Kueffler Road

[Webfoot]

This is a follow-up on the road access question I asked here: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17524&start=30

Disregard that no trespassing sign, Keuffler Rd is a county road.

I think that no trespassing sign is intended for the private residences near there...

On Kueffler, you're talking about where the pavement ends and the gravel starts? There are a bunch of mail boxes there and several different private drives in there too. I've parked my truck around there and walked back down the road to the Hardy Equestrian TH without any problems.

If memory serves, there is a sign when the pavement ends that reads Keuffler road ends and county road 1400 begins with no other signs saying no trespassing other than what might be around some of those little side roads that lead to homes right there. I have pictures of the area on my back up drive but too lazy to dig them out...

Today I went back to this place to see if as I thought I had turned away without cause, but once again I did not continue. The signage seemed absolute, and I could not find any way through that was not signed private. Here are the signs:

In context; the mailboxes Eric mentioned are to the left of this frame:

A close-up of the brown road number sign just visible in the last shot:

Are these new or are people really ignoring these signs and proceeding to the Hardy Ridge trailhead?

Has this land been purchased by Longview Timberlands LLC, the name on the bottom of the orange sign?

[beag]

I've been hiking off Keufler for 16 years and no one ever said you cant drive up here. I hike Hardy, Woodward Creek, Three Corner Rock, Table Mountain, and Berkenfeldt using Keufler. The big problem is when there is logging going on as the trucks present a problem when passing. As for the signs Longview Fiber were bought out 4 or 5 years ago so that sign is not even relevant .

[K.Wagner]

Webfoot,

The end of the pavement is the end of "Kueffler Road". There is an inholding of perhaps a dozen private lots there. The brown "1400" indicates that it is now state forest road 1400. Several years ago I stopped in the Beacon Rock Ranger Station and asked them about the signs up there. They laughed a bit and said that the property owners are just trying to keep the traffic down, and that it is in fact a public through road.

I always try to respect the property owners there, and drive slowly to minimize the dust and noise.

Above the old Hardy Ridge Road turnout, the road does get a bit rough and steep. Not sure that I would take my brand new Camry (if I had one ) up past that point.

Oh, and do be alert for the log trucks...... they can't stop very fast coming down that road!

[Webfoot]

Okay, you both will be getting subpoenas if I am arrested for trespass.

Is it not illegal to place such signs without force of law? Why are those signs allowed to remain there?

[beag]

Skamania County.

[Born2BBrad]

Just to add my two cents, I have parked up on Kueffler Road at least 25 times with no problems ever. I have also seen hunters drive up and down that road many times, so others are using it too.

It's a great place to park to avoid having to have the DNS Discover Pass.

BTW, a log bridge was built over East Woodard Creek that is still there, but took some hits this winter.

Here is what it looked like in better days:

[mandrake]

I've parked up there a bunch of times and never had a problems. It's a public FS road. Have seen hikers, hunters, waterfall hunters, four-wheelers, and rock climbers up there. Even had a police officer drive by once and he just waved at us. Signs are put up to discourage ne'er-do-wells from the private property up there.

[Webfoot]

Thanks everyone. I'll keep a print-out of this thread with me the next time I head up there, and I won't turn back unless there's a locked gate.

[Monicake]

Tried to drive up Kueffler yesterday, ignoring the signs as advised. Encountered an incredibly hostile local who blocked the road and screamed at me for about 5 minutes.

He said that the road had not been public thoroughfare since 1990. By all the info I’ve been able to dig up on Kueffler, this road is Public despite signage.

How can this issue be resolved?

[Webfoot]

That's unfortunate. I would seek information from the county surveyor, and if you get confirmation that it is in fact a public accessway get a sheriff to accompany you out there with the surveyor's statement in hand. No matter what the legal reality is if this individual sincerely believes you are trespassing on his property after being warned it could come to violence.