Firebreak Five is a trail that can go from mild to wild depending on conditions. In dry summer weather, most vehicles can navigate the entire trail by taking the easiest lines and combining good spotting and good driving. In the soggy winter months, certain sections of the trail, such as Waypoint 4, can become incredibly difficult or even impassable for all but trucks rolling on sticky tires, with front and rear lockers, or with little regard for possible drive-train damage. The changing conditions and challenges that voyagers along Firebreak Five face are all part of the adventure. Firebreak Five also has the distinction of being a "Jeep Badge of Honor."
For those looking for a big challenge, there is an optional rock garden, and there are very difficult lines to take on the obstacles that will challenge even the most built rigs.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
Recommended Vehicle:
Lightly Modified 4X4 (Small Lift and Larger Tires)
Concerns:
Summary:
Waypoint 4 has a significant rocky obstacle to maneuver up. Waypoint 6 has an optional section with large boulders to play on and drives the higher rating.
Community Consensus
0 votes
3 votes
0 votes
Easier
Spot On
Harder
The weighted average of your fellow members agreement of our trail
rating. As trail conditions change this helps us keep the community
aware of changes.
Mandatory
5 -
DIFFICULT
The hardest part of the trail that you
cannot bypass - you have to drive it.
Optional
7 -
SEVERE
The hardest part of the trail that is
purely optional - you can bypass it.
Rocky or undulated road surface. Potential rocks and/or tree stumps less than 24" tall and/or vertical ledges less than 24" tall and/or near vertical ledges or waterfalls less than 54" inches. Tire placement becomes more difficult. Can be steep and off-camber.Read More about our Rating System
Firebreak Five starts in a dense forest before emerging into a long straight section paralleling a clearcut. There is a bail-out point at Waypoint 3 if the going is too challenging or the conditions are too poor to continue. The first major obstacle is at Waypoint 4, where several boulders and shelves are needed to climb to reach the next gravel road intersection. It can be very challenging to get up and over Waypoint 4 without very sticky or very large tires in wet conditions. Winching or potentially drive train-breaking vehicle hopping can happen in this section. However, vehicles with mild lifts and oversized tires can make it through with good spotting and driving in more favorable conditions.
Like any trail in the Tillamook State Forest, Firebreak Five conditions can change dramatically depending on when the last maintenance was performed on the trail and when the last rain happened. During the rainy season (usually starting in September and lasting through June or July), any trail in the forest can vary from a very benign trail to a wild, highly technical trail in a matter of hours or days.
The Tillamook State Forest periodically closes trails for various reasons, including inclement weather, storm damage, trail maintenance, fire restrictions, logging operations, and various other reasons. Trails can sometimes close with a locked gate or a barricade without notice. Additionally, trails may be closed by Tillamook State Forest official announcements, but the trails may not be gated off or have physical indications of the closure. The Tillamook State Forest official online blog is the best source of information about these announced and unannounced closures.
1. Trailhead (0
mi)
This trailhead is about six miles up Beaverdam Road on the left.
2. Boulder Alley - Continue Straight (0.29
mi)
After the clear-cut and short forested section. you graduate to Boulder alley. This is can be a bit difficult but with good spotters and tire placement, this section is doable. The next Waypoint you'll have some options.
3. Big Boulder ByPass (0.53
mi)
At this waypoint you have an option. Continue onto a difficult rock climbing section that is best suited for buggies and dedicated rock crawlers, or you can take the bypass on the right back onto "Beaverdam Road" and drive left up to the next waypoint. If you are not sure, it would be a wise idea to take a little walk to help you decide.
4. Big Boulder Alley (0.59
mi)
This is the hardest section on this trail and of course it was built to be this way. When this section is wet only really hard-core and dedicated rock crawlers will be successful. But this section has imposed it's own brand of carnage on those wheelers daring enough to attempt it.
5. Beaverdam Road - Continue Straight (0.68
mi)
After Big Boulder Alley the trail crosses Beaverdam Road. Continue straight.
