McDonald Forest, located just north of Corvallis, is a gem of a place to ride. If you’re lucky enough to live in the southern Willamette Valley, you’ve got to go ride these trails!
McDonald Forest is the research forest for Oregon State University’s forestry program, but the university also allows the public to recreate on 17+ miles of single-track trails and about 40 miles of gravel and dirt roads. And the riding is fabulous!
The forest is incredibly varied, as the different tracts within the forest are being studied for various research purposes.
You’ll have views from several vantage points, and the roads and most trails are open year round. The trail junctions are signed, so it’s easy to find your way around.
Equestrians share the forest with mountain bikers, hikers, and runners, but it nearly everyone seems to understand what to do when they encounter horses, so conflicts among trail users are few.
Horse trailer parking is available at three trailheads in various parts of the forest, making it easy for equestrians to access all the trails.
McDonald Forest allows day riding only, so its fabulous trails are accessible only to folks within driving distance of Corvallis. If you’re lucky enough to be nearby, go check it out. You’ll be glad you did!
Find out more about the horse trails at McDonald Forest in Riding Northwest Oregon Horse Trails, by Kim McCarrel, available at www.NWHorseTrails.com.