Lost in Oregon Logging Country With a Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody
My shoulders, wrists, and back were tense as I leaned over the Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody's steering wheel. I scanned the mixed-surface road as I attempted to avoid mud-filled potholes and the raised gravel trail that threatened to scrape the 707-horsepower sedan's underbody and exhaust.
It was very clear I made the wrong road decision.
I didn't plan on winding up on mud-soaked roads in the middle of northwest Oregon with a Hellcat. It just... happened. One moment, my girlfriend and I were leisurely carving through the woods on a fully-paved backroad. But after one slightly-too-adventurous navigation decision at a quiet intersection in Timber, Oregon (population 131), we quickly wound up beyond Hellcat country.
The plan was to travel from Portland to Cannon Beach. No restraints or required stops. It was just us, a Charger Hellcat Widebody, and our very small, well-behaved dog, Fred.
The problem was me. I didn't want to stick to the easy route. I had a Hellcat, the forecasted-drizzly weather had mostly cleared up, and I wanted to put the monster sedan through its paces. But I hadn't properly researched the backroads of Tillamook State Forest or any alternative routes. I went off the general direction of the roads displayed on the Charger's navigation system and what Google Maps showed me when I managed some service on my iPhone.
I now realize my error.
At first, the unplanned, poorly-executed drive route seemed only slightly questionable. We were on NW Cochran Road in Timber as we entered the state forest and passed Reeher's Camp. The road was imperfect, but it wasn't totally dirt, and I figured it might improve after some distance.
My two adventure partners sat quietly, undoubtedly questioning the decisions that led them to this point in their lives.
According to the car's navigation system, the road continued, and would, at some point, funnel me back into the main highway. We didn't get to that point.
Within just a handful of miles, we realized we were in Oregon logging country. The worsening road snaked through valleys of felled trees. As we went on, NW Cochran Road turned to gravel. I worked hard to avoid raised stones in the road, but it soon became impossible. Our travel speed decreased to single digits, anxiety shooting through my spine.
Then the road got tighter. Then we met a massive logging truck around a corner.
After pulling off to the opposite side of the single-lane, dirt road, banked by towering trees on one side, and a stream on the opposite, the truck passed. But just a few turns up the road, this adventure's fate was realized. The road was closed.
We turned around and transited back to Timber, returning to the sanctuary of the main roads.
The Hellcat Deserved Better
This escapade wasn't the best test for the Hellcat. Thankfully, our trip extended beyond those broken logging roads.
We spent 780 miles with the Hellcat. Mostly in the rain, and even a little snow—not ideal weather for putting 707 hp to pavement through the rear wheels.
On the trip, which stretched from Portland to the Oregon coast, to Crescent Lake in Washington, to Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park, the Hellcat was a total champ. Since its full power output wasn't necessary—or ideal—given the weather, I used the car's custom SRT drive mode setting. I opted for the 500-HP mode with "sport" steering engaged, and all the other settings ticked to "street," for most of the trip.
On 305-section Pirelli P Zero all-season tires, I never felt uncomfortable piloting the Hellcat through anything other than that gravel track. I didn't have much of an opportunity to explore the Charger's performance capabilities—like its claimed 3.6-second 0-60 time—but it made for a comfortable backroad cruiser, and a wonderful way to see some of America's most beautiful parks.
It was also reassuring to hear that supercharger whine every time I leaned on the Charger's throttle. Nice to be reminded that there was 707 hp at my disposal if I ever wanted our bodies to slam back into our "Demonic" red seats.
If you're into large amounts of power, cushy American interiors, and a never-ending sense of bad-assery, the Charger Hellcat checks all of those boxes. For this kind of trip, though—forest exploring and whatnot—maybe consider the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
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