I want to move to the Seattle area in a couple years. Primarily for a change of scenery, N Cascades, Olympic Penninsula, BC, etc. One thing I dont know much about though is the 4x4 trails. Is there some decent stuff not too far from Seattle, or is it mostly logging roads? Coming from Colorado.
Also, how about off grid camping? Prefer not to camp in campgrounds. I know the backpacking options in Washington are limitless, just not t0o famliar with the car camping. Camped once up at Baker Lake which was nice.
I want to move to the Seattle area in a couple years. Primarily for a change of scenery, N Cascades, Olympic Penninsula, BC, etc. One thing I dont know much about though is the 4x4 trails. Is there some decent stuff not too far from Seattle, or is it mostly logging roads? Coming from Colorado.
Also, how about off grid camping? Prefer not to camp in campgrounds. I know the backpacking options in Washington are limitless, just not t0o famliar with the car camping. Camped once up at Baker Lake which was nice.
Howdy,
4x4 Trails are what you make of them. The Logging Roads for the most part are now behind closed gates and you can not get to them. There are several ORV "Parks" in Western Washington. Walker Valley is one, near Mount Vernon, and a couple more south east and south west of Seattle, but I have not been to either of them.
There used to be an unauthorized ORV area near Gold Bar, but it was closed by the Department of Natural Resources last Nov. But The DNR is working with various User Groups to lay out, design and build tails in the area for 4x4, Motorcycles, Quads, Hikers, Mountain Bikes and Equestrian. In all likely hood none of that will be open for use until next spring.
There are other areas in use that I don't know about and a number of areas in Eastern Washington as well as in British Columbia, Canada. Your best bet is to check out some of the local Clubs or Forums (ie Timber Tamers, NW-Wheelers.com) and get to know some local wheelers, so when you get here you have the contacts in place to join right in with the local wheeling crowd.
There's tons of stuff especially in. There are a lot of logging roads -- which are nice because they give you a chance to burn off some of the adrenaline from the trails.
My favorite spot to go in the "Greater Seattle Area" was Evans Creek. Its just outside Buckley WA (southeast of Seattle). It's been a few years since I was up in that area doing any wheeling, but it was a lot of fun.
Off-grid camping is not too hard to find, but you have to head up I-90 or hwy2 a couple of hours to get to it. I would say it's definitely easier to find here in colorado than "back home" in seattle. And string up a few good tarps and know how to keep your site dry, and you'll have a good time.
Don’t come, its crowded and the taxes are high. The liberals in Seattle ruin all the good stuff for the rest of the state (shutting down the back country and locking us out of the woods). Stay where there is still freedom to ring.
I going to have to come up there and check out some of those ORV parks.
Im from the portland area, we have brownscamp next to forest grove oregon. Its a fun place, if your the area check it out.