Back Country Horsemen of Grays Harbor

2026 Fund Ride

Schafer Grade • Grays Harbor Chapter

2026 Grays Harbor Trail Fund Ride

Join us for our annual Fund Ride at the Schafer Grade! All proceeds support trail maintenance on the Olympic National Forest and our Schafer Grade trail system.

Ride Details

Routes: Two options — 7 miles and 12½ miles
Riders Out: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Prize Drawing: All prize tickets drawn at 11:30 AM
Food Truck Closes: 4:00 PM
Location: Schafer Grade (see directions below)

Direction signs will be out from Brady and Matlock for the day of the ride.

About the Rides

The rides wind through new trees, old trees, with some hills, alder stands, and old roads turned into trails (this is where you might wish you have boots or shoes for your horses). You’ll ride along a creek, rivers, and a portion of the old railroad grade.

There is a stop for water, places to get off with mounting blocks, and photo opportunities. On the longer ride there are two small seasonal water crossings — both may be dry. One is optional, one is not.

Tip: If you plan to ride the long loop (12½ miles), it is suggested you leave earlier rather than later for a leisurely ride. At 4:00 PM the food truck will be closing and registration/prizes will be gathered up.

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Camping

Informal Potluck Friday night — come join us!

On Site Camping

There is plenty of room for permit-free but rustic camping. All camping and day parking is along both sides of a very wide logging road (with little or no traffic during the event). One section is set aside for campers.

Because of the layout and safety, you will not be able to park side by side with each other, but you can park in line if you all come together. You may need to highline or put up corrals using your trailer as part of your containment system.

Depending on when you arrive and who gets the good spots, you may have to open up a horse area, so bring saws and loppers. There are trees for the horses, with many larger trees to highline to and a quiet, shaded place to set your camp up next to the trees.

This is not a designated campground but is very doable if you are used to primitive camping. Poop can be tossed into the brush. The good part is that the parking is mostly level. An outhouse and potable water will be available sometime on Friday.

Registration and the trailhead are located close by. There is enough riding to spend a couple of days!

Questions? Contact Lori Lennox: [email protected]

Off Site Camping

Ride organizer Beth Branshaw and her husband are offering their place for camping too. It is a short 10-minute haul to the Fund Ride staging area. Lots of flat, easy parking, a couple of stalls if you want.

Contact Beth for details: [email protected]

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Directions to Schafer Grade

GPS Coordinates: 47.234508, -123.514974

Cook Reload Gate — Important

DO NOT BLOCK THE GATE! This is the only safe place to park with horse trailers and the only gate that has a horse trail (with eco blocks) that you can ride around. Ample parking for several rigs.

This area is private timberland — we are guests. Please clean up after your horses. This is not a public road. There is very little traffic but do watch for log trucks during the week.

From Brady

(Brady is located on Highway 12 west of Elma, east of Montesano.)

  1. Head north on the Middle Satsop Rd. for 10 miles to the West Boundary Rd.
  2. Take a left and travel 8.4 miles to Kelley Rd.
  3. Take a left, cross the bridge and go 0.09 of a mile.
  4. You will pass one logging gate. Take the first road to the left and follow it for 0.01 mile.
  5. The gate is on your left.

From Matlock

(Matlock is located approx. 24 miles from Highway 101 on the Shelton–Matlock Road.)

  1. Continue southwest past the grocery store on the Matlock-Deckerville Rd for 1 mile.
  2. Take a right on W Deckerville Rd.
  3. Go 4.5 miles (road changes name to Boundary Rd.) to Kelley Road and take a right.
  4. Cross the bridge and go 0.09 of a mile.
  5. You will pass one logging gate. Take the first road to the left and follow it for 0.01 mile.
  6. The gate is on your left.

For more about our Schafer Grade trail system, visit the Trails page →