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Hood River Area Trail Stewards (HRATS): Important Trail Updates

By White Lotus Sports on September 15, 2026 • ( 0 )

Hello Trail Lovers,

In this edition:

Cascadia Dirt Cup
Fire Restrictions Reduced: Post Canyon, Hospital Hill, Whoopdee and Underwood

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED — CASCADIA DIRT CUP!

HRATS is partnering with Hood River County Forestry & Parks (HRCF) to host the Cascadia Dirt Cup in Post Canyon onSeptember 18–19, and we need volunteers to help make the event a success!

Friday, September 18 — Practice
Saturday, September 19 — Race Day
Family Man Staging Area

WE NEED YOU!
If you can volunteer for a shift, please sign up here:

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER:
https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/533115090036/false#/invitation

Every volunteer helps us keep the event running smoothly and supports the trails we all enjoy. Grab a friend, sign up for a shift, and be part of the action!

Trail Closures — Saturday, September 19

Several trails will be closed to the public during the event, including:

• Moto Trail-170 / Dirtsurfer
• Hidden Trail
• Moto Trail-130 / Whipsnake
• Shadow
• A-Side & B-Side
• Bad Motor Scooter
• Upper Grand Prix (GP)
• Mitchell Ridge

Forestry staff will be on-site to reopen trails to the public at the conclusion of each race stage.

Parking

Parking will be extremely limited at Family Man. Non-participants are strongly encouraged to use another staging area on September 18–19.

Thank You for supporting HRATS, HRCF, the Cascadia Dirt Cup, and our incredible trail community!

HRCF Elevated Fire Restrictions Reduced

With cooler, more moderate fire weather conditions and in coordination with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) fire prevention measures, Hood River County Forestry & Parks (HRCF) will rescind its elevated fire prevention protocols effective 5:00 PM Thursday, September 10, 2026.

This means:

HRCF gates on Post Canyon, Riordan Hill, Upper Binns Hill, Gilhouley, Neal Creek, and County Forest roads will be reopened.
Combustion-engine motorized vehicles are once again permitted on improved County Forest roadsthat are rocked and cleared of vegetation.
Campfires are permitted only in designated fire rings at Kingsley, Tucker, and Toll Bridge Campgrounds.
Dispersed camping and parking are permitted in the Hood River County Forest in non-day-use areas.

Additional Trail Area Reopenings

In addition to the HRCF lands, Green Diamond lands at Whoopdee and Underwood, as well as Kreps land at Hospital Hill, have also reopened.

Whoopdee Trail Update

While the Whoopdee area has reopened after both logging and fire restrictions, only the Ronnoc Loop is currently rideable.

Logging operations have impacted approximately 3 miles of trail, and that trail will need to be rebuilt before the Legacy Loop and new Outer Loop can reopen for riding.

HRATS anticipates that approximately $45,000 will be needed to complete the necessary trail rebuilding and restoration.

Help us get Whoopdee riding again!

If you are able to contribute, your donation will directly support rebuilding these trails and restoring access to the Whoopdee trail system.

DONATE TO SUPPORT WHOOPDEE TRAIL REBUILDING

ODF Regulated Use Closure Remains in Effect

The Oregon Department of Forestry Regulated Use Closure (RUC) remains in effect in Hood River and Wasco Counties.

Under the current RUC:

All County Forest trails and unimproved roads remain closed to combustion-engine motorized vehicle use.
Shooting incendiary rounds or explosive targets is prohibited.
Open campfires are prohibited throughout the County Forest, except in designated fire rings at Kingsley, Tucker, and Toll Bridge Campgrounds.
Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are permitted throughout the forest.

Fire Safety Reminder

Violation of State or local fire prevention regulations on County Forest lands carries a fine of $2,000 per day.

The Forestry Department encourages all recreation participants to continue exercising Firewise caution during the remainder of the 2026 fire season.

Please check current fire restrictions before heading out and help protect our forests and trails.

Happy Trails,
HRATS

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