While a road trip is enjoyable, have you thought of taking an ascenic bikeway tour of Oregon?
The 18 picturesque bikeways that wind through almost every part of Oregon are the greatest way to experience the state on two wheels (sorry, motorcyclists). They take visitors to the Pacific coast, the Willamette Valley, the Cascade Mountains, and the high desert.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department oversees the state’s scenic bikeway program, which uses existing roads and bike routes to highlight local towns, state history, and picturesque views. There are rides on both the 174-mile Old West Scenic Bikeway and the 36-mile Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway. Each ride is rated as mild, moderate, hard, or extreme by park management.
In addition to the physical strain, cyclists of scenic bikeways may encounter obstacles like traffic and patchy mobile service in these isolated locations. Routes that pass campgrounds, some of which have campsites reserved for cyclists and hikers, or pass small towns may offer lodging.
Oregon’s picturesque bikeways may be the ideal option for a more leisurely journey across the state if you are prepared (and have some training).
Robert Aufderheide Memorial Drive across the Willamette National Forest.”The Oregonian” or Stephanie Yao Long
Aufderheide
Distance: 60 miles
Extremely difficult
The Aufderheide Scenic Bikeway, Oregon’s newest scenic bikeway, was formally declared in 2024. It winds through Lane County on Aufderheide Drive, following the McKenzie and Willamette rivers through the Willamette National Forest. 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.
View the directions and map.
Blue Mountain Century
Distance: 108 miles
Extremely difficult
The Blue Mountain Century Scenic Bikeway, located in the renownedly powerful mountain range of Northeast Oregon, may be rather challenging. Through Nye, Ukiah, and the Umatilla National Forest, the loop starts and finishes in Heppner. Although the hills aren’t particularly steep, they are nevertheless quite long, so expect to climb and climb some more.
View the directions and map.
Cascade Siskiyou
Distance: 55 kilometers
Extremely difficult
The Cascade Siskiyou Scenic Bikeway is a broad loop that starts and finishes in Ashland. It passes by three large reservoirs, Howard Prairie Lake, Hyatt Lake, and Emigrant Lake, however it does not pass through the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. With a final 3-mile rise at the conclusion, the entire journey is 5,000 feet of hilly, meandering terrain.
View the directions and map.
Cascading Rivers
Distance: 71 miles
The difficulty is difficult.
Residents of Portland and Salem may easily access the Cascading Rivers Scenic Bikeway, which runs from Detroit Lake to Estacada and offers an excellent escape into the Cascade Mountains. Here, the road passes numerous wilderness areas while passing rivers, rapids, waterfalls, lakes, and hot springs.
View the directions and map.
Covered Bridges
36 miles in length
Mild difficulty
The Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway begins just south of Eugene and travels along the route of the Cottage Grove Bridge Tour, passing over a number of covered bridges along the way. You can choose to ride alongside traffic on the bikeway, but alternatively you can ride on family-friendly bike trails all the way through Cottage Grove, around Dorena Lake, and back.
View the directions and map.
Crooked River Canyon
Distance: 37 miles
Moderate difficulty
This trip, which begins in downtown Prineville and travels south along the Crooked River to Pruneville Reservoir State Park, is one of Oregon’s shorter scenic bikeways. Look for views of cow ranches and llama farms beneath the tall basalt cliffs.
View the directions and map.
Grande Tour
Distance: 134 miles
The difficulty is difficult.
The Grande Tour is a lengthy circle across northeast Oregon that is dominated by open road and open sky. The bikeway travels through the small villages of North Powder, Medical Springs, and Baker City on country roads, starting and ending in La Grande, hence the name. The Wallowa Mountains dominate the horizon, but the most of the ride is through rangeland.
View the directions and map.
Madras Mountain Views
Distance: 29 miles
Moderate difficulty
The Madras Mountain Views bikeway, which runs from Madras to Metolius and passes The Cove Palisades State Park, is a serene circuit that winds through pastoral settings with views of the Cascades. Along with a number of buttes, the trail offers views of seven prominent peaks: Mount Jefferson, the Three Sisters, Mount Hood, Broken Top, and Three-Fingered Jack.