6. Rock Garden Play Area (0.76
mi)
At this waypoint is an option play are for Rock crawlers and buggies. Feel free to take the challenge. The recovery is definitely easier than Big Boulder Alley.
7. Beaverdam Road - Turn Left (1.07
mi)
At this crossing on Beaverdam Road you'll go left and then a quick right back onto the trail.
The trail crosses Saddle Mountain Road. Continue straight. You can take an early out by turning right and connecting with Beaverdam Road.
9. Cedar Tree Connector - Stay Right (1.88
mi)
A connector trail goes off to Cedar Tree. Stay to the right and negotiate the small boulder-laden segment.
10. Trail End - Spur 14 (2.17
mi)
This is the end of the trail. If you turn to the right and go down Spur 14 this will connect with Saddle Mountain Road.
Dispersed
Several decent campsites are available along this trail, although Firebreak Five is a very popular trail. Several designated campgrounds within the Tillamook State Forest, such as Brown’s Camp, Diamond Mill, and Jordan Creek, provide direct access to the 4x4 trails where many recreational users stage their vehicles for multiple days of exploration of the extensive trail network. Other Oregon Department of Forestry campgrounds includes Keenig Creek, Jones Creek, Elk Creek, and Gales Creek. On popular summer weekends, campgrounds may occasionally be noisy at night when an un-muffled two-stroke engine is fired up unexpectedly. Dispersed camping is generally allowed throughout the forest, although restrictions are periodically put in place for areas with active logging; forest, trail, road, or stream restoration projects; and during burn bans. Contact the Tillamook State Forest Ranger Offices in Forest Grove or Tillamook for the most up-to-date information on both dispersed and campground camping. The campgrounds are open during the busy summer, but only one or two remain open during the winter.
Starting Point
Banks
From the town of Banks, head west on Oregon Highway 6 toward Tillamook for sixteen miles. Turn left onto Beaver Dam Road (signs for Brown's Camp and Roger's Camp Day Use Area). Follow Beaver Dam Road through the forest for approximately six miles. Firebreak Five starts on the left side of the road just before Beaver Dam Road climbs up through a large clear-cut.
Wow, a short but very fun trail. We ran this backwards after finishing Cedar Tree. The play area, Big Boulder Alley and Boulder Alley were great. It was very dry so the obstacles were not too tough, but still technical and fun. We’ll worth doing and really enjoyable. I can see why this would be really tough if wet.
Another beautiful trail in the Tillamook forest. Conditions were perfect when we went, so the trail was not tough.
I would imagine that it gets very difficult when it gets wet.
Boulder alley and Big Boulder alley were fun!
We ran it backward since we came out of Cedar Tree trail (which is probably the easier way). Will run it the other way next time we are up in Oregon.
Great trail!
(**Thanks TO team for the guides. Always nice to know what to expect)
(2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited - 3 inch lift on 35s)
The Tillamook State Forest has reopened all OHV trails thanks to lowered fire danger: http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2021/09/all-ohv-trails-open-effective-09162021.html
Due to high fire danger, the Tillamook State Forest is closing all OHV trails as of 1am on Friday June 25th. At this time the gravel roads in the TSF are still open for OHV use but all the trails are shut down.
http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2021/06/fire-danger-moving-to-high-effective.html
We ran this on Saturday May 1st. The trail is still wet in certain sections with low traction conditions at Waypoint 3. The bypass around the optional rock garden at Waypoint 5 was a bit of a challenge due to some muddy ruts around a large rock. Other than that, the trail was mostly tight maneuvering around some trees and roots in the upper portion with a few loose rock climbs thrown in. Traction was good there and we didn't see any snow until we exited the trail.
Firebreak 5 is open and in moderate condition right now due to a LOT of snow on the upper sections. This is a challenging trail on a warm, dry day. The snow adds a extra level of "fun" getting over obstacles and around trees without getting stuck or doing body damage. However, I expect the snow will be gone in the next couple weeks. There is a lot of logging activity going on right now as well - so if you are in TSF on a weekday, be sure to monitor the CB channels. (the CB channel you should monitor is written on signs along the roads they are operating on) Getting hit by a loaded logging truck could ruin your day!
