and you’ll want to keep your eyes open for the wildlife that enjoys the area, including bobcats, coyotes, badgers, skunks, weasels, porcupines, mule deer, gophers, kangaroo rats, rattlesnakes and many varieties of birds like hawks, owls, ravens, quail, partridge, pheasants, doves and numerous songbirds.
Riverside State Park ORV Area
Location: Spokane County in eastern-central Washington, west of Spokane on Inland Road
Website: http://www.riversidestatepark.org/orv_area.html
This 600-acre area is one of several ORV parks Washington set aside specifically for off-road vehicle riding in the 1980s. Part of Washington’s second largest state park with 9,194 acres and almost 200,000 feet of shoreline, Riverside is a dedicated area that offers diverse terrain including hill climbs, sandy areas, and trails through dense ponderosa pine wooded areas, while providing off-road adventurers with some small jumps and a few large jumps. 25 miles of mostly hardpack trails weaving through the area are unmarked, unrated, and lightly maintained – best-suited for intermediate-experience riders.
Yacolt Burn State Forest
Location: Rw D 2000, Stevenson, WA, in Clark County in southern Washington, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains
Website: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/Yacolt
The 90,000-acre Yacolt Burn State Forest is a timber-generating forest in the Cascade Mountains of southwest Washington filled with opportunities for ATV-riding fun. The forest is named for the wildfires of 1902 that ravaged parts of several Washington counties, still the largest forest fire in the state’s history. The area has 49 miles of recreational trails including the Tarbell trail, a 24.75-mile loop that winds its way around the forest, the Grouse Vista Trail, which will get you to the top of Silver Star Mountain at 4,390 feet above sea level for an unforgettable panoramic view of the entire area, and the Jones Creek ORV Trailhead, which offers 14 miles of trails, and also provides access to other ORV trail systems, including Deer Pen Trail, Mountain View Trail, and Hagen Creek Trail, known for its a rock crawl.
That’s Only a Few
For ATV and UTV riding enthusiasts, Washington does not disappoint with its vast terrain ranging from coastal lowlands to rainforests, to evergreen forests, to majestic mountain regions, to desert and sand dunes. We’ve only highlighted a few of the many Washington ATV trails here, but you’ll be able to find hundreds more throughout the state, with very little effort.
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