Washington Off-Road Trails

Twenty-Eight Mile Creek starts on FS-70 just past the shooting pit and travels just over 14 miles to an elevation of 4800 feet. The road then reconnects with WA Highway 410, creating a large loop. The scenery that unfolds on Twenty-Eight Mile Creek is nothing short of awe-inspiring, offering an opportunity to immerse oneself in the awe-inspiring beauty of nature's untouched splendor. This captivating road unveils breathtaking vistas of a concealed valley. While no campsites are along the road, many spur roads undoubtedly lead to lookouts and fantastic camping opportunities.

Whistler Creek Road is the first trail in the Stampede Pass Overland Route and features the Kelly Butte Lookout. The lookout was first built in 1926, then replaced in 1950, and manned until the 1980s. Today, it’s a one-mile-long hike to the lookout, with views of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, and Mt. Stuart. The drive ends with a pair of secluded dispersed campsites with great views of their own. Stampede Pass Route is a 32-mile mountain pass through the Cascade Range, just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington. The pass was created to service railroads that traversed the Cascade Mountains. Today, it covers several well-maintained forest roads with ample room and views throughout.

In the Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Ashford, WA, FS 85 starts as a well-traveled track through lush old-growth forest and travels 22.5 miles to over 4400 feet. This is a significant logging road, so please watch for any logging activity. The first part of the road is paved, but no maintenance has been done since an earthquake in 1995, so the road heaves and pitches in spots. The trail turns to gravel and is very well maintained. About nine miles in, the road becomes more primitive, with a few partial washouts that have been marginally repaired. A 4x4 vehicle is required. Once at the top, the road winds into a beautiful valley and intersects with FS-47. No significant camping areas are directly on this road, but many connecting roads undoubtedly lead to fantastic views, providing excellent camping opportunities. You can expect snow in the upper elevations past 3600 feet in the late fall and early summer, stretching well into July.

High Rock, FS 8440, located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest a few miles south of Ashford, Washington, takes you to two popular hiking trails, High Rock #266 and Greenwood Lake #253. These top-rated hiking trails climb to even higher elevations. This straight-through road connects FS-85 and FS-84, climbing through lush old-growth forests to its highest elevation of 4308 feet, with beautiful views of the surrounding peaks and valleys below. At the top of the climb is a large parking area with stunning views of the cascades to the east.

There is one camping spot about two miles in on the road, but many side roads offer different camping areas.

The road has water runoff damage, but the effects are minimal with a 4x4 high-clearance vehicle. 

Sitkum Sol Duc Road (FS 29) has to have an amazing history. One agency has it listed as a paved road, and parts of it still are; you can even see sections where it was wide enough for 2 lanes, including the paint lines, but it's definitely fallen into disrepair due to heavy rains in the past few years. Overall, the road is in good condition, gravel for most with sections of old pavement, but the pavement is showing its age and has lost quite a bit of the base and subbase layers leaving the shoulders prone to cracking under weight.

FS29 starts near Forks and *would* take you all the way up to Highway 101 if it went all the way through. You'll start down in the rainforest with mossy trees and deep shade, continuing up until you're traversing a ridgeline with open sky and gorgeous views of the National Forest off to the side. It continues back down on the north side of the mountains but, unfortunately, has experienced some severe washout sections that are impassable down near the intersection with Bonidu Peak road. There's no way out of this portion of the road currently, so your only choice is to retrace your path all the way back out by Forks, or you can take Hole in the Wall/Hunger Repeater Road or Sitkum Sol Duc Connector to their exits further north. Camping areas are basically non-existent save for one section near the intersection of Sitkum Sol Duc Connector, but it would be difficult to stay there without impeding traffic in some way, so be courteous and plan accordingly on this road.

The Olympic National Forest has plans and a budget for repairs to FS29 and expects them to occur during the summer of 2025. Nine planned areas of repair are involved, so blockages and construction should be expected throughout that summer, with a full reopening slated for late fall.

Named for a local Jeep club, Around the Sound is a light, relaxing stroll through the park, with a small rock obstacle, as well as the potential for mud. If you’re already in the park and want to keep wheeling, but need a break from the nearby, harder trails, Around the Sound will be a great addition to your day romping about in the woods. Walker Valley ORV is comprised of 3,200 acres, with twelve 4X4 trails, and several more ATV and dirt bike trails. The trails offer many challenges like rocks, roots, and ruts. These obstacles will change from season to season, with the addition of snow and rain, which can also produce large puddles and muddy stretches. From the mild to wild, Walker Valley ORV provides something for everyone.

Green Pass/Naches Tie connects several important trails in the Stampede Pass Overland Route and ties into the Naches Trail while providing stunning views of Mt. Rainier. This section of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has many camping opportunities and connects Plum Creek Road and Green Divide (South) to complete the overland experience of Stampede Pass.

Beacon Road is a fun little rough road that starts in the Wild Horse Wind Farm in Central Washington. You'll start by driving through the wind farm near the wind turbines, which are quite impressive when you get up close. The road to each turbine is gated off, so stick to the main Beacon Road trail. As you exit the Wind Farm facility, you'll enter the Quilomene Wildlife area. Views on this road are a gorgeous mix of the best Central Washington can offer. You can expect wide expanses of open areas followed by a fun drive through trees. 

On a dry day, this road offers no real complications other than occasional rough road and ruts, suitable for any vehicle with medium to high clearance, but could be run in 2wd. With rain and/or snow, this may become a very difficult or impassible route, depending on your vehicle's capabilities. There are multiple pre-existing campsite areas along the trail, many of them large enough for decently sized groups and almost all of them well spread out for privacy. 

Please note that this trail is listed as Beacon Road on the local signs, but it goes by several names depending on the map source. Examples include Quilomene Ridge Road, Beacon Ridge Road, Park Creek Road, and Caribou Road.

Green Dot Roads are a collaboration between DNR, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and private landowners to provide opportunities for dispersed recreation such as camping, hunting, off-road vehicle riding, and wildlife viewing. You can find current mappings that will include seasonal and other closures at https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/wdfw-lands/green-dot. A Discover Pass is required for portions of DRN land that are included in Green Dot road maps.