Cedar Tree / Tillamook State Forest

4.6/5 (29 reviews)
Banks, Oregon (Tillamook County)
Last Updated: 11/01/2022

Trail Information

Highlights

Camping
Forest
Iconic
Mud
Rock
Snow Wheeling
Water
Cedar Tree is an aptly named trail deep in the Tillamook State Forest, where the highlight is a huge fallen cedar trunk that vehicles can drive under. The iconic fallen cedar tree at Waypoint 7 is a favorite place for photographs of 4x4 rigs. The trail wanders through the forest's prettiest and most interesting sections along the cedar tree. A large, deep depression is often filled with water and makes for an interesting challenge to cross. An ancient tree stump hides a shelf that can catch the unsuspecting driver by surprise. Cedar Tree is one of the highlights of Tillamook State Forest and should not be missed. Just be sure to compare the height of a vehicle to the clearance on the cedar trunk before attempting to go underneath.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Cedar Tree is one of two "Badge of Honor" trails located in Tillamook Forest. Cedar Tree is a fun trail with a lot to offer and should not be missed on a visit to Tillamook State Forest. The trail is challenging for stock vehicles under favorable conditions. Competent and patient spotting will help to ensure that everyone has fun on this trail. Be mindful of the height of vehicles compared to the clearance of the fallen cedar tree. Cedar Tree trail conditions can change dramatically depending on recent rain or when the last trail maintenance occurred. Any trail in the Tillamook State Forest during the rainy season can quickly change from very benign to wild and highly technical. While Trails Offroad tries to represent average trail conditions on every trail in the Tillamook State Forest and regularly updates trail information, caution is always warranted.
This trail can be very busy on summer weekends. Watch for motorcycles, quads, and side-by-sides.

Trail Reviews

4.6/5 (29)
Official Crew
49750
Open
Visited: 09/17/2021

The Tillamook State Forest has reopened all OHV trails thanks to lowered fire danger: http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com/2021/09/all-ohv-trails-open-effective-09162021.html
Official Crew
49750
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: 05/01/2021

Ran this on Saturday May 1st. The trail was mostly dry and accessible. The iconic Cedar Tree now stands alone. There were some interesting sights along the trail such as the boulder placed on a stump. We also found there is now a challenging shelf road section of Cedar Tree (confirmed by the signs) that terminates across the gravel road from Crushers. The view along this clear cut shelf portion is amazing. However, it can be steep and there are very few places for vehicles coming in the opposite direction to pass.
Open
Visited: 04/17/2021

Per Douglas’ post, the “payoff” part of Cedar Tree has been clear cut. Ran it today (4-18-21) and was saddened to see the dramatic change. I realize it’s logging land - just tough to lose one of the prettiest parts of the trail.
Official Crew
49750
Open
Visited: 04/08/2021

Well... Cedar Tree is back open but it looks more like a moonscape than the trail we all remember. Be prepared for everything to be clear-cut. There's a good chance there'll be temporary closures through the summer while the ODF works on the trail now that the logging is done. Recent photos are here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1506615679583294/permalink/2915785638666284/ We'll get the whole trail re-mapped with new photos this summer once things are settled down.

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