Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Fossil, Oregon

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Summit Road NF2630

This route transports travelers from Highway 26 north of Prineville Oregon into the middle of the Ochoco National Forest. Along the way you'll find yourself navigating well-groomed forest service roads, fairly narrow and rocky road…
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Total Miles
45.2
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Paulina Valley Rd / 4200 / 4250 / 1200

Trail starts with a long dirt road through the farmland of Paulina Valley, then starts to climb into forest after a creek crossing. The trail can be rocky with some ruts, mud puddles in spring…
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Total Miles
55.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Mining Trail

This trail is an easy dirt road with a small amount of pavement. It has some good camping spots and goes by several old mining remains as well as an old abandoned house. Some are…
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Total Miles
6.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su

Grease Monkey James

This trail is near Penland Lake. Travel around the area with views through the blue mountains. Most of the trip is maintained forests service roads. There is the opportunity for some off-road trails and more…
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Total Miles
39.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Wild Cattle Trail

Beautiful, lightly trafficked area in the Ochocos full of wildlife and providing great views. There is plenty of dispersed camping and some fun creeks to play in. Great wildflowers. Be aware of free range cattle…
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Total Miles
18.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Gray Butte - NF-5700

Unmaintained dirt road accessing Gray Butte Trailhead and other nearby trails in the Crooked River National Grasslands just North of Gray Butte. There are numerous dispersed camping spots along this road often used by climbers…
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Total Miles
4.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Haystack Overlook

A combination of gravel roads and dirt two-track accessing the Crooked River National Grasslands from nearby Madras. Named after a spur that accesses a hill with a great overlook of nearby Haystack Reservoir. There are…
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Total Miles
10.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Little Badger Creek

A dusty but well-maintained dirt trail that crosses through a nature preserve and continues into the Hood National Forest ending at a lush little forest campground with a creek running through it. The trail starts…
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Total Miles
7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Skull Hollow - NF-5710

Gravel Forest Service Road climbing out of the popular Skull Hollow campground up onto the shoulder of Gray Butte in the Crooked River National Grasslands. This road has multiple roadside pullouts used for dispersed camping…
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Total Miles
2.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Gray Butte Summit

Steep, rocky road accessing the communications towers on Gray Butte. This road starts at Gray Butte Saddle at roughly 3700 feet and climbs to almost 5100 feet at the summit. The gate at the lower…
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Total Miles
1.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

NF-5740

Dirt road used to access Gray Butte and the adjacent Henderson Flats OHV system from US-97. This area is popular with equestrians, hikers, mountain bikers, the UTV and moto crowd all using nearby trails specific…
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Total Miles
1.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

NF-5730

Easy, unmaintained dirt road accessing Gray Butte Trailhead and other nearby trails in the Crooked River National Grasslands just West of Gray Butte. There are numerous dispersed camping spots along this road often used by…
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Total Miles
1.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Millican Plateau Trail 82

This is a fairly flat high desert trail that connects to several main trails in the area. It has short stretches of mild rocky sections requiring care in choosing a safe line for motorcycles. Snow…
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Total Miles
3.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa

Green Ridge

This is a 75-mile gravel connector route between Madras, OR and Suttle lake. This route passes through Lake Billy Chinook State Park before climbing into the forest and dropping steeply down to the Metolius River.…
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Total Miles
60.1
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Keeps Mill North Access

This short connector route drops down 1000 feet into the White River Canyon from NFS 48 and the historic Barlow Road. The first two miles are flat and easy, but the last mile or so…
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Total Miles
3.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Keeps Mill South

This is an access route to a remote campground along the edge of Mount Hood National Forest. The terrain is mixed gravel and pavement along NFS roads until the last few miles down into the…
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Total Miles
17.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Cline Butes Flow Trail

Fun, flowy, banked turns leading to an abandoned quarry. Some slight rock garden areas to pass through at the beginning of the trail. Once you get to the quarry, you can challenge your vehicle on…
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Total Miles
1.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Sp / Fa

NF-200

This is an easy gravel forest logging road connecting NF 1170 to Squaw Ridge (NF-1190). It is primarily used when accessing the small portion of the Deschutes National Forest north of Prairie Creek. This road…
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Total Miles
1.1
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Squawback Ridge - NF119000

This gravel Forest Service road winds through a landlocked section of the Deschutes National Forest above the Deschutes River. This section is accessible from the South and is surrounded by the nearby Jefferson Wilderness and…
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Total Miles
10.2
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Lookout Mountain Road - FR 4410000

An easy dirt road that takes you through the Mt. Hood National Forest. It connects to several other trails in the area, and leads to a few trailheads for hiking and biking. The trail can…
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Total Miles
4.5
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

NF-115

Gravel Forest Service road winding through a landlocked section of the Deschutes National Forest above the Deschutes River. This section is accessible from the South and is surrounded by the nearby Jefferson Wilderness and Warm…
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Total Miles
8.1
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Clinger Trail Hood NF

Very narrow dirt trail in a heavily forested area. Not recommended for larger or full-size vehicles, the trees are very overgrown, except pinstriping. There were some low-hanging trees and one across the trail. Bring equipment…
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Total Miles
5.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa

Pine Mountain Observatory Back Road

Offering epic views of central Oregon, this extension to the very tame Pine Mountain Observatory road can be accessed from either side. It is primarily one lane, but there are wide spots where someone could…
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Total Miles
4.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Spencer Wells

Spencer Wells Road is an easy gravel road with sections that turn into dirt, so in the wet weather the road can become muddy when wet, by the looks of it a very slippery mess,…
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Total Miles
27.8
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Prairie Farm Creek

This route will take you up to Prairie Farm Creek and the top side of Green Ridge. The route provides many camping opportunities with an abundant amount of other spur trails you can branch off…
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Total Miles
7.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Arnold Ice Cave to Lava Butte

This route, for the most part, follows China Hat Road from the point at which it turns to gravel. Later as you head to the South and West, near Paulina Lake, the roads become narrow…
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Total Miles
30.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Su / Fa / Sp

Whoops rd.

Trail starts very tame, just a narrower dirt road. About a mile in, the whoops start and will continue for the rest of the trail. Once the whoops start, you'll also have some large berms…
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Total Miles
4.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Green Ridge Lookout Tower

This is a gravelly dirt road that takes you up to Green Ridge Lookout Tower where you will see incredible views of the Cascade Mountain Range. Once at the top there is plenty of parking.…
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Total Miles
6.1
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Su / Sp / Fa

NF-113

Wide and well-graded gravel Forest Service road winding through the landlocked section of the Deschutes National Forest above the Deschutes River. This section is accessible from the South of Akawa Butte Road and is surrounded…
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Total Miles
3.7
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Tumalo Reservoir to Pickers Paradise

Looking to connect to the main trail system from Tumalo? This is the route for you! Things to consider before going: 1. Part of this trail passes through private property so be sure to check…
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Total Miles
5.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa