Newbie looking for easy trails in WA

I am in the same position here where I have always had lowered cars, but purchased a '15 Trd Sport to have a truck for house projects mostly, but now that I have it I would like to do some off road trails. I have been on a a couple Forest service roads in the Greenwater area, but that is about it.

I am a real beginner and don't know much about off road riding. I will keep my eye on the NW meet thread. My only question is, is it best to go with others or are some of the easy trails ok to do solo?

 

Im new to Tacomas but I've done lots of Jeep trail riding and if you're going to be out of cell contact or radio, I always like to go with others. You never know whats going to happen. I haven't been out at all with mine yet, can't wait.

 

I'm a little late to the party, but in my humble opinion regular FS road you should be fine, but it's always nice to have company. Anything beyond FS road you really should have company. Also through some basic recovery gear such as tug strap (DON'T USE A CHAIN) into you truck. There is a lot of roads to explore above Greenwater. If you jump on the 70 road it will take you over Pyramid Pass into the Naches on the east side, and a whole other mess of roads. You can also go over Greens Pass to the same area or down to the Stampede Pass area. Have fun exploring.

 

Can anyone tell me about the Moses Lake sand dunes? I was nearby this weekend catching crawfish at the dams and noticed it on the map. Are we allowed to take our trucks onto the dunes? I'll probably just be exploring the outskirts along the main road. Gonna have a buddy come along with his 4runner as well.

 

+1 for Stampede Pass. There are more roads up there than you can shake a stick at. Personally, I usually do the I-90 to 410 loop. Tons of views, camping spots, and wildlife scattered throughout. Please tread lightly and pack out what you pack in.

Here is the loop - Goes from FS54 > FS52 > FS70: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/47.....9972459,-121.1976778,9.75z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0

 

Subbed!

I went up Stampede Pass / NF-5480 to Lost Lake last year for just a day trip to get the pup some swim time. Pretty easy drive, and I did it stock. You'll definitely get some "pinstriping" later in the summer when the blackberries are full.

I didn't make it all the way down to the lake in the truck, since the road got kind of sandy and loose the further down I got off the main drag. We parked probably 1/2 mile up and hiked down. There were a lot of people camping along the NW end of the lake, and they were kind of a mess -- beer cans, clay pigeons and fireworks all over. A few people made it all they way down to the shoreline (see photos) and there were probably another 10 vehicles up in the trees. I saw some stock vehicles, so it can probably be done. I wasn't in the mood to test my skills with just the dog and myself.

I'd really like to find some decent secluded spots for overnight trips. I was kind of disappointed the end of the lake looked like Party Central, but I guess that's what you get for having an easy FS road so close to a major metro area.

 

Lots of great information in here! I'm also new and I can't wait to explore around here.

 

Went over Greens Pass out of Greenwater this weekend. Found our way into the Naches and Little Bald Mtn. All easy Forest Service roads that any stock Tacoma can do. The last 4 mi or so up to Little Bald Mtn may be a push for a 2wd due to larger rocks (3" - 5") in the road. Take it slow and 2wd should be fine. If you want to skip Greens Pass, you can cross over Chinook Pass.

 

Do any of these routes have good camping sites for an overnight stay? I'm thinking of heading out in September if possible based from Seattle.

 

Do you go in and back out on the same route? Looks like your map is just one way?

Is this pretty basic wheeling, as I've got a stock taco looking to test it out. Any camping spots along the way?

 

Well, I mean it says, "Tons of views, camping spots, and wildlife scattered throughout...."

But I'll stop being a dick now. It's on National Forest land, so the camping is dispersed {free}. When I was there, it looked like a bunch of pull-outs, some with fire pits. Essentially, you want to use already-established sites, or you could get fined if a ranger comes along and sees you made a new one. But there are lots of little spots to pull into and camp for the night or several nights (up to 14 consecutive). Watch your altitude if you want a fire, though. Fires are prohibited over 3500 ft in WA.

The area around Lost Lake had tons of camping spots. The road is gravelly, a little washboarded in places, but easily managed in a stock truck. Like I said earlier, getting off the main drag and down toward the lake can get a little sketchy if you aren't equipped for it, but there are still plenty of little sites along the way that you can pull into.

Conceivably, you could park in a spot and hike down to the lake and throw a tent down there if you wanted to. Not sure I would leave my truck unattended overnight in an unpatrolled area, though.

