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Gifford Pinchot National Forest

A Great Place To Ride

Many NMA riders would agree -- the Gifford Pinchot National Forest offers some of the best off-road motorcycling in Washington state.

The GPNF is located in southern Washington, centered about 40 miles east of Longview and I-5. Mt. St. Helens is situated on the western edge of the GPNF.

Resources

• Gifford Pinchot National Forest Web Site: Motorcycle Trail Information - maps, trail conditions, trail descriptions
   
• GPNF Area Map (June 2003, 45 K PDF)
   
• GPNF ORV Trail Map (July 2005, 65 K PDF)
   
• GPNF ORV Trail Descriptions (July 2005, 20 K PDF)
   
• GPNF Web Site: General Information
     
• In addition, there are a few motorcycle clubs familiar with the area:
  • Southwest Washington Offroad Riders Association (SWORA). Contact information on our clubs page.
  • Jones Creek Trail Riders Association
  • Yakima Valley Dust Dodgers

Background

The GPNF is a great place to ride with some spectacular views and a variety of terrain from easy to difficult. The high trails have snow on them until about the end of July. There are lots of places to camp and some connect to the trails. One of our members added up the total trails listed in the trail guide and it came to over 200 miles that are listed for motorcycle use. There are some that accomodate 3- and 4-wheelers.

If you go be sure to stop at the ranger station and buy a trail guide - it's worth the $5. For more information, contact the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, PO Box 670, Randle, WA 98377, or 360-497-1100.

With areas like the Blue Lake, HIgh Lakes and Dark Divide areas, the GPNF has something to offer for anyone. We encourage you to check it out.

Why isn't the Gifford Pinchot in our ORV Trails section?

Some of our web site visitors were surprised that the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is not listed in the ORV Trails section of our web site. The reason is that the GPNF is not included in the Washington Off-Road Vehicle Guide, which our ORV Trails section is based on.