The Cascades of Southern Oregon is a spectacular place with trees, rivers and snowy mountain peaks. The road around Crater Lake tops Bicycling Magazine’s “Dream Rides” list. Be sure to check weather and accessibility at www.nps.gov/crla.

Begin at the Crater Lake Visitors Center area at the National Park. The 33-mile Rim Drive is completely paved, though not open in the winter months. Be sure to check www.nps.gov/crla for weather conditions before any visit to Crater Lake National Park. Due to the elevation, there can be snow here any time of the year, though late spring through early fall is generally great for visiting and cycling.

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Moderate

Season: Summer

WINE TOUR MAP HERE : http://www.umpquavalleywineries.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76&Itemid=73

From Roseburg, one can jump in several directions into a fantastic cycling route that winds through vine-covered valleys and past picturesque tasting rooms. There are 20+ wineries in the Land of Umpqua. See the wine tour map for a complete look at possible routes to take.

The ride begins at Mitchell, and climbs north on Oregon Hwy 207 toward Service Creek. In a half mile, the route flattens, and at mile 3, you’ll pass Meyers Canyon, where some of the oldest rocks in the John Day Basin are exposed – the 225-million-year-old Mitchell blueschist. Continue past Cretaceous sedimentary rocks (Gable Creek Conglomerate, Hudspeth Formation) that were formed just off Oregon’s shoreline some 100 million years ago.
Almost 10 miles into the ride, you’ll bypass Girds Creek Road on the left. Continue (uphill) toward Richmond and Service Creek. As you start the long downhill at mile 12, notice the blue-green cliffs exposed along the base of Horse Mountain to the Northwest. These are of the Oligocene, about 35 million years old, and part of the Turtle Cove Formation. A bit farther, you’ll pass a long-vacant, but well-maintained one-room schoolhouse.

The turnoff to Richmond looms up at mile 18. Richmond has no stores or services, but there is an old church and other historic buildings. From Richmond, it’s a 5-mile-long and steep grade down to the John Day River. This road segment is known as the “Donnely Grade” for the pioneering ranching family that lives here. Road cuts expose Columbia River basalts. You’ll reach Highway 19 at 24 miles from Mitchell, and less than a mile past the John Day River crossing. Turn left and ride a half mile to the Service Creek Lodge/Restaurant.

From Service Creek, the road continues steadily uphill 11 miles on Hwy 19 to Rowe Creek Road. The highway traverses an area of about 3,500 acres burned by the Shelton Fire in 2007. It took 800 firefighters and $1.8 million to control the fire, which burned one residence and several outbuildings. You’ll also pass Pioneer Park – site of one of the first farms in Wheeler County, and Shelton County Park, a camping area. Water is available at both. Turn left on Rowe Creek Road. In 12 miles on Rowe Creek Road (44 miles from the start), you’ll reach the John Day River at Twickenham. The light-colored cliffs here and along the way are John Day Formation (Haystack member), about 25 million years old. Columbia River basalts form the dark rimrock of Sutton Mountain on the south and Kentucky Ridge to the east.
Cross the John Day River and turn left on Girds Creek Road. The paved road rises through a narrow canyon, reaching Hwy 207 in 8 miles. Turn right on the highway, retracing the route’s beginning to return to Mitchell in another 12 miles.

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Light to moderate

Seasons: Spring to fall

This ride begins at the Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds picnic and parking area. From the parking area, return to the main road, but turn left, onto gravel (Burnt Ranch Road). The road is relatively flat, and heads north, passing Sutton Mountain on the east. Outcrops are the remnants of volcanoes that erupted here 45 to 50 million years ago when the climate was sub-tropical, the coast was only 20 miles or so to the west, and the landscape resembled modern Coast Rica.

Four miles from Painted Hills, you’ll find a gravel road to the right. DO NOT TAKE THIS ROAD! Continue on Burnt Ranch Road to 6.5 miles from the start at Pained Hills. The road meets the John Day River at Burnt Ranch where, in 1883, a group of Bannock Indians burned the previous house and barn to the ground. An astounding pinnacle, Byrd Rock, rises above the river here. It is one of many roots of the ancient volcanoes that you’ll find along the river and the ride.

Continue on Burnt Ranch Road. The gravel road passes ranches and residences for the next 1.5 miles, then it rises and turns away from the river. At a hill crest at 9.5 miles, you’ll see a large (and not very friendly) sign announcing the beginning of the Cherry Creek Ranch. The road is a public road, but the sign warns that private lands here are just that. The ride descends to near the river and then rises to navigate a relatively narrow stretch perched atop a cliff above the river. The view here is spectacular, with the river below and two major buttes across the river – Sand Springs Butte to the left, and Amine Peak to the right. Both are the solidified necks of a very ancient volcano that erupted here about 50 million years ago.

