Chikamin: Creek Orv Tr1534 and Orv Tie Tr1561
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Overall: 7
Aerobic: 9
Technical: 7
Steepness: 7
Flow: 7
Singletrack: 100%
The Lake Wenatchee Washington Minnow Ridge Trail and Chikamin Orv Tie Tr1561 (aka Chikamin Ridge) form half of a CW loop ride, descending on Alder Ridge Tr1523.
Type
Loop
Length
Avg: 29mi
Ascent
Mt Goat
Elevation Change
TH:2400'
Avg Ascent:8600'
Ascent Incline
12%
Duration
Avg: 7hr
Weather
Forecast
NOAA
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USFS
Trail
Review
Ding: The quality of the ride depends on the amount of recent Orv use and resulting trail conditions, and this ride should generally be avoided on the weekends or late summer.
Plan for a late July to early August weekday ride, or choose a non-ORV ride in the area. There are plenty of great ride options in the northern Wenatchee National Forest which do not require sharing the trail with quads.
Chikamin Orv Tie Tr1561 has an ascent incline of 12%, with a 6% incline on Minnow Ridge Orv Tr1524, with a steep climb from 2600' to 3300' then a gradual ascent to 3600'.
The alternative is to climb FR6210...but no one talks about epic fireroad climbs, do they?
The Minnow Ridge Orv Tr1524 to Chikamin Creek Orv Tr1534 loop is the short ride option (10mi, 3300' ascent), limiting the ride to ORV trails.
Lower Chiwawa Orv Tr1548 can be added to extend the ride.
FR6210 and FR6101 create several shuttle options.
The best shuttle option is to park at Maverick Saddle and ride Mad River Orv Tr1409.1 to Alder Ridge Tr1523, leaving the other vehicle at the lower Alder Ridge Tr1523 TH.
Directions: NW Forest Pass required right at the TH. SR207 to Lake Wenatchee, then cross the Wenatchee River, then bear right onto Chiwawa Loop Road. Go for 1.3mi, then turn left on FR62/SR3 (Chiwawa River Rd). Go for 11.1mi, then continue on gravel road to the Alder Ridge TH. View Larger Map. No Map?.
Loop Directions
bring water
- TH: From the FR6209 Alder Ridge Tr1523 TH, climb Lower Chiwawa ORV Tr1548 to Minnow Ridge Tr1524.
- 3.4mi: Pass the Chikamin Creek Orv Tr1534 intersection on the right, cross Chikamin Creek, then go right onto Minnow Ridge Tr1524. The first 1.1mi are the steepest, gaining 700', with more moderate terrain after 1.9mi.
- 4.7mi: After crossing Chikamin Creek, pass the Chikamin Creek Orv Tr1534 intersection on the right and go left to tackle the 12%, 5.3mi Lower Chiwawa ORV Tr1548 ascent to the Chikamin Ridge summit.
- 13.7mi: Go right onto Mad River Orv Tr1409.1 and then go right onto Pond Camp Tr1409.2, with a twisty ascent reaching the summit at 16mi, followed by a switchback descent to Mad River Orv Tr1409.1.
- 17.8mi: Go right onto Mad River Tr1409.1 and ride past Marble Meadow and Mad Meadow to Alder Ridge Tr1523.
- 19.6mi: Go right onto Alder Ridge Tr1523 and climb through switchbacks for 2mi to a ridge crest, then begin the steep descent to the TH. The switchbacks get serious at 23.3mi, the steepest section of this trail.
- 25.4mi: Blaze past FR6104 on the left, as the descent eases up some. Pass a spur trail on the left at 27.4mi, and cross FR6208 at 27.9mi.
got orv?
- TH: From the FR6210 TH, climb Minnow Ridge Tr1524. The first 1.1mi are the steepest, gaining 700', with more moderate terrain after 1.9mi.
- 4.7mi: After crossing Chikamin Creek, go right onto Chikamin Creek Orv Tr1534 and climb for 1.4mi to the ride summit, at 6.2mi.
- 8.3mi: After traversing five drainages, begin the final ridgeline descent back to the TH.
Trail Index
This Ride
Alder Ridge Trail 1523, Chikamin Creek Orv Trail 1534, Chiwawa Orv Trail 1548, Mad River Orv Trail 1409, Minnow Ridge Orv Trail 1524
Area
Wilderness
Campgrounds
Grouse Creek Campground, Huckleberry Ford Campground, Meadow Creek Campground
Trail Rankings
Ranking consistently applied to all of the listed trails.
- Overall Rating: Ride quality and challenge
- Aerobic: Ascent challenge
- Technical Difficulty: Terrain challenge
- Steepness: Average incline
- Flow: Uninterrupted riding
- Elevation Change: Total elevation gain
- Ride Difficulty: Terrain challenge