Like @Darkhelmets said, practice "Tread Lightly" usage. It's technically a wilderness area, and being mindful of packing out all your garbage means continued use. I've seen a lot of places get closed off because people wrecked the place.

 

Yes, what @The Yellow Dart said. You can pick a spot and camp on Forest Service, just use Tread Lightly practices. My wife and I usually like to find an old landing for camping because it limits the amount of traffic going by your camp and creating dust. A lot of time's they will have a good view also. Just make sure there is a spot for someone to get turned around if you camp at a landing. As far as different routs go, you can go in and out the same way or create a loop, it's really up to you. I would suggest picking up a good map from the Forest Service. Ask if they sell fire maps, some times they do, some times the don't sell them to the general public. If you can get one they are usually a lot more detailed then the regular maps, but a regular map is better than no map. My best advice is just to get out and explore. You will eventually figure out the roads and the area. Some of the best times my wife and I have had is getting lost and spending the better part of a day finding our way back. Just make sure you have a map of ALL the areas you are planning on going so you can find your way back. Sorry if I sound like a broken record about maps. It's just that I can't count the number of times I have ran into someone that had no clue as to where they were and wanted help getting back to a paved road.

As for easy roads, almost all Forest Service roads are more than fine for a stock Tacoma. Once you start getting into trails instead of roads, that is where you will find the limit of your rig, some times vary abruptly (don't ask its a long story). Make sure you have some basic recovery gear such as tug strap (DON'T USE A CHAIN) in you truck and some recovery points. If you get out onto trails, bring another rig with you.

There are a lot of places to head to from Seattle. Stamped Pass is probably your closest, and a great area to run around in. There are a ton of places to go explorer. Just beware that the Tacoma water shed is between the old town of Lester and Palmer. The map may show the road going through, and it does, but it is gated and you can not go through. A little farther south is the Greenwater area up Hwy 410 or the Naches. The 70 road system above Greenwater, the 19 road system for the Naches area, and the 52, 54 road system for the Stamped Pass area are all connected. Another area up north, off of Hwy 2, is the Beckler area. I haven't spent much time up there, but enough time to know it's worth exploring.

Sorry if this got a little long winded. Have fun exploring.

 

It's like I'm looking into a mirror.

 

Looks like it will link up to NF7030, which will lead to 70, back to 410. From 410 you can hit 169 or 167 to get to i5 or 405 depending where you're going.

This is a little clearer:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/47....9272,-121.7726135,9.79z/data=!4m3!4m2!3e0!5i1

 

I would like to share the route in Stampede Pass area. It is about 18 miles round/loop trip. Nothing too technical - my Tacoma has no lift with stock tires. The average road width is approximately 1 1/2 of Tacoma.

I90 East. Exit 62. Turn left and follow Kachess Lake Rd. Drive several miles on the paved road until you see the sign below.




Turn left and follow NF-4948 until you hit NF-4934.



At the junction, you have two options.
1. turn left and go back to Kachess Lake Rd.
2. turn right and make U-turn at the junction of NF-4934 and NF-136. There is a parking area at the junction. You can make U-turn easily.



The photo above is near the junction of NF-4934 and NF-4948.

 

Im new to the forum so here it goes. Around Seattle where I am located currently, I have found some decent roads. Went up Concrete the other weekend to find some good snow.



A fun one is Suprise Lake outside Enumclaw, i would suggest a 3in lift, but i managed with oem ride height and no damage.



Also so good spots out on 90, off the exit 34.

Hitting the South end of the Olympic range has some awesome logging roads and waterfalls. Spoon Creek Falls.


Plus if your in Oregon, the mud at Shotgun Creek Orv is a challenge. Along with Champion Creek and The noonday trail, up to fairview look out are great.



If you have a tablet drop the 12.00 and download "Back Country Navigator". It works off Gps in your tablet and has some great free maps. Also you can download Grids you will be exploring so it wont burn up all the ram. This has been the past 2 months for me.

 

Thanks, OP, for asking this question! I'd been wondering the same thing. And thanks everyone else for awesome answers! I've added quite a few places to my list for this year....

 

I also have hit the Stampede Pass area. Thanks for all the new options for the up and coming year, will definitely hit some of these!!!

 

geeze I didnt realize there was this much to do out here. looks like I need to take a weekend and get off the island and break in the truck

 

Just picked up my Taco on Friday, I'm also going to take a weekend and break it in. Looks like tons of great options around.