Where To Ride ATV In Oregon

When thinking about riding All Terrain Vehicles in Oregon, there remain a lot of opportunities and dedicated trails for adventure rides. No matter what your preference is for trails, in Oregon, you will find it all. 

They have spectacular wooden trails, sand dunes, and even desserts. There are numerous trails all over the state of Oregon which perfectly suit high clearance vehicles like ATVs.

OHV Trail System at Oregon

The dedicated ATV routes and single-track routes are perfect for riding in groups with roaring ATVs through the gorgeous trails. 

The coastal dunes of Oregon are widely famous in other countries as well, which makes the dunes a friendly spot for riding rented ATVs for tourists. In a few trails hunting might be legal as well, so for hunting lovers, the ATV trails in Oregon are a wonderland.

Very rarely do states have inland dunes but in Oregon, you can find them in the middle of the state, which is so amazing for ATV riders. 

Not only ATVs you can even have motorcycles and side-by-sides or UTVs in action all over the maintained and secure trails all over Oregon. You would be surprised to know that there are more than 54 dedicated riding trails in Oregon.

But it is important to know what are the specific places where you can ride and the rules which come along. 

The government and Forest Service departments want you to have a lot of fun but be safe at the same time. 

They even have a specific website only for riding off-road with ATVs and other vehicles for guidance. The website name stands at http://www.rideatvoregon.org/wheretoride/view/dsp_wtr.cfm. On the website, you will find the details of all the terrains in which you can ride worry-free. 

The direct trail maps are also present to let you check the trail much before setting off with the ATV. You will know all about where to ride ATV in Oregon here.

 

A Scenic Spot In An Atv Trail Of Oregon
A scenic spot in an ATV trail of Oregon

The management behind the trails

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is the prime organization behind the Oregon trails and rides management. 

They work hand in hand with several land management agencies throughout the state to take care of the funding necessary for the perfect rejuvenating and adventure trail available. 

The exact trails are handled by the federal, county, state, and many landowner’s non-profit congregations.

The OPRD also runs a Safety Education Program intended for ATV riders. These programs are perfect for making the riders more knowledgeable and informed about their vehicle handling and safety. 

You can’t just take your All-Terrain Vehicle out of the garage and set off for a trail ride of your choice in Oregon, that even sounds reckless.

Permits for riding ATV in Oregon State

You would need an ATV sticker permit to be legally driving in one of the many managed trails. You can easily get one from their website by buying it at a really low price. The top perk is that the permit will be valid for two whole years. 

So many months of ATV riding permit you will get for only ten dollars, the money many spend for a day’s coffee. 

After you buy the permit, it will be sent to you via email, so that you can print it or properly save it on your phone which you should be able to provide during the ride. You would be happy to know that this low amount also goes back into the fund for keeping the riding trails maintained and well in condition. 

But the online purchase isn’t the only option, there are about ninety-six agents all over the state for giving out private ATV vehicles permits. Oregon park management is very cooperative and understanding with all features of trail riding including the permit.

Are other States Permits accepted in Oregon ?

So they accept permits from other states as well like Nevada, California, and Washington. But they do not accept the permit from other states who do not return the favor of accepting Oregon’s permit in their states. 

For states like Utah, Arizona, Idaho their permits are not accepted in Oregon.

 

A Group Of Atv Riders Raging Through The East Fort Rock Trail
A group of ATV riders raging through the east fort rock trail

The most popular spots for ATV rides in Oregon

Among the 54 trail routes in Oregon, a bunch of them are very popular. As the trails in Oregon are properly maintained with areas of staging, maps, and even signs so they are bound to be much appreciated by the ATV riders. 

This will come as a fun fact to you that Oregon comprises around sixty percent of public lands with astonishing versatility of the land types. 

Except for the main trails which are always looked after, there are some other trails available too which might be a little wilder in nature as they are not under the maintenance of the Oregon official departments. These 54 highly maintained trails in Oregon receive regular funding from ATV sticker purchase money and fuel tax money.

Popular OHV trail in Oregon

The official website mentioned earlier gives access to all the maps of the trails and even provides pdf files to let you save them on your phone to have full-time access even without any internet. The most popular of the trails are as follows:

The Tillamook national forest

This forest range is very popular among group riders and especially families. The whole range has more than two hundred and fifty miles of road excluding the range covered in gravel. There is a browns camp area in this range which is reputed to be more family-friendly. 

The range has a unique 4wd rock crawl space which should be at least visited once by all riders. For riders who would take motorcycles instead of ATV and UTVs, they would love the black diamond motorcycle trail found in this region.

Morrow county ATV Trail

The space bought by morrow county with the help of grants summed up for ATV riding is a huge range for taking your ATV. The whole space numbers at around 8000 acres of land which is immense when actually figured. 

This whole range is specifically dedicated to the recreation of ATVs. This range hosts proper camping sites but lacks a little bit in freeways. Camping lovers would definitely cherish choosing this range.

