I've heard Tahuya ORV Park suggested as a place to go in the winter since there isn't likely to be snow.

I did some youtube-snooping and it looks like a lot of forest service loop roads with a lot of mud. No real destination. Maybe a good place for testing/tuning or beginners, but with the potential for a lot of jack-assery.

Am I overlooking an otherwise good spot? Or, if there was a place that captured your heart in the winter that was more of an expedition-type trail, where did you go?

 

It's well documented, I am not a fan of Tahuya. Only other non snowy place that's very public is Walker Valley up behind Mt Vernon

 

Same reasons, or different reasons?

I'll check it out at some point but I have ZERO interest in mud. Mud kills.

 

Tahuya is boring ... I hear they've been building obstacles but , meh!
Walker valley has good, tight , twisty trails. It provides some challenges and mixes things up pretty well.

 

+1 on Alex's comments. Tahuya is great for first-timer's looking to try out the jk functions, but beyond that..
I've been to Walker twice. It's got a little bit of everything from mild to major truggy trails.
Isn't Elbe still open? Its on the southwest face of Mt. Rainier...

 

There is no mud at Tahuya, just deep puddles. Great place to shakedown new mods, bring newbs or when there is absolutely nothing else because of snow, etc. Once you've been a couple of times you'll find it boring. The "trails" are poorly marked and there are several confusing intersections that can prove aggrivating and have you driving in circles. Even with all of this and the 1.5 hours including ferry time from Seattle I usually go about twice a year with a group.

 

There are some rock piles and some decent short sections of trails (Yellow Jacket). They have also dug out some of the moguls on South Loop recently so it is a bit more challenging.
Tahuya ORV South Loop 3 - YouTube

 

I have to agree, there's not much there. It's a good place to go after a purchase at Northrigde. But not worth the bridge toll and drive to go there. I would go just so you can say you went, hit Northrigde 4x4 and Silver City brewery in Bremerton or the resturant in Silverdale and call it an experience and decide for yourself if it was worth it or not. Either way between the wheeling and Northridge and brewery you can't go wrong just my two cents

 

To each his own. I like Tahuya. We can take all three rigs, mine, the missus' and the kid's and have a great time. Went to Elbe Hills yesterday. Had fun there too. Will go back again. If I want to take a few days and wheel we go to Tillamook.

Go out and wheel. The Quadrapaws group is always fine tuning the trails. The mollies on the south loop are great. And Yellowjacket has had the rocks pushed around a bit and a log line placed on the right side to keep you in the rocks. I am not going to try that until the weather dries out a bit.

Kind of hard to not get in some mud wheelin' in these parts. During the dry season you can get up to the Naches trail, and then north to the high mountain trails.


Bob K.

 

There was even a fair amount of snow at the top of Walker last week. I drove into the ditch to get around people who were stuck so I could help them get out.
This was at the learners area coming out of humps and bumps. Lower runs were snow free and we made it up Ron's run which only had snow at the top.