Hoodraiser / Tillamook State Forest

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4.3/5 (21 reviews)
Banks, Oregon (Tillamook County)
Last Updated: 07/03/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

Hoodraiser is a fun romp through the Tillamook State Forest that is perfect for beginner 4x4ers to get a taste of the adventures that await in the Oregon Coast Range. The trail starts near the South Fork of the Wilson River and heads south and west through the forest toward the top of the ridge. The many water bars cut into the trail give Hoodraiser its name. Going up and over the water bars obscures the view of the trail because the hood of the vehicle is pitched up into the air -- hence the name Hoodraiser. Several narrow sections (wide enough for full size vehicles) are a fun challenge for drivers learning the dimensions of their vehicles. A few small mud puddles after rains make for a good place to take videos of overlanders driving through the forest.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.3/5 (21)
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 06/09/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

I did this trail in a 2013 (WK2) Jeep Grand Cherokee on 31" all-terrain tires with about 10" of ground clearance, as part of a guided trip that included portions of MANY other trails to make it into a full day, and honestly I'm not 100% sure which parts were Hood-Raiser and which parts were those other trails. I agree with the guy in the Nissan Frontier, however; parts of this were VERY narrow, with only inch on each side as well as the front during a full left-lock turn. Took two spotters and folding in my driver's side mirror to make it. Couldn't have gotten out to assess the situation had I been alone via any door except the rear hatch. However, because this trail is rated so easy and takes only 30 minutes to complete, and I was out there for an entire day, I'm pretty sure the most difficult obstacles I encountered (besides width) were on other trails. I think Hood-Raiser was more or less just the dirt road we used to GET to all the other trails we ran that day, so in that sense I think the rating is probably pretty spot-on. There was one optional obstacle consisting of a pretty decent hill-climb at one point that makes for a fun adventure on this trail; it rises up a hillside and then rejoins the main trail a little further on. (It seemed like several trails intersected at that point if I remember correctly.) The easier path up that obstacle veers left near the top and then hard right to crest the summit, thus avoiding the steeper (but doable by more modified rigs) ridge in the center/right. You might want to walk up it to figure out the best path before trying it, but it was a fun challenge that I made it up without too much trouble. The go-around is simply the main trail, which goes to the left of this obstacle. I will also say that the forest is very pretty, but watch out for logging-trucks at all times because they're moving fast, they have the right-of-way and they have a VERY heavy load so they cannot easily slow down. We were informed of this by the local guide who went so far as to say that the guys that drive those trucks do not care about your life and will not hesitate to obliterate you. I suspect that is really more due to their massive momentum than to any particular murderous streak on their part, but the point is that you should immediately get out of the way if you see or hear one coming in either direction.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 05/29/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Over the Fall/Winter, the trail has been washed out and has become extremely rocky. There are also very prominent ruts on certain sections of the trail that can cause body damage if you are not careful and slide into them. There are a few trees that pose a threat to anything wider than a Nissan Frontier, I was barely able to fit with around an inch on both sides. Overall a very fun and rowdy trail though, it will toss you around in your truck if you are going faster than a crawl. Pin-striping was a constant occurrence, with brush scraping both sides and the top of my truck at the same time for a good portion of the trail. I will definitely return to this trail, perfect for slightly modified vehicles, but I would be hesitant to do this trail in a stock truck.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 01/15/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Completed the trail today in lifted Subaru Forester Wilderness with 245/65/17 Wildpeak tires. Rainy and deep ruts washed out in some sections from all the recent rain. Downed trees on way to trail had been removed from two weeks ago. One drop that definitely tested the Subie to its max. No problem with traction but wouldn’t want have done it with any less than current 11” clearance. Definitely a fun trail.
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200
Open
Visited: 01/01/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

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User Avatar
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200
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 01/01/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Really fun trail! A lot narrower than I expected. Definitely some pin-striping for a full size truck. I got some of my own with my taco. Fallen trees that were cut off for access but still pretty narrowed, adds to the fun of it. Lots of crawling and flexing, definitely earned its name “hood raiser”. I would definitely come back to this trail. Short but fun

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