A Little History
In March 1977, the Forest Supervisor approved the first off-road vehicle (ORV) plan on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBS) following the directions in Executive Order 11644, Use of Off-Road Vehicles on Public Land, dated February 8, 1972. As a result, Evans Creek became the first area to be studied for ORV use on the MBS. In September 1980, an Environmental Assessment was approved by the Forest Supervisor, for development of Evans Creek as an ORV area.
In 1980, a Capital Improvement Grant of $500,000 was awarded to the Forest Service by the Washington Recreation Conservation Organization (RCO), formerly the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC), for construction of Evans Creek ORV Area. In a cooperative effort between Forest Service staff, U.S Army Corp of Engineers, contactors and volunteers from Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association (PNW4WDA) and Northwest Motorcycle Association (NMA), construction began. Evans Creek ORV Area opened in 1983 as the first and only designated ORV area on the MBS.
Evans Creek ORV area is primarily operated to provide ORV recreation opportunities for jeeps, motorcycles, ATVs and to some extent mountain bikes. Other opportunities include hunting and sightseeing as secondary opportunities to this primary function. Due to its close proximity to an expanding Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area and elimination of other opportunities on State of Washington lands, Evans Creek has become a favorite place for ORV enthusiasts.