So I am looking for a place close to Portland to initiate the new truck.

Not looking for anything big just a place to go offroad and get a little muddy. Want to check out the 4 wheel drive in our new to us truck.
I have looked at maps online but I think I need a lesson in how to read them. Not highway maps but the offroad ones.
Thanks
J & K

 

Tillamook state forest out highway 6 toward the coast. Tons of logging roads and a handful of easier trails (like powerline) that you won’t have to worry about beating up the new truck. Go by the forest center and they have free OHV maps available.

 

Checkout Goat Mountain near Estacada, there's likely to be snow up there soon, but it's a good little test without being rock crawling in any way.

 

I was gonna say just be mindful of all the snow we are about to get around here in the low lands... 1000ft and above...

 

Lolo pass Near zig zag if it's not snowed in or La Dee Flats past Estacada

 

Thanks for all the great ideas. We are going to be checking them out soon. Got a few days off coming up.

Free maps? What more can one ask for? Thanks for the great info. We will check that out on our next trip to the coast. We want to check out the sand dunes down south to.

 

Just came back from the Estacada area, snow started to show up around 2400ft elevation.

 

Did my semi-weekly commute from Albany to Mosier the day after Thanksgiving. Thought I’d share with y’all the conditions of a couple spots along my usual route. I understand the gorge received more snow after I left Saturday afternoon.

Lost Lake Road - Saturday morning. Just me and pupper in 20° weather.



South of Mosier on Husky Road. Icy in spots, but still a nice drive. Usually good for some sweet, sweet, mud puddle action, but they were mostly frozen. Only people encountered were a family collecting Christmas trees on timber company property (lololol)



The Zig Zag side of Lolo was crowded with Christmas tree hunters and the paved portion was an ice rink Friday afternoon. I bowed out and went Hwy 35 instead.