The Oregon sand dunes

The Oregon state has a colossal network of dunes which is also present in the Tillamook range of forest already mentioned. 

The other common dunes regions include the Coos Bay area and Florence bay. Along all the coasts you will find ATV renting spots easily and get going on a thrilling ride. If the whole area of dunes is considered, it would sum at about more than seven thousand acres.

The central part of Oregon

The east fort rock and Millican terrains are very popular for ATV riding as the trails are very highly maintained and taken care of for smooth and hassle-free rides. The central Oregon region has over a thousand miles of land which are mapped accurately and precisely for rider’s safety and delight. 

The type of land present in this range can be considered as a high-altitude land with characteristics of a desert. This also means that these trails will be available for riding all year long no matter what the season. 

The other specialty of the Millican trail is that in the snowy winter of the state, this trail often remains free of snow. At the time of summer ATV riders often prefer the east fort rock region as a lot of shady spots can be easily found there for relaxation.

 

A Coastline In Oregon Where An Atv Rider Is Enjoying In The Sand Dunes
A coastline in Oregon where an ATV rider is enjoying in the sand dunes

Special trails which are preferred by local ATVs

 

Where to ride ATV in Oregon

 

The blue mountain OHV trails

This trail is present in the Wallowa-Whitman national forest and is very well customised by the authorities. The whole design of the trail is great for riders with little experience. 

The main trail now runs for around 50 miles consisting of many short loop trails. The trail is mostly free from any kind of rough blocks and consists of several land bridges.

There are great camping spots present in this trail among which Elk Creek and South Fork are the most popular camping grounds. The surroundings of these camping spots are serene and soothing.

The surrounding area has a river and great high land for hiking. Those who love fishing can try their cast into the beautiful river to catch some fresh game. These camping grounds mentioned can be found on the southern part of the blue mountain trail. There are more trails if you still want to have more options for the question of where to ride atv in oregon.

Christmas valley Oregon dunes trail

The trails present in this area are not much maintained like the other trails of Oregon and are much wilder in features. So taking an ATV will be better than motorcycles. Get your ATV maintained and shaped up in proper condition before venturing out into these trails. These trails are open to the riders all over the year and that is a big advantage over others. 

The area has some fabulous sand bowls which are fun to ride, the other dunes are medium in size as well. Try avoiding the springtime if you are not an excellent ATV rider and are not comfortable with extremely muddy tracks. 

One of the best attractions of this trail is Fossil Lake. This huge historic lake has amazing fossils that you will be astonished after witnessing. There are private land properties all around the dunes rimming the whole area so riders should be aware of the map.

Cline Buttes area for riding

The trail type can be specified to high desert land which covers a large area with several trails. This area is about more than a thousand acres of land and is mostly dry, lacking in trees. 

But desert found trees like dense scrub bushes, pines and juniper can be prominently found. Camping is allowed in this region and there is a lot of open space to keep your ATVs comfortable just like yourself. 

Some of the trails are very rocky in feature and should be carefully driven through with slow speed. 

Experts suggest the right time to visit this region with your ATVs is during the season of spring. If you like the cold weather more than visiting in the warm seasons then this trail would be one of the best choices for you.

A Family Enjoying The View In A Trail Ride Of Oregon
A family enjoying the view in a trail ride of Oregon

Crane Mountain OHV trail

If you remember the poem of the road less traveled then maybe the poet was talking about this trail. The trails in this region are basically logging kinds of paths and the other majority being the fire roads.

This area would sometimes seem like an adventure game as you might often find dead ends if you are not following the GPS map well enough. In winter more tracks might be in this type of situation so this area is mostly chosen in the month of summer when the temperature remains much high. But the single trails in these regions are great to choose from. 

The other attraction would be the goose lake which can be an excellent spot for nearby camping. 

The peak of the region is a popular spot for the sport of hang gliding and also there remains a town nearby called Lakeview which is quite remote and will provide you a very unique experience.

Albany motorsports park

Besides all the trails mentioned there remains a few more options to your question of where to ride ATV in Oregon. This trail region is more of a pro rider suitable spot. This is because there are motorsports held here. The dedicated park has tracks that are well maintained and customised often. The tracks are mostly free of dust and rock. The tracks include karts, flat tracks, sand drag races, and also vintage-style ones.

The timings are usually permitted between three o’clock in the afternoon to the time it gets really dark, on weekends the park may be open between ten in the morning to three in the afternoon. The other attractive features will be the presence of a clean pool, shower options, and a few other concessions might be present.

Conclusion

The great maintenance and features of the trails in Oregon make them unique. The Oregon state organisations have made the trail riding process very simple and safe by their constant efforts. Maintaining more than 54 trails is a very big deal and requires a well-functioning system to keep all the trails and private lands in good form. You need to know what type of trail would be the best choice for you and then get the permit and get going with your team for a unique adventure in the wild trails.

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