Trail Overview

Dry Copper Creek Road is located in the Olympic National Forest north of Shelton, Washington. The road is loose gravel with some washout areas from rock slides, with water runoff coming down and across the road. 4WD is not required for the most part, but high clearance is; 4WD is just added comfort for the loose gravel. There is sharp shale rock, so be careful with your tires. You will make a steady climb to over 3,000 feet in elevation. You may encounter snow if you run this trail in springtime. The only real "obstacles" are downed trees, overgrowth, and rock slides, but these are mostly handled by land management. The road travels alongside a long steep drop-off, but for most of the trail, the drop is lined with trees. At the very end of the route, the tight trail opens up to a large area with a rock-lined fire pit, with enough room to park 4 vehicles and not be on top of each other. It's a very quiet and secluded spot at over 3,000 feet in elevation.

Photos of Dry Copper Creek Road

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Difficulty

Overall, the road is made of loose gravel. High clearance is required for the washout areas. Good tires are required for the shale rock areas. Mother Nature will pinstripe your vehicle as well.

Technical Rating

Joanie Walbert

May 17, 2025

Open

The trail was largely open, but both forks ended in obstacles that our vehicle could not pass. The upper fork had deep snow that a Wrangler turned around from. The lower fork had a series of washouts and downed trees. We actually helped someone in a Subaru cross the tree and first washout, but the second washout (pictured) requires much narrower vehicles to circumnavigate.