Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Scio, Oregon

Horse Creek Road connects the Santiam State Forest entrance area with the Molalla River. It starts on South Family Camp Road and goes to the South Fork Molalla River Road. The Santiam State Forest may be closed because of forest fire damage. Horse Creek Road crosses several private properties, so cl...
Learn more about Horse Creek Road

Depending on your starting location, North or South, either end of this trail is an great place to start. There are plenty of campsites and day use areas to stage your group in or just relax before heading out on the trail. For the South to North route, starting at the Yellowbottom Campground and da...
Learn more about Lucky Butte Lakes

The start of this road is steep, with washboards and loose gravel. So put it in four-wheel drive or go slow to help keep them from getting worse. Dispersed camping along the way to get to Niagara 20, which is where you are headed. But not the only place up here. Some spots on Niagara 20 are also ste...
Learn more about Niagara 20

The start of this road is steep, with washboards and loose gravel. So put it in four-wheel drive or go slow to help keep them from getting worse. Dispersed camping along the way to get to Niagara 20, which is where you are headed. But not the only place up here. Some spots on Niagara 20 are also ste...
Learn more about Niagara Road

Moose Mountain Road, also known as FS 2027, is accessed from US Hwy 20 by turning at Moose Creek Road and crossing the bridge over the South Santiam River. This road is easy gravel, with some potholes and a few sections of larger loose rock. It is mostly single-lane with turnouts. The road passes th...
Learn more about Moose Mountain- FS 2027

Gordon road is a no camping area with signs posted at the beginning. The road offers gravel and a natural mixed surface, that is single wide with room to pull over for vehicles to pass, there are also many potholes on this road. The road runs through the Willamette National Forest and is an access r...
Learn more about Gordon

Start at the west end of the bridge over the Breitenbush River, right beside the town of Detroit on Highway 22. Turn north onto French Creek Road (also signed as NF-2223). This road is paved at first and leaves the highway heading north. Follow the paved French Creek Road until you reach a junction ...
Learn more about Hall Ridge

As you head past Crooked Creek OHV you will follow the blacktop straight into a dense beautiful forest. The road turns to gravel and winds its way up the mountain. You can hunt mushrooms, hike, hunt and fish streams in the area. You have plenty of spur roads and OHV trails to access and explore alo...
Learn more about Ry's Mainline Connection

This route takes you from NF 11 (Quartzville Scenic Byway) to Detroit Reservoir via the Lucky Buttes Lakes Trail and NF 2212. It follows paved NF11 until you reach NF 1155 (Lucky Buttes Lakes Trail) and follows that until a crossroads, when you will choose to go north and continue on NF 2212, which ...
Learn more about NF 2212

This is a great weekend drive. Go north on Marcola Road out of Springfield. Shotgun Creek Road is on the left just after you pass the covered bridge. Head up to the fork and take a right towards Crooked Creek Staging Area where you will head straight until you reach FS 15-2-24, as you head up the hi...
Learn more about Shotgun to McGowan - Mainline

This is an easy forest service road that connects US Highway 20 to an extensive forest road network. Much of it is wide enough for two vehicles to meet, but parts are single-lane with turnouts. While the road isn't difficult, there are areas where there is a significant drop-off next to the road and...
Learn more about Soda Fork - 2041

This is another easy gravel forest road that connects to the larger road system. There are options to connect to the intersection where FS 2041 and 2027 meet via the FS 2043-320 road or continue east on FS 2043 to connect to 2047 and 2049 which opens more possibilities to continue east and north. Th...
Learn more about Soda Fork Mainline - FS 2043

The first mile to mile and a half is full of potholes, then it smooths out. There are dispersed camping spots along the way along with a couple of streams and views when it opens up. Throughout the trail, there are offshoots for further exploration. Winter travel is not recommended due to high pileu...
Learn more about Mary's Peak to Harlan

Gordon Lakes is a short typically unmaintained gravel road, that has been worn down over the years, so in spots, it can be muddy when wet and has a few smaller potholes. The road runs through the Willamette National Forest and is an access road to get to Gordon Lakes Trailhead East #3386. It is a ve...
Learn more about Gordon Lakes