The road descends steeply then flattens for the trip past the Cherry Creek Ranch barns and house (bear left, as the signs indicate!). You may encounter ranch dogs here. Just before you get to the ranch house, note the outcrops on the left. They are part of vents that fed a huge volcano here about 50 million years ago. From the ranch, the road is less graveled, and less maintained. It’s a good ride in the summer when it’s dry, but after a heavy rain, or in the spring, expect mud!

To find some outstanding examples of igneous dikes – some of the feeder dikes of the old volcano – continue 2.5 miles past the ranch, staying on the main road. This is a flat ride. The road fords Cherry Creek, and then enters a small gorge carved through rock outcrops that look like stacks of logs. The “logs” are actually basalt columns, stacked sideways. The rocks in the outcrops along Cherry Creek represent multiple dikes that fed a very large volcano – one that likely rivaled Mount Hood 50 million years ago.

From here, return to the Painted Hills along the same route that you came.

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Very light

Seaons: Late spring to fall

From the Riverside park in Spray, turn left on Parish Creek Road/Waterman Road. This road hugs the riverbank for a bit, then turns away from civilization, climbing steeply for a mile of well-compacted gravel, then a bit more gently, with a total of 13 miles climbing along Parish Creek. Along the way, you’ll see fluted basalt outcrops, plenty of bunch-grass-covered hills, and pine forests in the Parish Creek riparian area.

In 13 miles you’ll top out at 4,200 feet. Then there’s 4 miles of easy flat or slight downgrade to reach Waterman, 17 miles from Spray. Waterman is just a road junction, marked my a large old sway-backed barn. A road turns right here, marked for Richmond. This is one of the most scenic rides in Wheeler County, with forest to ride through and Iron Mountain towering above you on the right.

From Waterman, there’s five miles of gentle climb along the base of Iron Mountain. Then you’ll begin a 6-mile descent to the settlement of Richmond. The road may be muddy in the spring, so ride with caution. Richmond, 28 miles from the start, is not a true ghost town – it boasts about a dozen residents, as well as a historic church that still hosts concerts and occasional services. Established in 1890, it was named for the Confederate capitol. It served as a trade center for surrounding ranches on the high plateau until roads improved and gas-powered vehicles made getting to town for supplies easier.

Highway 207 lies two miles past Richmond. It’s a steep downhill on the “Donneley Grade” to the John Day River 5 miles farther. Watch for gravel on the road – and drivers who do not expect bikes. From the bridge across the John Day, about 1 mile to the junction with Highway 19, there are two opportunities here to pause. The BLM Service Creek boat launch park, just before Hwy 19, offers pit toilets (and little else!). At the junction of Hwy 19, you can turn left and ride 1/4 mile to the Service Creek Stage Stop – a restaurant, lodge, store and rafting oasis.

From the junction of Highway 207 and 19, turn right and head toward Spray. It’s a nearly flat pedal along the river. Look for rocks and potholes along the roadway. One pit-stop is available at Muleshoe Park, six miles from the Hwy 207-19 junction.

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Light

Seasons: Spring to fall

Begin at Service Creek Lodge – a restaurant/bed and breakfast, general store, and rafting center on the John Day River. The route on Hwy 19 navigates cliffs and outcrops of thinly columned Columbia River basalt. These rocks are part of the lavas erupted near Monument 16 million years ago, and are known as “Picture Gorge” basalts. Their thin columns and fractured appearance are the result of rather rapid cooling, and a very iron-rich composition.

It’s a 12.5 mile ride along the river to the next community, Spray, where there are two stores, one of which includes a cafe. Spray was once a center of sheep herding. Today it is looking for its next mission (perhaps cycling?). From Spray, continue east on Highway 19. Three miles out of town, you’ll find a junction with Highway 207. For this ride, continue straight on Hwy 19. The light-colored knobby rock outcrop on the left is known as “Crazy Woman Rock.” The name commemorates a local woman who threatened to commit suicide by leaping from its summit many years ago. She was, evidently, talked down to safety. The formation is part of the Haystack Formation – a 22 million-year-old fossil-rich and ash-rich strata with fossils of ancient camels,dogs, horses and many more strange creatures.

