Another beautiful bikeway has been added to Oregon’s portfolio.
The Aufderheide Scenic Bikeway is now the 18th scenic bikeway in the state after being formally approved by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission during a meeting on Wednesday.
The 60-mile bikeway winds through the Willamette National Forest and along the McKenzie and Willamette rivers as it travels through Lane County on Aufderheide Drive between Oregon 126 and Oregon 58.
Before heading deeper into the forest, the route crosses the well-known Terwilliger Hot Springs on its journey from the McKenzie River to the town of Oakridge.
According to the parks commission, Aufderheide is already a National Scenic Byway, a classification targeted at cars, and a Scenic Waterway. According to the state parks department, the state’s scenic bikeways are regarded as the best bike rides in Oregon and are designed to highlight local communities, history, and landscape.
Official routes with printable maps, GPS, and on-road signage are also provided for designated bikeways. The roads won’t undergo any major structural alterations.
Aufderheide is one of many bikeways that straddle roadways that are also frequented by cars and trucks. Cell service may not always be dependable.
Robert Aufderheide, who served as the supervisor of the Willamette National Forest from 1954 until his passing in 1959, is honored by the name Aufderheide Drive. Beginning in 1933 as a tree planter in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Aufderheide worked in Northwest Forests for the entirety of his career.
The 27-mile Crooked River Canyon route in central Oregon was certified by the state in 2017, marking the last time Oregon designated a beautiful bikeway.
–Jamie Hale co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast and writes about travel and the outdoors. You may contact him at [email protected], 503-294-4077, or HaleJamesB.
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