Gales Creek to Trask River
Campground through the woods to Nestucca River Road
Adding in a paved loop, it's 150
miles of fun, with about 14 miles of gravel through the forest.
A motorcycle day trip in the greater PDX metro area.
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Here
is the
Google
Map of the route. Sharing this mainly to help you navigate
the gravel from Trask River to Nestucca.
Get on Highway 6 going west from 26, if you are coming from
Portland - though we like to start from Gales Creek. Soon after
you come out of Tillamook Forest and the mountains and drop into
the valley from the mountains, you will take a left (and there is
a left turning lane) on Olsen Road - it's marked with a sign on
the right just as you come into the valley for Trask River County
Campground. Take Olsen road and after about a mile, make a left
onto Trask River Road (there will be a sign for it on the right).
Trask River Road is delightful. It's very curvy, a bit narrow
and goes along the river. Unfortunately there are very few places
to stop and look at what is truly the best part of the river, that
gorgeous blue-green water rushing over big boulders and various
falls. If you see a safe shoulder to stop that will give you a
place to look at the water, take it.
Eventually you will come to Trask River County Campground. You
cannot miss it - it's on BOTH sides of the road. It's a great
place to stop for a pee break (at the vault toilets on either
side). They also have water spigots. If you decide to stop for
lunch, you will be expected to pay the $5 day use fee (which is
great for one car full of people, but motorcycles are expected to
pay PER MOTORCYCLE and that's cr*p). Walk over and have a look at
the river if you have the opportunity and won't disturb any
campers.
Continue on Trask River Road and as you pass a luxury camp ground
on the right, the pavement ends and you are starting the 14 mile
gravel route that will eventually get you to paved Nestucca Road
over.
Before I describe the rest of the route, note that, unless the
road has been freshly graveled or there have been some serious
washouts, the road is relatively easy - I say this as someone who
does NOT consider herself great at off-road motorcycle riding. In
May 2022, when we rode it for the first time, much of the road was
so pounded down that it was like asphalt and I didn't have to
stand up. The difficulties of the road:
- Some of the gravel rocks are HUGE and some of the gravel where
cars aren't driving over regularly can be quite deep. Watch your
riding line.
- On the weekends, this can get very busy with dirt bikes,
four-wheelers and trucks hauling such, as well as vehicles going
to and from primitive camp sites along the route.
- There is one really STEEP right turn, going up into a steep
hill - you have to commit absolutely to a good speed to turning
and get up it.
- Some serious pot holes.
As I loathe going downhill on gravel, I recommend doing the
route from Trask River to Nestucca, NOT the other way around.
There are at least four official, designated primitive
campgrounds on this route and a lot more unofficial ones.
There are NO road markings on the gravel. Zero. So you need to
put the route into a GPS or download this
Google
Map of the route.
You come down to Nestucca Road on Ginger Creek Road - again,
none of the gravel roads are marked with signs, I just know this
because of Google Maps. Nestucca River Road is now entirely
paved. Once there, you can go to the left to Carlton and
back toward Portland, or right to Beaver and to the coast. Or you
can make the trip even longer and go left toward Carlton, then
make the right for Bald Mountain Road and make the eventua left to
Willamina (have lunch at the Wildwood Hotel) or make the right on
Bible Creek Road and loop back to Nestucca, and then decide if you
are going to the coast or back to Carlton. OR, when you come from
Ginger Creek Road, you can go right on Nestucca, then make a left
on Bible Creek Road, and do the whole thing I've just said in
reverse.
Here's more about
either of these additional routes.
You could even push yourself even harder and go to Bible Creek
Road and then head up
Siuslaw National
Forest Service Road 14 up the back of Mount Hebo. THAT is
not easy, but if I can do it, you probably can too.
There are numerous national forests roads all throughout this
area, but they rarely have road signs. The official, designated
campgrounds along the Nestucca River are great places to base
yourself overnight to explore the area, but frankly, I wouldn't
leave anything in these campgrounds during the day unattended
for long amounts of time. Also, these camp sites are usually
full on the weekends, so you can't count on one being available.
As this is mostly national forest, you can legally camp rough
along most any gravel road.
More Oregon and Washington
suggested short motorcycle routes.
Disclaimer
Any activity incurs risk. The author assumes no responsibility
for the use of information contained within this document.
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