How far off the road.

[Alchase]

I love these topics, Talking west side, hiking a mile + through second growth? And actually seeing anything while in there? Obviously terrain dictates how you hunt. Not many people can actually hike in a mile or more on the wet side without the use of trail or closed road.
I guess my point is you will see other hunters unless you hike in aways(closed road or trail), but thinking you can just hike straight through most of the forest in the Willapa or Doty hills for example, aint gonna happen. It is just to thick or to steep. But that is exactly where the elk will be, lol.

[bucklucky]

Gated roads are definately your freind on the westside, trying to go cross country on the westside will usually be tough going. It really sucks getting 400 yards down a canyon just to find yourself stuck in the midle of a vine maple cluster f@!%! I do hunt nice timber patches and some canyons behind the gates but get there via logging road. Theres also to many thick ass jackfir patches intertwined with black berry bushes to get through.

[cascademountainhunter]

So I have been doing a lot of looking on Topo and GE for some areas to scout for elk.

I am wondering how far off the road it takes to get away from the people on the west side during archery season?

The areas I am looking at are a few miles off the road. It just seem like no matter how far from the road you get in Washington, it does not matter.

i here ya on that there are so many hunters in washington these days.

[Alchase]

Gated roads are definately your freind on the westside, trying to go cross country on the westside will usually be tough going. It really sucks getting 400 yards down a canyon just to find yourself stuck in the midle of a vine maple cluster f@!%! I do hunt nice timber patches and some canyons behind the gates but get there via logging road. Theres also to many thick ass jackfir patches intertwined with black berry bushes to get through.

Or get stuck in a nasty patch of Devils club, I hate that stuff 

[Intruder]

Solitude is directly proportional to distance+incline+overall nastiness.  The more you increase any the more likely you want see people and to a degree the more elk you will see.

I've hunted elk in many spots that are < a mile from the road but there was a big dose of incline and nastiness in the mix.