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Firebreak Five / Tillamook State Forest
Banks,
Oregon
(Tillamook County)
Last Updated:
10/20/2022
Trail Information
Highlights
Camping
Forest
Iconic
Mud
Rock
Snow WheelingFirebreak Five is a trail that can go from mild to wild depending on conditions. In dry summer weather, most vehicles can navigate the entire trail by taking the easiest lines and combining good spotting and good driving. In the soggy winter months, certain sections of the trail, such as Waypoint 4, can become incredibly difficult or even impassable for all but trucks rolling on sticky tires, with front and rear lockers, or with little regard for possible drive-train damage. The changing conditions and challenges that voyagers along Firebreak Five face are all part of the adventure. Firebreak Five also has the distinction of being a "Jeep Badge of Honor."
For those looking for a big challenge, there is an optional rock garden, and there are very difficult lines to take on the obstacles that will challenge even the most built rigs.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Trail Navigation
Firebreak Five starts in a dense forest before emerging into a long straight section paralleling a clearcut. There is a bail-out point at Waypoint 3 if the going is too challenging or the conditions are too poor to continue. The first major obstacle is at Waypoint 4, where several boulders and shelves are needed to climb to reach the next gravel road intersection. It can be very challenging to get up and over Waypoint 4 without very sticky or very large tires in wet conditions. Winching or potentially drive train-breaking vehicle hopping can happen in this section. However, vehicles with mild lifts and oversized tires can make it through with good spotting and driving in more favorable conditions.
Like any trail in the Tillamook State Forest, Firebreak Five conditions can change dramatically depending on when the last maintenance was performed on the trail and when the last rain happened. During the rainy season (usually starting in September and lasting through June or July), any trail in the forest can vary from a very benign trail to a wild, highly technical trail in a matter of hours or days.
The Tillamook State Forest periodically closes trails for various reasons, including inclement weather, storm damage, trail maintenance, fire restrictions, logging operations, and various other reasons. Trails can sometimes close with a locked gate or a barricade without notice. Additionally, trails may be closed by Tillamook State Forest official announcements, but the trails may not be gated off or have physical indications of the closure. The Tillamook State Forest official online blog is the best source of information about these announced and unannounced closures.
This trail gets heavy use including dirt bikes, quads, and side-by-sides.
Trail Reviews
Temporary Closure
Visited: 06/25/2021
Due to high fire danger, the Tillamook State Forest is closing all OHV trails as of 1am on Friday June 25th. At this time the gravel roads in the TSF are still open for OHV use but all the trails are shut down.
http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2021/06/fire-danger-moving-to-high-effective.html
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 04/29/2021
We ran this on Saturday May 1st. The trail is still wet in certain sections with low traction conditions at Waypoint 3. The bypass around the optional rock garden at Waypoint 5 was a bit of a challenge due to some muddy ruts around a large rock. Other than that, the trail was mostly tight maneuvering around some trees and roots in the upper portion with a few loose rock climbs thrown in. Traction was good there and we didn't see any snow until we exited the trail.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 03/12/2021
Firebreak 5 is open and in moderate condition right now due to a LOT of snow on the upper sections. This is a challenging trail on a warm, dry day. The snow adds a extra level of "fun" getting over obstacles and around trees without getting stuck or doing body damage. However, I expect the snow will be gone in the next couple weeks. There is a lot of logging activity going on right now as well - so if you are in TSF on a weekday, be sure to monitor the CB channels. (the CB channel you should monitor is written on signs along the roads they are operating on) Getting hit by a loaded logging truck could ruin your day!
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