Trail Overview
Manastash Road - NF3100 is an easy, scenic gravel corridor ideal for overlanders, dual-sport riders, SxSs, and standard four-wheel-drive vehicles looking to explore the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Serving as the middle eight-mile segment of a longer fifteen-mile route scaling Manastash Ridge from Ellensburg, this wide and well-maintained forest road provides a crucial link in a larger sixty-mile north-south overland route connecting Cle Elum and the Interstate 90 corridor to Nile on Highway 410. Drivers will experience a gentle elevation change, starting at around 3,117 feet and climbing to a peak of 4,303 feet, winding past local landmarks like the iconic basalt formations of The Island.
With a technical rating of 1, the route features a consistent gravel surface with no major obstacles, making it accessible to almost any high-clearance vehicle without requiring advanced off-road driving skills. While the nearby singletrack and ORV trails in the Taneum-Manastash area observe a strict seasonal window from June 15 to October 15, this main mainline road is typically clear of snow by mid-May, though higher elevation routes to the west often remain blocked by snowdrifts into July. It serves as a scenic, reliable option for scenic driving, dispersed camping, and connecting to more challenging recreational trails in central Washington.
Access Description
The off-road vehicle (ORV) trails in the surrounding Taneum-Manastash area are open seasonally from June 15 to October 15. However, lower-elevation forest service roads like NF3100 typically clear of snow and become passable by mid-May. No specialized permits are required to drive the road, though standard Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest regulations apply.