The Tillamook State Forest has reopened now that fire danger has lowered. http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2020/09/tillamook-state-forest-re-opens-to.html
All trails in the Tillamook State Forest are closed as of 9/7/2020 due to extreme fire danger: http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-tillamook-state-forest-needs-your.html
Fire Break 5 was great! Beautiful and challenging. Be prepared for anything, from cold and hot temperatures, to rain. Careful navigation is sometimes required to avoid damage from trees, the trail gets pretty narrow in a few spots.
The Tillamook State Forest is now in the "regulated use" portion of fire season. Please check fire danger before you go to the Tillamook State Forest and plan accordingly including minimum equipment you are required to carry while in the forest.
TSF general information: http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/p/fire-season.html
More information and links to current fire danger: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/restrictions.aspx
Trails in the Tillamook State Forest are open again after a brief closure due to fire weather. Please be safe out in the forest, carry appropriate fire extinguishing equipment, and don't have open flames. More details are at: http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2019/08/ohv-trails-open.html
The Tillamook State Forest is under fire restrictions and all OHV trails are temporarily closed. More information is available at: http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2019/08/high-fire-danger-level-ohv-trails-closed.html
Jeep Badge of Honor Trail! Made the trip from Southern California to wheel the two Jeep BOH trails in the Tillamook State Forest (this and Cedar Tree #13). Weather was sunny and trail was dry. The trail can be technically challenging if you want it to be. There are bypasses for the various rock gardens (if you choose). Trail is narrow and has sharp turns at some spots. Beware of huge tree roots that do stick out of the ground. They can jolt your rig pretty good if you take too sharp of a turn or not paying attention.
Coming from Southern California, this trail was one of the densest forest trails I've ever encountered (which made it exciting for me at least). IMO, this trail is comparable to Gold Mountain (another Jeep BOH trail) in Big Bear, CA (minus the crowds lol).
I am not going to sugar coat it, this trail was a let down. Maybe because we did it in July. I would be a lot more fun in October with mud. We took a Tahoe, F250LD and a Tacoma through without issue. There were a couple muddy corners that presented a small challenge but with the trail rating, we were all expecting a lot more. We never had to winch or get a out a recovery rope. It was a fun trail (not trying to bash on it), but a let down at the same time. We ran into a group of guys in there early 20's on one section, all in mid 90's forerunners (mostly stock). They clearly knew nothing about off roading and were having very little trouble.
This is a GREAT trail. Especially when it's wet, the boulders and ledges at Waypoint 3 can be very challenging if you don't have sticky tires.
A dirt biker was waiting for ambulance transport just below Waypoint 3. He smacked into a tree pretty hard. His buddies were taking care of him and a sheriff's deputy showed up just as we arrived. We offered to help but they had everything covered.
From the Community
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Michael Graham
Mapping Crew - Washington
My name is Michael Graham, and I'm retired from the U.S. Army as an Infantry First Sergeant with 23 years of service. I did one tour in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. I presently own a Process Service Company in Tacoma. I am originally from Upstate New York, but after being stationed in Washington, I knew immediately that this part of the country felt like home. Back in the 1980s, I owned a Jeep CJ5, my first 4x4, but back in the '80s, there wasn't the hype and add-on parts as there are today. Building my rig has been half the fun. Everyone has their style, and I have made my Jeep in my style, more for function. I have found it to be an addiction. I live in the Pacific Northwest, in the Tacoma / Puyallup area, and love the sport of "wheeling," which allows access to so much more than a hiking trailhead. I enjoy organized rides and poker runs and love the freedom and exploration this sport allows. Finding this website and authoring trail write-ups has dramatically enhanced this sport I have grown to love. I would love to hear from you if you are new to the sport or looking for someone to show you the trails. I wheel every weekend and sometimes during the week and run with other writers in the area. If you'd like to tag along, you can email me directly at "mike.trailsoffroad@gmail.com"
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