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Trail Description
E-bikes NOT allowed on Ben’s
Ben’s trail is a one-way climbing trail starting at Phil’s Trailhead and climbing up to Rd 300 near the bottom of Lower Whoops.
The trail is fairly mellow the whole way with a few somewhat rocky sections here and there.
Originally the trail was built as a downhill trail by Olympian Ben Husaby – founder of the Bend Endurance Academy. It was always a 2-way trail, but in April 2014 that changed via the Directional Trails program. This was a controversial decision, but overall it’s been well received.
Before Ben’s was converted to a 1 way trail – it was a fun descent from the bottom of whoops all the way down. There are 2 drops on Ben’s when can still be ridden, as they are both off to the side of the trail. You can session them.
Lots of riders will take MTB, Voodoo, or KGB from Ben’s for a quick “after-work” loop option.
This trail is maintained by Central Oregon Trail Alliance.
Rode today – was totally fine up a bit past VooDoo, but then you start to get some snow patches. All rideable, but I’d say Phil’s is good at/below VooDoo at this point. Same went for Phil’s (at the road junction/with Ext) the top part had snow for a bit, then was fine by VooDoo.
Yo! Ben’s is one of the trails affected by the proposed rule change allowing class-1, pedal assist e-bikes on certain trails in the Deschutes National Forest. (This is still only a proposal, e-bikes are still prohibited on this trail.) You can learn more about the proposed rule change at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/deschutes/?project=66475
The forest service is requesting comments on the proposal until July 31 2024. You can leave at comment at:
https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=66475
Happy trails!
Ben’s dry all the way to 300
Ben’s was roped off at Voodoo heading to Pinedrops. Likely logging. Ben’s = Pinedrops 2022!
Muddy and icy
Ben’s is 99 % clear to the 300 road. Phils on the other hand is not. Voodoo is a good option but there were still patches of snow going down Phils .
Reminder, Ben’s is closed weekdays
New Monday-Friday closure area announced by the USFS on January 27th, 2023. See the red areas on the map for the closure boundary. Ben’s, Voodoo, Kent’s, K.G.B., and Lower Mrazek.
Rode it this afternoon from TH to the closure. The dusting of snow we got last night held up well, and the fatties were out in force so there’s a nice beaten track up to the road and over to (and down) Kent’s. For now.
Stretches of ice and then dirt. Rideable without studs. Not nearly as treacherous as Kents today.
Riding well, one snow patch. Rode up to Lower Whoops.
3/12 – Mostly riding well up to KGB, some patches of mud.
It is mostly riding well… there are some puddles and muddy spots. As we get into winter these will only get worse until it’s frozen. Please ride responsibly folks!
Rode it on Tuesday. Not much mud until the voodoo int. Wouldn’t recommend going higher than that for a while though. With that being said there are still a few muddy spots between the trail’s start and the voodoo int so it might be best to wait a week or so before going all out just to be on the safe side.
Hi cool kids and those inquiring! Glenn, Henry and I took some awesome COTA volunteers out to lower Phil’s yesterday to drain standing water, create and clear drains and other stuff. Still a mess out there. Go north or east for another week or so and then the Ben’s, MTB and Kent’s loop should be ready to go. Anything higher will still be a mess. Ride on!
And…if you must ride mud, ride directly down the middle of the trail. Our trails are amazingly self-healing and any ruts will smooth out when the trails dry and become sandy.
Hope everyone reads this.
Brian thanks for finding and posting that link!
For anyone reading who doesn’t click through: riding/walking muddy trails is extremely destructive. Go when it’s frozen, dry, or stick to gravel/dirt roads. If you leave tracks, turn back!
Safe to assume most of the Phil’s Trails complex will be varying degrees of muddy for the next couple weeks.
If one must ride mud, ride directly down the middle of the trail (different than in the article). The Central Oregon trails are amazingly self-healing and any ruts will smooth out and the trail gets sandy. Ride arounds/trail widening is where the work comes in for COTA volunteers.
Hi Everyone!
