Navigation, offline maps, and more on the free Roam app.
Get the AppFirebreak Five Jeep Badge of Honor Trail
No elevation data available
Description
Firebreak Five is a renowned Jeep Badge of Honor trail, approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long, located in the Brown's Camp area of Tillamook State Forest. It's a popular choice for off-road enthusiasts, known primarily for its significant uphill climb through a massive rock garden. This section starts manageably but escalates to become extremely challenging, especially when wet. Successfully navigating this obstacle is a key accomplishment on the trail. After the rock garden, the trail continues to wind its way uphill through the forest. Near the top, there's an optional turn-off for the even more challenging Crusher Loop. The character of Firebreak Five can change dramatically with weather; it can be a moderate drive for well-equipped 4x4s in dry summer conditions if easier lines are taken, but transforms into a very difficult and potentially impassable route in sections during wet, soggy winter months, demanding specialized vehicle modifications like large tires, lockers, and winches. An optional, more severe rock garden and difficult lines on obstacles are available for highly built rigs seeking an extreme test. The trail surface is predominantly rocky, with potential for mud. Be aware of tight spots that can be challenging for larger vehicles, and the possibility of vehicle damage like flat tires or rocker damage is present.
Directions
To reach Firebreak Five, enter from Highway 6 at the summit, near the ODOT Gravel Shed. A short access trail leads to a day-use area suitable for parking and airing tires up or down; vault toilets are available here. This entrance point is approximately 35 miles east of Tillamook and about 9 miles from Glenwood. From the parking area, it's roughly a 30-minute drive to the actual trailhead of Firebreak Five. An active mapping system (GPS) is highly recommended to navigate to the trail's starting point. Trailforks lists trailhead coordinates for 'Firebreak Five B1' at Latitude 45.550920, Longitude -123.382320. Another general access/parking area coordinate is Latitude 45.557437897, Longitude -123.389678955.
Difficulty
The trail's difficulty can vary significantly with weather conditions. It features a notable uphill rock garden that starts relatively easy but becomes extremely challenging, especially when wet, potentially causing vehicle damage. In dry summer conditions, many stock 4x4 vehicles with good clearance might manage the main trail by choosing easier lines and careful driving. However, when conditions are wet, particularly in winter, sections like 'Waypoint 4' (a specific challenging point) can become incredibly difficult or even impassable for all but highly capable vehicles equipped with large (33-35 inch) tires, front and rear lockers, and a winch. For those seeking maximum challenge, there's an optional, more difficult rock garden and very tough lines on obstacles that will test even heavily modified rigs. User reviews mention potential for flat tires, broken u-joints, and rocker panel damage. Some tight spots may be challenging for larger vehicles like full-size pickups.
Trail Uses
- Off-Road Vehicles
- 4x4 Vehicle
- All-Terrain Vehicle
- Motorcycle
The text and geometry of this object available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license