Washington Department of Natural Resources Opens 14 Miles of New Mountain Biking Trails Near Ellensburg

A strong partnership with the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance made the new trails in Naneum Ridge State Forest possible, with more to come.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) opened a new mountain biking trail system in the Naneum Ridge State Forest in Kittitas County on Saturday.

The Cookie Cutter trail system includes 14 miles of mountain biking trails, ranging in ratings from easy to very difficult. The trails were built in large part with the support of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA), who provided both financial and trail building capacity. More connectors will be built in the coming years to further expand the trail system.

"I'm thrilled to welcome folks out to our new mountain biking trails, and to provide yet another example of the world-class recreation opportunities on DNR-managed lands," said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. "These trails wouldn't be possible without the support of our incredible partners at Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. Thanks to partnerships like these, we're able to improve access to recreation opportunities across the state so that more families can get outside."

"This project reflects what is possible when strong partnerships come together around a shared vision for sustainable recreation access," said Jesse Cunningham, Kittitas Program Manager, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. "The Naneum Trail System is designed to serve riders of all abilities and is a valuable asset for the mountain biking community."

DNR and the Kittitas Chapter of EMBA worked with volunteers and Washington Conservation Corps Crews to clear and construct the trails, starting in 2018. Trails were largely built with funds raised by EMBA. The trailhead and other portions of the trails were funded through efficient use of some of DNR's limited recreation funds since the start of the project.

Recreation opportunities on DNR-managed lands are funded from a variety of different sources. While state budgets have made cuts to the program in recent years, many projects were supported in years prior with grants and support from nonprofit partners like EMBA. Because of the demonstrated support from EMBA, both locally and statewide, DNR has launched this project in anticipation of continued volunteer support on these trails.

View a map of the trail system here: https://dnr.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/cookiecutter.pdf

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