ScottC1

Hi All:

We're avid cyclists in Eugene, OR with 2 small children (age 3 and 5) who go on moderate-length (20-mile) road rides with us on WeeHoos (like trail-a-bikes except with bucket seats).

We're searching for good road rides to do with the kids within 1-2hrs of Eugene. Our favorite ride so far is an out-and-back on the Aufderheide Scenic Drive (FR19) starting at Cougar Reservoir and heading south for 10-15 miles, taking a break by the river, then riding back.

Based on this ride, we're looking for other road rides to do that (ideally) meet these criteria:
• beautiful scenery
• not flat as a board (rolling hills and short climbs mixed with flats is good)
• LOW TRAFFIC (this is always a requirement with little kids)
• wide roadway or wide paved shoulders (unless there is little-to-no traffic)

I was checking out the Willamette Scenic Bikeway (I think that's what it's called?) on Google street view...and frankly, the section between Eugene and Corvallis looks deadly-dull. Like riding through Oklahoma—totally flat (except for a tiny climb near Brownsville) and nothing to look at but agricultural fields. So we're not very motivated to ride that.

I once rode my motorcycle through Silverton on my way toward Mt. Hood...and that part of the Willamette Valley was beautiful! Traffic was somewhat high, though. But this part of the state had beautiful scenery and rolling hills.

Any other recommendations (again—for a family with little kids in tow) are appreciated!

Scott
Eugene, OR

PS - Maybe I'm overly paranoid...but I've seen plenty of nice roads I wouldn't hesitate to ride alone...but I'd be scared to ride with kids, mainly because they're twisty roads (blind curves and short sightlines) that vehicles tend to fly along at high speeds. I have nightmare visions of some jerk railing around a corner at high speeds not expecting to see a family with kids on the road and slamming into us all...(it's happened to others before!).

fietsbob

Way up in the OR NW Corner, Clatsop County, is Fort Stevens Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department: Fort Stevens State Park
there are MUP paved paths that are nice to ride along on . they are not traffic roads .
on the north end of there You can use the Road out to the Jetty south side of the Columbia River at the sea. its low traffic..

beachgrass fire this summer did burn some of the area, Ive not been out there since, Call the park office for details.

and the rail-trail conversion Banks-Vernonia Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department: Banks-Vernonia State Trail

choteau

The Westfir end of the Aufderheide is nice. Salmon Creek road east out of Oakridge. FS Road 19 (Middle fork of Willamette)south of Oakridge. Row River trail out of Cottage Grove and loop back on south side of Dorena reservoir.

B. Carfree

How far are you willing to ride? There's a couple of very pretty loops from Alma (29 miles from Maurie Jacobs Park; you can park at Alma) that are 57 and 59 miles. Each has a three mile climb (Oxbow summit is 6 miles from Alma and you go over it one way or the other on each loop. I've ridden over 150 miles at a stretch on these roads without being passed by a car, so though they are narrow at some points (bike path width), they are super safe. (It looks like some sort of hunting season started this morning, so there will be a little more traffic, but in my experience the hunters are very considerate drivers.) The roads are all paved/chip seal and you're almost always along a river or creek. Each loop has a pioneer cemetery, if you're into that sort of thing, and nice bridges over the river to sit on and have a snack.

There's also a 22 mile loop from the Esmonds Cemetery (mp 10 on Siuslaw River Rd) that goes over Roman Nose (tallest hill in the O&C coast hills). It's a bit steep for about a mile and a half going up Roman Nose, which might be a bit much while dragging kids, but it's a nice place for a walk.

Is gravel possible? There's some shorter loops that involve some unpaved logging roads (week end only when active logging is taking place on any of them). One would start 23 miles from Maurie Jacobs and is 12 miles of gravel followed by pavement/chip seal for a total of 31 miles. Another is a shortened version of one of the paved loops from Alma and only has about five miles of gravel, but some of it is large rocks and deep. It's a 36 mile loop. There's a good chance of seeing bears or at least bear scat on these; the bears are actively hunted, so they flee from human voices. It's also cougar country, so don't let the kids wander off.

Let me know if any of this interests you and I'll create a ridewithgps route for you to look at. If the distance or gravel are non-starters, then I may have to do some digging to find loops, as opposed to out-and-back rides. I also prefer loops, so I understand a reluctance to do out-and-back.

mtnbud

The Row River Recreation Trail isn't bad. You can stop at the lake and swim or stop at Dorena to buy your family some ice cream. There's not much climbing, but if you keep heading up Brice Creek past the end of the trail it gets steeper and more interesting. Brice Creek is beautiful.

Another route out of Cottage Grove utilizes Weyerhaeuser Road to Cottage Grove Reservoir. Weyerhaeuser Road is closed to vehicles and open to bikes when not in use by their logging trucks. It's typically available on weekends. The road continues past the reservoir. A websearch indicates may not be available anymore. There are some back country routes past the lake that will take you all the way to the Umpqua River. Shoestring Road just past Cottage Grove Reservoir heads up and over to Elkhead and beyond and has very little traffic. (it's bit narrow though and has a section of gravel)

FYI: I recently rode the Cascade Highway between Mollalla and Silverton and found it to be narrow with very little shoulder.

dtrain

Some suggestions here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/pacific-no...il-oregon.html

Shifty

Fall Creek Recreation area near Lowell. Follow the Fall Creek road along the north side of Fall Creek Lake and park your car to start riding at the group camp site just after the bridge at the inlet of the lake. It's an out and back ride along Fall Creek in the National Forest. Go out as far as you like, there are campgrounds, swimming holes, BIG trees, and very little traffic (especially on week days). The pavement ends about 18 miles from where you park at the bridge, so if you go that far it's 36 miles total. Lovely, lovely ride in the woods.

tedder

You know about the path in Cottage Grove, yeah?

fourknees

Banks Vernonia Trail - Done this many times with kids in trailers and trail-a-bikes. Plan ahead and get a cabin at LL Stub Stewart State Park which is at the mid-point. Just beware that their is quite an incline from the trail back to the cabins.

ACree

The west end of Lobster Valley out of Alsea comes to mind, as does the western side of the Alsea Falls climb (ie, doing it as an out and back from Alsea). Lots of flat farm roads between Albany/Corvallis and Eugene as well of course.

mtnbud

Do you live around there ACree? Lobster Valley Rd is cool. Almost no traffic - feels like you're in the middle of nowhere. Narrow, but I think I saw a total of five cars the year I rode it. Saw bears too .

The road from Alsea to Alsea Falls is extremely nice also. The pavement was in real good shape the last time I rode it.

The climb from Alpine to Alsea Falls is a killer. Come to think of it, Belfountain Rd is pretty nice too.

ACree

Ah, just saw this. No, I grew up on East of Salem and then lived in Corvallis a few years in college and got to know the area. I'm in Seattle now, and can tell you the road riding blows compared to Corvallis. And yes, Alpine to Alsea is a lot tougher climb IMO than Alsea to Alpine.