Just wondering if there is a way to inform riders that the Phils Trails should be avoided given the conditions. Everything is a mess out there and I saw numerous riders getting ready in the parking lot. No, I wasn’t on the trails, I rode the dirt roads knowing what the trails would be like. Is there anyway you can post a banner for all the trails from Phils TH to be considered not rideable unless you go when they are frozen? This would be in the interest for riders thinking that all is good. We don’t need them full of ruts and wider on top of that. Kudos to some gravel-bikers who decided to bail and hit the logging roads. We need to inform out of towner’s and remind locals…
Super icy under 1-2” of snow this morning. Very treacherous even with studded tires. I’ve starts just before the climb to the MTB junction.
LOGGING UPDATE: On Fri 2-12 encountered a man in a tractor on NF 4610 (just above the KGB junction) who informed me “This whole area is closed!” Seems like the Euro project has moved significantly farther east. Plan your ride accordingly!
From DCFP: “The road (FSR 4610) is closed to vehicles, because of a seasonal wildlife closure; however, the area, including the road, remains open to recreational use such as bicycling.” — sounds like the tractor guy was wrong.
Good snow on the trail this morning. Ridable all the way to the 300 rd if you got fatties. Expect lots of ice and then mud as we hit warmer weather.
Just in from the USFS:
This is an update on activities occurring in the Euro Stewardship Contract Area of the Deschutes National Forest’s West Bend project.
Timber felling activities are occurring in the area and people should pay attention to those activities if they are riding in the area.
At this time they are felling and processing timber along the 4610 road from the 4601000 to the 4604000. They will begin hauling timber on these roads in the next couple of days.
They plan to start the same process along the 4601300 Monday (12/14) of next week. This is the stretch between the 4610700 and the 460100 (Skyliners) .
They expect 2-4 days of lag time between cutting trees and finishing hauling and processing meaning there will be activity on both road segments into next week.
That should keep them busy for the next couple of weeks and we will update you all when they are close to starting the next segment.
Trees logged along 4610 and along the 900 branch road. Where are the notices for this activity??? We need to keep riders safe and allow the thinning crews to do their job without concerns. What website has updates for this?
Logging equipment on 4610 just above where Ben’s crosses the 4610 road. Bet they will start on Mon 7. We need info on this soonest. Couldn’t find any warnings about trail closures but Ben’s could be impacted.
The area from Phil’s trailhead up to Lower Whoops adjacent to Skyliner Road is part of a forest thinning project. First thing they’re going to do is improve the forest roads for logging trucks. USFS will let us know when trail closures are needed, but we have not heard anything yet.
Rode late afternoon and saw only a few borderline soft/muddy spots up to the KGB turnoff; past KGB definitely found some soft spots.
Dozens of cars in the lot and no recent trail updates?! C’mon y’all, help out the Shred Community and keep our trails in good shape – if there are mud and ruts let your neighbors know now ain’t the time to ride.
Too muddy to ride without rutting in the afternoon above MTB (had to turn around). Recommend morning rides or forest roads.
In the last 3 days I have noticed that multiple rocks have been fully removed from the last step up before the intersection with MTB. One per day. STOP MOVING THE !$%@#$ ROCKS! Just because you can’t make a feature doesn’t mean you should modify the trail to make yourself feel better.
Ben’s to mtb is my preferred Hot Lap right now with a added loop to marvins garden as well. I have noticed a considerable amount of features on the trails that have had a by pass created to avoid taking the prescribed line of features. If you approach a technical feature that you feel is above your ability please walk through and continue your ride. There’s nice trails in the area that fits all riding abilities and I’m sure your local shops would help with locating them for you. There’s a lot of hardworking people that keep these trails in such good shape so that we can enjoy and in times like these help keep our sanity. Hope all is well and be safe out there. Cheers
NOBODY should be doing hot laps on MTB right now. It is a sloppy mess and I deeply regret riding it today. I will give you the benefit of the doubt that you are riding early a.m. with the trail still frozen? I was foolish enough to sleep in. Stay away from it folks. Lower Kents seemed fine.
Ben’s to MTB is fine. Heading up to KGB is a non starter. Muddy. Turn back to MTB and head to Kent’s and back down to the trailhead.
Rode up Bens today, February 23. Bens good only to MTB. MTB was muddy sometimes with snow/ice here and there so we walked bikes away from trail so as not to leave ruts. Kent’s back from MTB good, but don’t ride Kent’s any higher than MTB – mud! Then back at parking lot we rode Marvins which was great, and KGB to Chicken only had one short muddy part, then Phils from Chicken down was great. Found 10 miles of good riding but go no higher than Chicken or MTB!