The Elk Lake - FS 4697 trail is a beautifully scenic, 6.9-mile unmaintained forest service road that climbs steadily through a dense, vibrant woodland canopy. The journey serves as the primary access route to the popular parking area for the Gold Butte Lookout before ultimately winding its way down ...
Learn more about Elk Lake - FS 4697

This route takes you off the main Green Mountain Road, up Green Mountain Middle Road, and to a few gravel pit areas. The route provides a few views of the city of Colton and other cities farther out. The pits are locations with some four-wheeling obstacles and is where a lot of people go to shoot th...
Learn more about Green Mountain Gravel Pits

Fox Creek Ridge - FS 4698 is a 6.3-mile graded gravel forest service road that provides an exceptionally peaceful backcountry transit. The wide, forgiving path weaves effortlessly through a beautiful, dense canopy of towering evergreen trees, offering ample shade with dappled sunlight filtering thro...
Learn more about Fox Creek Ridge - FS 4698

Quentin Creek road number 1513 runs through the Willamette National Forest. It is an easy gravel road with some areas that get steep and curvy. This road is not short of thick beautiful trees and lush vegetation that line the road. Depending on the time of year you might run into downed trees after ...
Learn more about Quentin Creek

Latiwi Creek road runs through the Willamette National Forest and is an access road to Houserock Falls Trailhead and House Rock Campground. The road is a single-lane road, with spots to pull over, downed trees are common in this area, and some are low hanging over the road, making it difficult for t...
Learn more about Latiwi Creek

This is one of the main roads heading up to Goat Mountain. There are many spur roads you can take off of Green Mountain Road; just make sure to check the status of gate closures. The area is full of 4x4 and ATV trails. There is snow covering a majority of the road during the winter months.
Learn more about Green Mountain Road

Moose Mountain Road, also known as FS 2027, is accessed from US Hwy 20 by turning at Moose Creek Road and crossing the bridge over the South Santiam River. This road is easy gravel, with some potholes and a few sections of larger loose rock. It is mostly single-lane with turnouts. The road passes th...
Learn more about Moose Mountain- FS 2027

Gordon road is a no camping area with signs posted at the beginning. The road offers gravel and a natural mixed surface, that is single wide with room to pull over for vehicles to pass, there are also many potholes on this road. The road runs through the Willamette National Forest and is an access r...
Learn more about Gordon

This is a great weekend drive. Go north on Marcola Road out of Springfield. Shotgun Creek Road is on the left just after you pass the covered bridge. Head up to the fork and take a right towards Crooked Creek Staging Area where you will head straight until you reach FS 15-2-24, as you head up the hi...
Learn more about Shotgun to McGowan - Mainline

This is an easy forest service road that connects US Highway 20 to an extensive forest road network. Much of it is wide enough for two vehicles to meet, but parts are single-lane with turnouts. While the road isn't difficult, there are areas where there is a significant drop-off next to the road and...
Learn more about Soda Fork - 2041

Moose Mountain Road, also known as FS 2027, is accessed from US Hwy 20 by turning at Moose Creek Road and crossing the bridge over the South Santiam River. This road is easy gravel, with some potholes and a few sections of larger loose rock. It is mostly single-lane with turnouts. The road passes th...
Learn more about Moose Mountain- FS 2027

Gordon road is a no camping area with signs posted at the beginning. The road offers gravel and a natural mixed surface, that is single wide with room to pull over for vehicles to pass, there are also many potholes on this road. The road runs through the Willamette National Forest and is an access r...
Learn more about Gordon

This is a great weekend drive. Go north on Marcola Road out of Springfield. Shotgun Creek Road is on the left just after you pass the covered bridge. Head up to the fork and take a right towards Crooked Creek Staging Area where you will head straight until you reach FS 15-2-24, as you head up the hi...
Learn more about Shotgun to McGowan - Mainline

This is an easy forest service road that connects US Highway 20 to an extensive forest road network. Much of it is wide enough for two vehicles to meet, but parts are single-lane with turnouts. While the road isn't difficult, there are areas where there is a significant drop-off next to the road and...
Learn more about Soda Fork - 2041