Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Madras, Oregon

This is a combination of gravel roads and dirt two-track accessing the Crooked River National Grasslands from nearby Madras. It is named after a spur that accesses a hill with a great overlook of nearby Haystack Reservoir. There are multiple cattle gates along this track and throughout the area. Mak...
Learn more about Haystack Overlook

This is a 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, and the UTV and moto crowd, all using nearby trails specific to the different activities. Expect traffic. It's occasionally snowbound ...
Learn more about NF-5740

FS 6400, signed Montgomery Road, is a wide, graded two-lane gravel road that climbs and winds along the canyon rim above an arm of Lake Billy Chinook and the Metolius River. The route offers sweeping views of the reservoir and surrounding high desert hillsides before dropping back into ponderosa pin...
Learn more about Montgomery - FS 6400

OHV Trail #10 is an easy 6.5-mile loop through sagebrush and juniper. Expect mostly hard-packed dirt with scattered embedded rocks, low rock ledges, and one short hill climb. Open to dirt bikes and ATVs (under 50" and 800 pounds) only, this scenic trail is well suited for beginner and intermediate r...
Learn more about OHV Trail #10

This is an 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 visiting nearby Smith Rocks. This road climbs up over 4,000 fe...
Learn more about Gray Butte - NF-5700

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 climbers visiting nearby Smith Rocks. This road climbs up over 4000', so expe...
Learn more about NF-5730

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 is tight with manzanita overgrowth. Pinstriping is likely to occur, so if you value your pa...
Learn more about NF-200

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 Warm Springs Reservation. This road varies in elevation from 3500'-4000' i...
Learn more about Squawback Ridge - NF119000

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 end is occasionally locked. There are dispersed camping spots on this road near the Gray Butte Saddle Tr...
Learn more about Gray Butte Summit

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 by climbers visiting nearby Smith Rock State Park. This road climbs up above...
Learn more about Skull Hollow - NF-5710

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 Springs Reservation. This road varies in elevation from 3500'-4000' in e...
Learn more about NF-115

This is a dirt trail that climbs up to the area near the old Alder Spring Lookout. The trail is narrow, about one vehicle wide, with limited places to pass, and is tight with overgrown vegetation and trees. There are a lot of rock garden sections that are bumpy, some humps/whoops, and then some boul...
Learn more about Alder Spring - FS 1149

Prairie Farm Creek is an easy 8-mile gravel road route ideal for cruisers looking to explore the eastern slopes of Oregon's Cascade Range. Given its stable gravel surface and a technical rating of 2, standard high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles, SUVs, and some crossovers. The route winds throug...
Learn more about Prairie Farm Creek

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. There is a gate at the top that is sometimes open and sometimes closed into the lookout tower itself. During the ...
Learn more about Green Ridge Lookout Tower

This is a dirt based forest road that leads to the Jefferson Lake hiking trail head. The first section of this trail is narrow and one vehicle wide with some rocks and tree roots sticking up on the trail, and the second portion is wide enough for two vehicles with some washboard areas and minor ruts...
Learn more about Jefferson Lake Trail

Get ready for a rugged adventure on the Desert Ridge Trail, located on DNR land. This trail is not for the faint of heart, with its potholed, rocky, and dirt road that'll put your vehicle (and your nerves) to the test. It's a little bumpy, but the desert vibes and stunning views make it worth it. As...
Learn more about Dirt Road Dash

This gravel-based forest road leads to the Candle Creek Campground, where it ends in a quiet, forested setting. The route is open to highway-legal vehicles only and is generally wide enough for easy passing, though the surface is very rough. Expect heavy washboard conditions for nearly the entire dr...
Learn more about Candle Creek - FS 1200-980

Tight Forest Service road winding through the landlocked section of the Deschutes National Forest above the Deschutes River. This road parallels nearby NF-113 but is much more interesting route to travel. It varies in elevation from 4000'-4800' and is usually snowbound between December and April. Th...
Learn more about NF-1130300

Trail 74 is a 1.6-mile route beginning on a flat mesa top with easy dirt terrain. The trail crosses Trail 73 and a few roads before a semi-steep descent off the mesa near the intersection with Trail 73. It features whoops and mostly smooth dirt with scattered loose rocks. The landscape includes juni...
Learn more about 74

Trail 73 is an easy 1.7-mile single-track connector between Trails 75 and 72. The trail features mostly dirt terrain with scattered embedded and loose rocks, along with lots of whoops. The profile is very gradual with small hills up and down. Trail 73 crosses Trail 74 about halfway through.
Learn more about 73

FS 6400, signed Montgomery Road, is a wide, graded two-lane gravel road that climbs and winds along the canyon rim above an arm of Lake Billy Chinook and the Metolius River. The route offers sweeping views of the reservoir and surrounding high desert hillsides before dropping back into ponderosa pin...
Learn more about Montgomery - FS 6400

OHV Trail #10 is an easy 6.5-mile loop through sagebrush and juniper. Expect mostly hard-packed dirt with scattered embedded rocks, low rock ledges, and one short hill climb. Open to dirt bikes and ATVs (under 50" and 800 pounds) only, this scenic trail is well suited for beginner and intermediate r...
Learn more about OHV Trail #10

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 is tight with manzanita overgrowth. Pinstriping is likely to occur, so if you value your pa...
Learn more about NF-200

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 Warm Springs Reservation. This road varies in elevation from 3500'-4000' i...
Learn more about Squawback Ridge - NF119000

FS 6400, signed Montgomery Road, is a wide, graded two-lane gravel road that climbs and winds along the canyon rim above an arm of Lake Billy Chinook and the Metolius River. The route offers sweeping views of the reservoir and surrounding high desert hillsides before dropping back into ponderosa pin...
Learn more about Montgomery - FS 6400

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 is tight with manzanita overgrowth. Pinstriping is likely to occur, so if you value your pa...
Learn more about NF-200

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 Warm Springs Reservation. This road varies in elevation from 3500'-4000' i...
Learn more about Squawback Ridge - NF119000

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 Springs Reservation. This road varies in elevation from 3500'-4000' in e...
Learn more about NF-115