And hooray – the Chicken is back to its original orangey-red color with a silver post! Thank you to who did that!
I rode bens from the parking lot up to MTB January 16 th on my 4 inch wide studded Dillinger’s . The trail is a highway for fat bikes it looks like it’s been groomed almost about a foot and a half wide. Good fun
Riding well all the way to 300
Ride Ben’s to 300 and down Kent’s on the 27th. Long stretches of ice, rutted and hard to ride even on a fat bike. Above 300, crunchy snow with deep footprints making for tough going. Would not recommend it as a ride right now.
Good until Voodoo. Voodoo was lots of snow though
Attempted it yesterday. Patches of snow and mud, rode through first half mile to see if it let up but didn’t want to keep riding through mud puddles and leave ruts. Would recommend going after a nice dry spell in a couple weeks
Rode Ben’s up to Voodoo this morning. Sections of thin snow and mainly hero dirt. Ground was hard at 37 degrees.
No fatty required.
Trail has been lined with obstacles in places. Seems like an attempt to narrow the tread.
The trail is in good shape. Ran into a couple of people going the wrong way.
Some people have a hard time with one way trails, but that is why I like Ben’s.
12″ diameter tree down across the trail, between KGB and Voodoo.
Clear!
A few small puddles.
Just got off Ben’s around noon and it’s highly advisable to not ride above the the 4610 Rd. I turned around after encountering water running down the trail like a creek. This was ~0.5km above crossing the 4610. I put down some debris to keep riders from going around wet sections. Snow is evident the higher you go. Save the trails and wait a couple of days to give the water a chance to drain.
If you run into wet spots keep the single track as a single track by riding through the wet spots. Thanks!!!
that’s nuts. Cod was dry all the way up this evening.
Just an FYI, The USFS is looking at some Prescribed Burning starting as early as Sunday that may impact a few trails and produce some lingering smoke it spots. To keep appraised of things visit deschutescollaborativeforest.org
Perfect from TH to Bens/Voodoo junction. Voodoo has several 15-20ft mucky areas.
From Kents (at the Voo/Phils/Kents jct) going down, there are quite a few areas with water/mud of 15-30 ft areas. Not bad or terribly sloppy, but definitely wet.
Hero dirt otherwise!
Perfect at least to KGB where I turned.
Went up .5 mile. Turned back. Soon. Not yet.
Bens too sloppy today & turned back. Let it heal please.
Good Day neighbours to the South. Canuncker here trying to get some information on typical riding conditions late February early March. Looking to get a break from Winter here in the Great White North. Familiar with all West Bend riding but, wondering if that time of season will provide a mix of dirt (skinny tire) and snow (fat tire) riding?
Thanks in advance for any tips eh!
This has not been a typical year at all. I feel like fatbike season might already be winding down in Central Oregon. That could change of course, but it’s not looking good. I’d guess that there will be plenty of dirt to ride on.
Thanks Robert! Looking around seems to be quite a lot of dirt and very little snow. Plan to have a quiver of bikes from mtb, gravel and fat if needed. Worse case is always bike and brew tours!
Cheers!
Pedaled out to take a look. Extremely muddy. Go east or ride something else.
A few short muddy spots last Friday, but not bad at all.
Icy and muddy, got off as quick as I could. Rode back on Skyliner
As of today, one tree has fallen about 4.5 miles into/along Ben’s. You can easily crawl under with bike and continue. It was clear yesterday.
Blow down cleared this afternoon
I rode it yesterday and it is riding very well.
I lost a set of car keys on Ben’s trail about 1-2 miles from trail head. Honda CRV, w/ Bend logo charm and a camino key chain. If found please text me at 541.325.3500. Thanks so much!
Ellen – I was up there today and saw a key with a note by the interpretive signs at the entrance to the trail. I bet that’s yours!
Mud as of 2 pm. Gotta go while frozen…
Rode Ben’s to the intersection with Voodoo. Shady spots still holding a fair bit of crunchy, slush-snow in spots, especially past the intersection with KGB.
All dry, no blown downs, fun riding!!
