ATVing in Northeast Washington
Northeastern and North Central Washington State is a paradise for ATVers. Ride on over 1,000 miles of recreation roads and 90 miles of trails that are open to ATVs, enjoy off-roading areas, and take your street legal WATV on over 4,000 of miles of county and city roads that allow ATVs.
Forest Service ORV/OHV Road in Colville National Forest. Photo credit: Paul Sterley, UTV Adventures
ATVs are allowed on USFS roads that are open to OHVs, USFS trails that are open to 4x4s or ATVs (there are a few USFS trails that are ATV only, but most serve both uses), Washington Department of Recreation (WDNR) roads that are open to vehicles and not gated, and numerous designated OHV/ORV areas run by city, county, state, federal, or private organizations. In addition, Washington State allows cities and counties to open roads to use by street legal WATVs (wheeled all-terrain vehicles). ATVs that meet the state’s safety and size requirements can get a special WATV tag that allows them to be used on streets that have been opened to WATV use through city or county ordinances. Note that the USFS does not recognize the WATV tags and treats “street legal” WATVs the same as other ATVs and OHVs, allowing them only on designated roads.
For this post, we are going to look at riding opportunities in Northeast and North Central Washington: Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, and Spokane Counties.
Colville National Forest and Idaho Panhandle National Forest have over 1,100 miles of roads that are open to ATVs in this region and 75 miles of trails open to ATVs. Popular trails include the Owl Mountain Jeep Trail, Twin Sisters/Mac King Jeep Trail, and Huckleberry Jeep Trail in Ferry County, the Thomas Mountain North Trail, and the Middle Fork ATV trails. Most of those trails are also open to 4x4s, making them suitable even for the widest SxS and UTVs.
WDNR also has recreation lands in this area that are open to ATVs. The largest areas are Loup Loup State Forest south of Conconully and Loomis State Forest north of the town of Loomis, and there are other blocks of WDNR lands that are open to recreation where you can take your ATV.
ATVers north of Conconully. Photo credit: Paul Sterley, UTV Adventures
ATVers in Colville NF west of Conconully. Photo credit: Paul Sterley, UTV Adventures
In addition to the National Forest and WDNR lands, cities, counties, and Washington State Parks have ATV riding opportunities in the region. In the Republic area, enjoy the Golden Tiger Trail. This 5.1-mile section of the Ferry County Rail trail route is paved and open to ATVs. Pend Oreille County allows ATV riding in Rustler’s Gulch. Spokane County has two designated ORV areas: Riverside State Park ORV Area and the county’s Liberty Lake ORV Park. The Riverside State Park ORV area, also commonly known in the motorsports community as 7 Mile, has an area just for kids with a dedicated kiddie loop. The town of Wilbur in Lincoln County also offers riding at the Wilbur Meadows OHV/ORV park. This park, open to ATVs and other types of ORVs, has a track with motocross, dirt banked oval, dirt and grass flat track, and a slow-speed obstacle course.
If you want to take your street legal WATV on county roads, Ferry, Stevens, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Spokane County all allow WATVs on most of the county roads with a speed limit of 35mph or less; and the towns of Republic, Colville, Kettle Falls, Northport, Davenport, Stanwood, Stevenson and Ione allow WATVs on their city roads. There are close to 5,100 miles of roads in this area that are open to street legal WATVs.
You can find all of the trails and recreation roads open to ATVs on Northwest Portal’s off-roading web map or free app for Apple and Android. Use the filters and pop-ups to find places for your favorite activity, see what pass is required, and find things to do nearby.
In the winter, make sure to stay off of any groomed snowmobile routes or recreation roads that are closed seasonally (we update the map monthly to show the latest status). But if you want to ride in the winter on roads that are open for winter wheeled use, you may want to get snow tires. Should I Be Riding On ATV Snow Tires This Winter?
If you want insights and more information into the trails and riding areas, pick up one of the UTV Adventures guides to the areas you are thinking about riding. These great books have photos and insights into riding opportunities throughout the state.
Get out and enjoy riding through the scenic countryside of Northeast Washington and let us know what your favorite routes are.
WATV on a county road near Curlew. Photo credit: Paul Sterley, UTV Adventures