View the directions and map.
McKenzie Pass
Distance: 38 miles
Extremely difficult
The McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway route, which begins in Sisters and follows a wagon route from the 1860s through pastoral meadows and lava flows, is regarded as one of the most breathtaking rides in central Oregon. It then crosses McKenzie Pass itself and cruises down through dense forests along the McKenzie River.
View the directions and map.
Old West
Distance: 174 kilometers
The difficulty is difficult.
The Old West Scenic Bikeway, which stretches 174 miles and circles the high desert mountains in north-central Oregon, is the longest of Oregon’s scenic bikeways. Although it begins and ends near John Day, it travels past the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, the north fork of the John Day River, the John Day Fossil Beds, and the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. As you take in the views of Oregon’s old west, keep an eye out for bald eagles and wild horses.
View the directions and map.
Oregon Outback
Distance: 90 kilometers
Extremely difficult
In southern Oregon, the long Oregon Outback Scenic Bikeway loops between the towns of Plush and Adel, which are bordered by wetlands, and then heads back across the Warner Mountains beyond Lakeview. Reaching roughly 6,000 feet in elevation, the difficult ride descends down to sea level at its lowest point.
View the directions and map.
Painted Hills
161 miles in length
Extremely difficult
The Painted Hills Scenic Bikeway, which spans 161 miles and passes through one of Oregon’s most breathtaking and surreal natural wonders, is extremely taxing due to the elevation shift. On the elevation chart, the hub-and-spoke design takes bikers on an up-and-down route that resembles a miniature mountain range, offering multiple side trips off the main circle.
View the directions and map.
Sherars Falls
33 miles in length
Moderate difficulty
Maupin, a small hamlet in central Oregon, is the starting and finishing point of the Sherars Falls Scenic Bikeway, one of the state’s more recent routes. A journey along the Deschutes River, which leads to Sherars Falls, a 15-foot plunge on the river, and a breathtaking high desert canyon are among the sights to behold.
View the directions and map.
Sisters to Smith Rock
Distance: 37 miles
Moderate difficulty
As the name suggests, this incredibly picturesque ride in central Oregon travels across the Deschutes River and past a number of historical monuments on its way from the town of Sisters to Smith Rock State Park. Although it is usually downhill from the beginning in Sisters and gradually climbs towards the end, the grade is varied enough to keep the ride entertaining.
View the directions and map.
Tualatin Valley
51 kilometers in length
Moderate difficulty
One of the easiest cycling routes in the state is the Tualatin Valley Scenic Bikeway, which begins in Hillsboro and travels to Banks via level rural roads. From there, the elevation increases as the route turns into the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, a picturesque cycling route that passes through L.L. Stub Stewart State Park and is located in the foothills of the Coast Range.
View the directions and map.
Twin Bridges
36 miles in length
Moderate difficulty
The Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway is a well-liked circle that begins and ends in Bend. It travels from Drake Park in downtown Bend through undulating desert hills that are guarded by Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters. The two bridges that span the Deschutes River along the route are the source of the ride’s name.
View the directions and map.
Wild Rivers Coast
Distance: 61 miles
Moderate difficulty
The Wild Rivers Coast Scenic Bikeway, the only scenic bikeway to reach the Oregon coast, stretches 61 miles from Port Orford to Cape Blanco and an apparently haphazard junction of forest roads in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest’s hills. Along the Elk River, the trail winds through old growth forest stands before arriving at expansive views of the Pacific Ocean.
View the directions and map.
Willamette Valley
Distance: 134 miles
Moderate difficulty
Starting in Wilsonville and continuing all the way to Eugene, the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway is a terrific way to explore the area because it is lengthy and comparatively level. You might be tempted to spend the night in wine country because the agricultural valley is well known for its wine and hops. The route rises 600 feet in height just south of Brownsville, the only notable incline.
View the directions and map.
–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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