Quite a bit of mud in few spots all the way up. Thank you to the two gentlemen we ran into at the voodoo intersection who had a small snow shovel and cleared few turns that had deep water/mud.
Went up Bens tonight and got a whiff of some smoke. As I got up farther I could see smoke about 40 yards off the trail to the south. I checked it out and there was a camp fire that wasn’t properly put out and it jumped the make shift raked out ring and started to burn in some pine duff. I called 911 and the forest service come out to deal with it. With the increase of campers in this area it would be wise to be on the lookout for smoke or fire if your passing through.
5/1217 Friday. Rode up Bens to 300, down unofficial, VooDoo to Kents? Phils, KGB to chicken and down PHils. The rain did a nice job tamping down the dirt and dust. Very smooth.
All good from TH to Rd 300!
I’ll Second Peter. Thanks for the work to fix an obvious drainage problem instead of complaining about mud riding. Trail re-route is way better!
Thanks for fixing the mess on Ben’s trail and turning it back into a single track trail.
Ben’s to Rd 300 is solid. The one mud puddle is barely mud anymore – maybe 6″ wide of actual wetness. It looks like some folks were recently there caring for the trail – thank you!!! Rode Phil’s down from 300 and it’s perfect top to bottom, zero snow and zero mud.
One mud puddle remains. A couple others look dried out, but blocked with branches and ride arounds established.
Ben’s between MTB and KGB remains muddy. Suggest taking MTB down to Kent’s and KGB back up to Ben’s. All other portions of the Ben’s are in great shape.
Still muddy between MTB and KGB.
One option is to ride Ben’s to MTB, head over to Kent’s, turn right onto KGB back towards Ben’s.
Avoid the mud while things dry out.
Should have looked here first. As Matt says, don’t go past MTB for a couple weeks at least. That mud section just past MTB is brutal. Maybe a trail reroute is in-order as unfortunately enough riders are going through there that an unofficial one is being made. It’s about a 300 yard section with mud/standing water up to 6″ deep.
If you love single track, does that mean you’ll love double track twice as much? Sadly not too surprised by folk’s inability to remain patient riding these “lower” trails. Ben’s above MTB should most definitely NOT be ridden. Yes, it’s good for portions, but the deep rutted mud sections and ride arounds are turning our awesome single track into wide double track. Please wait till it dries, there are plenty of dry ass trails out east and low to loop out for a few hours. A few weeks and it should be golden.
As previously reported, Ben’s is muddy past MTB.
Great to MTB. Lots of standing water between MTB and KGB. Best to avoid it until it dries out a little.
Ben’s is decent up to MTB, and probably beyond. But no great options other than going back down Ben’s.
Light snow dusting, firm dirt, few light mud spots near the TH
Not really muddy, but lots of puddles.
Sizable tree down 100 yards below Rd. 300. Otherwise gorgeous top to bottom (okay technically bottom to top).
We went to find said tree this morning and were told by riders that there was nothing to clear. It’s either clear now or the ride-around has now become the trail.
No mud or wet spots all the way to Voodoo today. was perfection.
Mud is mostly between Voodoo and Road 300.
No deadfall across trail.
As of the afternoon of 3/28, Ben’s was riding well. There were a few wet spots between the trailhead and mile 4 but, super dry up to Road 300. There’s a tree down between mile 4 and 5.
Trail is riding really well. some wet spots below voodoo from freeze/thaw and a couple downed trees just past voodoo
Worth noting the 300 road is rideable to Phil’s from the end of Ben’s. There’s snow in a few spots, but the ruts are melted out.
One tree does not make “lots”. Freeze-thaw is making for sliminess, More lower than higher.
A few wet spots above Voodoo, and one downed tree. Otherwise excellent condition!
The one downed tree is above Voodoo in the top section. 3 or 4 people could probably move it.
Road Ben’s to Voodoo Tuesday 3-15. Dry to KGB, but damp, some mud and h2o pools. Ok on Fat Tire but not regular . Needs to dry more.
Great up to voodoo. A little mud and snow after that up to 300 road.
3/6. Ben’s is dry and firm up to the Voodoo junction except for a few post-rain puddles.
The Ben’s, MTB, Kent’s loop is riding great on the fatbike today. I tried to get further up Ben’s and Kent’s but ran into deep un-packed snow so I turned around.