Tahuya State Forest

Tahuya State Forest sits on the Kitsap Peninsula near Belfair and is managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources, which lists 84 miles of trail in the forest rather than the 100 plus our record carried. The riding is classic western Washington: second-growth Douglas fir, salal thickets, bog crossings, and glacial sand that drains well enough to keep the forest rideable through most of the year. Not all of it is open to full-size vehicles. DNR designates specific 4x4 trails, including the Tahuya River Trail, while a large share of the network is limited to 48 or 50 inch widths and is intended for quads and motorcycles. Read the trail map and the posted signs at each junction, because the width designation changes from trail to trail rather than by area. Elfendahl Pass and Mission Creek are the main staging areas and the usual places to unload. Two things are required before you turn a wheel. A Discover Pass covers vehicle parking on DNR land, and every motorized machine on the trails needs valid ORV metal tabs. Rangers check both. Trails are generally open year round, but individual sections close for active timber harvest or storm damage, and the network has lost crossings to washouts before, so check the DNR page for current closures rather than assuming last year's route still connects. Winter and spring riding is wet, muddy, and hard on the trail surface; the forest holds up better than most in the region but the mud season is real. Belfair has fuel, groceries, and tire shops, and Seattle and Tacoma are both close enough for a day trip, which is exactly why this forest gets busy on summer weekends. Go early, stay on the designated trails, and do not widen the mud holes.