Ahtanum Multiple Use Area is a perfect place for all around 4-wheeling fun. This is a great destination for anyone that wants to make a long weekend out of camping and riding their 4-wheelers. The boundaries of the riding area include Ahtanum Meadows and Ahtanum Camp. These are located on Middle Fork Road, across from one another. Ahtanum is a large enough area to fall under the watch of the ranger from the Wenatchee National Forest and Goat Rocks Wilderness is also a protected area, but is managed by the State. The public lands of this riding area border the Yakima Indian Reservation.
Ahtanum is wild and not maintained beyond the most basic of trails. It can be easy to get turned around on a trail and become lost. Make sure that you get a current map from either the Wenatchee Rangers office or the Goat Rocks Wilderness Ranger Station. Both have maps supplied by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and they are color coded as to trail difficulty and to make it easy to follow a particular trail.
Of all the parks in Washington State, Ahtanum is the driest; it is advisable to carry some spare air filters on your ATV trip, nothing dramatic here, just keep them in the truck of the car "in case."
There are surprising views of the Cascades around fantastic climbs and a look at the eastern deserts through the foliage. You can even cross over into the Wenatachee Forest on your 4-wheeler, as they have a good number of riding trails in the National Forest. The trails are open from March until November each year and the 4-wheeler trails are normally closed if there is snow, call the rangers office before you ride.
