Portland-area dirt bikers have been riding McCubbins Gulch since the early 1960s. This off-highway vehicle area in the Barlow Ranger District sits about 50 miles southeast of Portland at roughly 3,300 feet, and many of its trails, first laid out for motorcycles, have since been opened to quads.
Riders have about 72 miles of single track to explore, and roughly 50 of those miles also take quads. The campground and day-use area are ATV friendly, Cooks Camp serves as a second staging area, and there are plenty of dispersed campsites throughout. Volunteer groups help maintain the trails. There’s no drinking water, so bring your own.
Things to do
- OHV riding
From the Forest Service
Good to know
McCubbins Gulch OHV riding area was first established back in the early 1960s as a favorite place for dirt bikers coming out of the Portland area. Although originally designed and laid out with dirt bikes in mind, many of the established trails have been opened up to quads.
The trail system is maintained by the help of volunteer groups Mt. Scott Motorcycle Club and Hurricane Racing.
Rules and restrictions
Class 1 & Class 3 ATVs only
Trails closed 12/1 to 3/31 to help protect winter range (deer & elk).
View State of Oregon Rules for OHV Use
All fees
McCubbins Gulch Campground & Day Use, McCubbins Overflow Campground:
Camping: $16/night for single site, $8/night for extra vehicle
Day use: $10/day/vehicle
The campgrounds and day use area are operated by a concessionaire, Alaska Recreational Management.
McCubbins Gulch Picnic Site: No fee
Passes and permits
All riders are required to have a State of Oregon Safety Education card in their possession and a current State of Oregon permit or state of reciprocity decal on their OHV.
Camping: 50% discount for single site camping with any of these passes: Interagency Senior, Interagency Access, Golden Age or Golden Access.
Season details
April - November