Hoodraiser / Tillamook State Forest

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.

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.

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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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

Did this trail today (Trail Boss w 35s mud terrains). The lower portion between A and B was clear of snow and only required 4-lo once to clear some deep holes on an ascent. The second portion between B and C got snowy quickly but was able to do it all in 4-hi without much slippage. Definitely tight a few areas for a full size truck and you will get some pinstriping. Overall, lots of fun.

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

My dad and i have the same jeep, literally model and year, i grew up in the backseat and then shotgun and on my dads lap of course but it was the first time i got the go offroading with him in my own vehicle. this is the trail that we went on. it was amazing. we went before it got hot and too dry. probably a personal favorite. not too hard. we both have no lifts but good tires and recovery gear. fun trail. cant wait for it to open again!

Hoodraiser is open and in great shape. This is an easy, scenic trail that is perfect for "newbies" or people getting used to wheelin' a new vehicle.

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

Easy trail for any capable car. Just narrow.

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

We found our GPS track varied slightly from this one however we followed the trail. Decent little trail to get your feet wet. No real challenges. Great for beginners.

Raining today but good trail Conditions nonetheless. Pretty laid back trail with a couple interesting spots.

The trail has re-opened after the fire closure: http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2018/08/tsf-ohv-trails-re-open-on-august-1-2018.html

The forest is dry, the fire danger is high, and the trail is closed until the rains come again. http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2018/07/tsf-ohv-trails-closing-on-wednesday.html

Trail had some snow and ice at the top end. Pretty easy in wet conditions. Would be a good snow-wheeling route during the winter.