Washington Just Opened 14 Miles of New Mountain Bike Trails Near Ellensburg

Seattle-area riders aren’t exactly hurting for places to mountain bike, but this one gives us a pretty good excuse to head across the Cascades. Washington just made 14 miles of purpose-built trails official in Naneum Ridge State Forest, roughly 30 minutes outside Ellensburg. The new Cookie Cutter Trail System has everything from beginner-friendly riding to significantly more serious terrain higher on the ridge.

And despite the name, Cookie Cutter isn’t some tame little loop through the woods. Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance says the system opened with 12 singletrack trails and a skills area containing seven short progression trails. Basalt Flow gives newer riders somewhere approachable to start, while intermediate and advanced downhill trails wait farther up the ridge.

The really interesting part is that the current 14 miles aren’t supposed to be the finished product. DNR’s longer-term vision calls for about 34 miles of mountain bike trails across roughly 2,000 acres, eventually including two trailheads and a campground. For a project that took years of fundraising, volunteer labor, and trail building just to reach its grand opening, Cookie Cutter could end up becoming a pretty substantial Central Washington riding destination.

Washington Has a Brand-New Trail System

Mountain bikers have a new reason to head east of the Cascades. Washington’s Department of Natural Resources officially opened the Cookie Cutter Trail System in Naneum Ridge State Forest on May 16, 2026. The network sits just outside Ellensburg in Kittitas County and adds about 14 miles of purpose-built riding to an area that has been years in the making.

Yes, It Is Really Called Cookie Cutter

The name sounds more like a bakery stop than a mountain bike destination, but it comes from an old DNR timber sale in the Naneum Ridge area. The timber sale is long gone, while the name stuck around for the new trail system. It is quirky, memorable, and very Washington in the way working forest land and outdoor recreation overlap here.

There Are 12 Singletrack Trails to Explore

The grand opening made 12 purpose-built singletrack trails official, totaling about 14 miles. DNR says the difficulty runs from easy all the way to very difficult, so this is not a system built only for experts. There is enough variety for newer riders to get comfortable while stronger riders can head higher on the ridge for more challenging terrain.

Beginners Were Not an Afterthought

One of the best parts of the project is that beginners actually have a real place to start. Basalt Flow was built as a beginner-friendly flow trail in the lower family area and became one of the early pieces of the system. It gives newer riders a smoother introduction before they start eyeing the steeper lines farther up the ridge.

There Is a Skills Area, Too

The trailhead area also includes a skills zone with seven short progression trails. Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance added progressive jump lines and beginner skills features as the project grew, giving riders a place to practice before committing to longer descents. For families or mixed-skill groups, that makes the trip a lot easier to tailor to everyone.

The Upper Ridge Turns Up the Difficulty

Riders looking for more than a mellow loop can climb toward the upper ridge, where the system includes intermediate and advanced downhill terrain. Evergreen designed the network so the lower area is approachable and the higher sections offer a bigger challenge. That stacked setup should only get better as more planned connections are finished.

This Project Took Years to Reach Opening Day

The May opening was not an overnight project. Recreation planning for Naneum Ridge began in 2013, a formal recreation access plan followed in 2015, and design work was underway by 2018. Construction began in earnest in 2019. By the time the signs went up in 2026, volunteers and trail crews had spent years turning the plan into something riders could actually use.

Volunteers Helped Make the Whole Thing Possible

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and its Kittitas Chapter were major forces behind the trail system, helping with fundraising, design, construction, and volunteer labor. Washington Conservation Corps crews and other DNR resources also contributed. It is the kind of project that makes more sense once you realize how much community work went into every mile of trail.

Fourteen Miles Is Only the Beginning

The current network is just one stage of a much larger vision. DNR says the long-term plan calls for roughly 34 miles of mountain bike trails across about 2,000 acres, eventually supported by two trailheads and a campground. More connectors and additional trail work are planned, so Cookie Cutter could become a much bigger Central Washington riding destination over time.

Know Before You Load the Bikes

Because the trails are on DNR-managed land, drivers should bring a valid Discover Pass and check the Naneum Ridge recreation alerts before heading out. This is a working forest, so logging activity, fire restrictions, or other access notices can change. Also worth knowing: DNR currently allows e-bikes only on motorized trails and forest roads open to motorized public use, not on nonmotorized singletrack like these trails.

This Is an Easy Excuse for an Ellensburg Weekend

For Seattle-area riders, this is exactly the kind of new trail system that makes an eastbound I-90 trip tempting. Naneum Ridge is roughly 30 minutes outside Ellensburg, which puts restaurants, coffee, and a college-town stop within easy reach before or after a ride. You can make it a long day, but Cookie Cutter is also a pretty good argument for staying overnight and riding the next morning again.