Another Day at Tahuya
Tahuya Gatekeeper
Another Weekend at Tahuya ORV
We decided to make another trip up to Tahuya ORV over the weekend. My wife had never seen our son’s Toyota in action on the rocks, and we were excited to show her the trails. The weekend prior, we had about six inches of rain at home—and the park probably got 8–10 inches. The trails were full of water! Tahuya isn’t really known for mud, but it has some great trails and rock gardens. We were ready to play, watch Tommy rock crawl, and enjoy the scenery.
Tahuya Parking/ Staging area
When we rolled up to the staging area, it was packed, so we parked at another entrance with more space. There’s a rocky gatekeeper there that my wife was nervous about. Keep in mind—she’s new to off-roading, coming from a family of drag racers. Heights, steep angles, or being tossed around like a salad aren’t her thing. Thirty seconds in, she got tossed like a salad, but the fun was just beginning!
As we meandered through the trails—navigating tight trees, water holes, rocks, and roots—we enjoyed the scenery. The area is very pretty and well-kept; most folks clean up after themselves. At one point, we encountered a group coming the other direction. While pulling aside, we heard air brakes hissing and thought we must be hallucinating. Nope—a military 6x6 was stuck between a couple trees! I couldn’t imagine driving that massive rig through these trails. We followed for a few hundred yards before they pulled off, letting us continue.
Later, we came to a split in the trail, and a guy jumped out of a brand-new Toyota Tacoma to ask if he and his wife could tag along. He was new to off-roading and only had a tow strap for recovery. We let them join, and my wife wondered if his rig would make it. I told her he had an e-locker in the rear, so he’d be fine—better equipped than my open-front-and-back Jeep in some ways. Then we noticed—he was still running the paper plates! He had literally just bought the truck and took it wheeling.
Our new friends did surprisingly well through the tight spots, and we eventually reached Yellowjacket Hill. My wife and I weren’t sure if they’d attempt it—they definitely shouldn’t. Tommy staged his truck at the base, but with slick rocks, mud, and logs, he struggled. Leif and I tried helping by moving rocks and giving tips, but traction was tricky. Watching the hill, we saw a built Jeep conquer it and another Toyota fail—everyone blamed us for moving rocks, but it was all in good fun!
After Yellowjacket, we headed toward Buggy Hill. Tommy attempted a short garden along the way but got both differentials stuck on rocks—airborne and spinning tires all around. We rocked the truck and placed rocks under the tires to free him. At that point, he called it for the day, so we continued to the base of Buggy Hill and turned around.
On the way back through the gatekeeper, our new friends smashed a tailpipe, ripped a mudflap, and took a bit of minor damage—but Leif was ecstatic! The smile on his face said it all. We exchanged info and offered tips on upgrades before tackling tougher trails. As we rolled out, we saw them heading back in with huge smiles—they were ready for more. That right there—that joy—is exactly why we do this.
Here’s a video we put together from the trip—hope you enjoy:
Watch the video
