The 7 Up (Easy Way) trail is a challenging but manageable adventure through the forest to the top of the hill where the iconic 7 Up (Hard Way) trail connects. There are three legs to 7 Up which include two legs that are passable by normal 4x4s (detailed in this trail description) and one leg that is a challenge for even the most built buggies (detailed as the 7 Up (Hard Way) trail). On warm summer afternoons, rock buggies can often be found battling up the 7 Up (Hard Way) trail where they often break axles, drive lines, and occasionally flip over and crash down the hill. The 7 Up (Easy Way) trail is a popular trail that many overlanders enjoy throughout the year. The trail winds up and down through a deep, dark forest where night time comes hours ahead of schedule. Thick moss hangs from the trees in some areas and lends a magical, enchanted aura to the trail especially in the late afternoon and early evening.
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From the town of Banks, head west on Oregon Highway 6 toward Tillamook for twenty miles. Turn left onto South Fork Road (signs for South Fork Prison Camp). Follow South Fork Road for approximately six miles until it intersects with Seven Cedars Road. Turn left onto Seven Cedars road and go one half mile south. The trailhead for 7 Up trail is on the left. Look for the sign at the edge of the forest.
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
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
SUPER narrow. I also wouldn't classify from points 2-3 as easy. It's intimidating and not for noobs. That said, it's a fun trail as long as you're ready to get some pin stripes on your car too.
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
The trail is closed due to high fire danger. Hopefully we won't have to wait until the fall rains for it to reopen but it's looking like this could be a very hot, dry summer in the coast range. http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2018/07/tsf-ohv-trails-closing-on-wednesday.html
Had a fun time going up 7 Up in the snow and ice. On 35" tires and with both front and rear lockers engaged, we were just barely able to make it up over the final shelf on the long straight uphill stretch. Our buddy rolling on 31" tires and with open diffs couldn't get more than 100 feet up the trail coming from the north but he mobbed up the western branch of the trail to the summit without a problem. There was about a foot or foot and a half of snow up on top. Views from the end of the trail were spectacular to the south and east. The last time we were here, it was just a big fog bank. Today we could see Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, and the Three Sisters over in the Cascades.
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Douglas grew up riding in the back of pickups in Oregon and California. He comes from a long line of overlanders and adventurers dating back to the Mayflower and the Oregon Trail. During a stint working in Colorado, Douglas fell in love with the offroad scene and immediately gravitated toward the Toyota crowd. His first 4x4 was a 1988 Toyota 4runner nicknamed Goldilocks. After a year of running many of the iconic trails throughout the front range in the fully stock Goldilocks running on bald tires, it was time for an upgrade. Goldilocks went off to a new home and the Albino Rhino came home. The Albino Rhino is a built 1986 Toyota 4runner ready for any adventure anywhere at any time.
During the week, Douglas works on systems engineering and architecture problems in California. Douglas also enjoys backpacking -- especially in the central Sierras in California -- scuba diving along the Oregon and California coasts, and riding his motorcycle on the Pacific Coast Highway. Most weeknights you can find Douglas under his truck in the driveway performing maintenance or fixing the latest trail damage.
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