That could be a great ride. I did a variation of the route you outlined. I made a partial loop starting in Trout Lake, WA (just north of Hood River), and ending in Portland. However, I have ridden the section between PDX and Hood River many times, both on the Oregon and Washington sides of rhe river.

You did not say whether you were going to camp, utilize motels, or a combination.

I'd also think about how you are going to get from PDX to Hood River. Part of the route could be on the Historic Columbia Gorge Highway, but that may require riding on Interstate 84 for a ways. I would still cross over to the Washington side at Cascade Locks. I've ridden on 84 a lot when I lived in WA and would ride into Portland to see family. It is noisy, but safe. The other alternative is to take Highway 14 on the WA side of the river.

If you are actually going from Hood River to Government Camp, then to Madras; camping should not be a problem. There is the Mt. Hood National Forest, and I think there is camping on the Warm Springs Reservation. There is also Highway 197 that goes from The Dalles to Maupin. That is the route I used and while not especially scenic, it is beautiful in its own way. It drops you down into the Deschutes River. I'm not sure about camping. I stayed at the old Maupin Hotel which I think is no longer there.

If you are planning to go west of Hood River to Biggs Junction (Hwy 97) then head south toward Madras, amenities are a little further apart.

Once you reach Madras, going from there to Bend is straight forward.

Riding on Highway 97 is no worse than what you experienced on your coast trip. Probably a lot less traffic.


Heading west toward Detroit from Bend on Highway 20/22 there are camping and motels at Sisters. You will also be traveling through the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests with campgrounds and dispersed camping almost anywhere.

The part of your proposed route that I don't have any firsthand knowledge is the section from Detroit to Estacada.

You are right, there is a lot of climbing, and winds can be fierce in the Gorge. I could ride the 103 miles from my house to Portland in a little over 5 hours when there was an east wind! It made me feel like a real biker. That is what makes Hood River a mecca for wind surfers.



Enjoy your ride. It is hard to go wrong in Oregon!