In 2006, a few friends decided that they enjoyed riding their Off-Road vehicles in the beautiful forests of Southwest Washington that surrounded their quaint little community of Cougar, WA. Back then, the "modern" form of Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) was an ATV, Jeep, or maybe a motorcycle. Times were simple and access to riding areas was readily available. They shortly learned that many of their friends and family from nearby communities also enjoyed this sport. Its popularity grew and the need for an organization capable of managing activities and membership became evident and the CATS, a Washington 503c non-profit organization, was born.

Shortly, the popularity of the sport exploded. Off-Road vehicles evolved from small one-person ATV's; to large, powerful, multi-person UTV’s capable of not only tearing up the dunes, but street legal operation as well. Unfortunately, the regulations governing their use have also evolved and they now dramatically restrict their use. What started as a CATS effort to manage activities, has now evolved into a demanding effort to find and create places for the public to ride. If you own and Off-Road Vehicle, you probably know just how difficult it is to find a convenient and legal places to ride. The CATS was now reborn.

Today, much of the CATS energy is used to negotiate with public land mangers like the US Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide public ORV riding access. We are continuously working at developing legislation that improves opportunities within the State for the Off-Roader. It has become increasingly difficult to create and maintain public riding opportunities that are within convenient reach of local populations. Our Mission is to change that.

We hope that you will find this website informative and helpful. We would love for you to join our ranks and help us make Off-Road recreation as easy to access, as it is to enjoy.

We welcome you.

Mike Richart, CATS President