At 21 miles from Service Creek, a rest area along the river provides a pit stop and lots of shade. At 25 miles, you’ll find the Kimberly store. Then, continue on Hwy 19, cross the North Fork of the John Day River, and pedal onward. Here, the road turns south. You’ll begin seeing the colorful cliffs of the John Day Formation beneath the dark basalts. Blue-green rocks are part of the “Turtle Cove” beds about 38-30 million years old, and darker reds are the “Big Basin” beds, about 38-40 million years old. The dark reds represent ancient tropical soil. Some 40 million years ago, this landscape would have resembled modern Costa Rica in landscape (big volcanoes), plants, rainfall and climate.
At 32 miles, you’ll enter the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. There’s a rest area at Force Basin (34 miles – but a half-mile uphill pedal) and also at Blue Basin. If time allows, hike the trail into or around the Blue Basin. Another must-do stop is at the Thomas Condon Paleontologic Center (mile 42). From the Center, it’s a two-mile ride to Highway 26 at Picture Gorge. Turn left here, and follow US 26 eight miles east to Dayville, 50.5 miles from the start. There’s a cafe, general store, and two B&Bs (Fish House and The Last Resort).

The return ride to Service Creek is mostly a gentle downhill. It makes an easy – and interesting – century ride!

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Very light to moderate

Seasons: Late spring to fall 

Begin at the Kimberly Store. In less than a mile, you’ll find the Thomas Orchards store. This orchard has been in operation since the late 1800s. Today they grow organic as well as conventional fruits. The road follows the North Fork of the John Day River, a stream with headwaters in wilderness, and much of its course also in a wilderness area (North Fork, John Day Wilderness.) The town of Monument, 13 miles into the ride, offers a store, motel and resort area, and even a bar.

From Monument, continue on Hwy 402 toward Hamilton, seven miles ahead. Note the nice riverside park with rest area and picnic tables (marked “Boat Launch”) on the right just before you cross the North Fork when heading out of town.

From Monument, the road rises first gradually, then steeply. You’ll pass the red and white outcrops of the Big Basin Formation. 28 million years ago these same rocks (then tropical soils) supported a subtropical forest that included palms, bananas, fig trees and other tropical plants. The climb steepens, with several short (100 yard) stretches of 8% grade. After three miles of climbing, you’ll have gained 1,200 feet. Then it’s a gentler drop into the community of Hamilton.

From here, if you are on a road bike, you can enjoy the brisk trip back down the paved highway. Hybrid bikes with good tires and/or spares and plenty of water can continue on a scenic gravel loop that takes you downhill and past “Barber Pole Butte” – a stark hill of red and white strata.

Return to the highway after 12 miles of gravel, and follow the same route back to Monument in 6 miles, and the starting point at Kimberly in another 13 miles.

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Light

Seasons: Spring to fall

This route winds through conifer forests, clear-cut areas and agricultural lands, as well as the towns of Creswell and Cottage Grove. The wildlife viewing potential is large, as birds and small mammals abound along the rural sections of the route.

Depart at the intersection of Territorial and Hamm
Go northeast on Hamm Road; continue as it becomes Camas Swale Road
Arrive at Creswell; continue east on Creswell Highway
Turn right on Sears Road and follow as it parallels I-5
Turn right on Row River Road
Turn left on Main Street/Airport Road
Turn right on Whiteaker to cross I-5 into Cottage Grove (on Main Street again)
Follow Main through town as it eventually becomes Cottage Grove-Lorane Highway and continue west
Turn right on Territorial Highway in Lorane
Arrive at Territorial Highway and Hamm Road

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Light (mostly) to heavy (in Cottage Grove)

Seasons: All

The ride begins in Spray, at the Spray School. While this direction provides a slightly steeper gradient, the ride along Highway 19 is safer in the west-to-east direction followed here. From the west side of the school, take Kahler Basin Road northwest. The narrow paved road climbs briefly out of Spray, then rolls through ranch country and along Kahler Creek for 5 miles. Light-colored rocks along the way are part of the Haystack Formation – about 28 million years old. These rocks have yielded fossils of three-toed horses the size of a modern Shetland pony (Miohippus), as well as large rhino-like animals (Brontothereum), camels and ancestral dogs (Tomarctus).

At 3.5 miles, a junction offers a turn toward Winlock. Turn left here (Winlock Road). Several outcrops along this road offer the opportunity to find fossil leaves of the Oligocene age – about 33 million years ago. The paved road has several short steep pitches, and one long grade, and for 1/2 mile, a steep (8%) climb up Sourdough Ridge to Winlock, 10 miles from the beginning in Spray.

Today, there’s nothing not much at Winlock except a large, modern fire station – a reminder that this area has been hit hard by forest fires, including the 90,000 acre Wheeler Point Fire of 1996. Winlock was once a center for the regional ranches, with a post office established in 1888.

From the fire station a Winlock, head downhill on Alder Creek Road. The road leads through alder groves, cottonwoods and water-birch along the creek. Six miles from Winlock, and 16 miles on your way back, look in road cut-outs and a rock quarry for pillow basalts – the vestige of Columbia River Basalt flow that encountered water here, likely a small lake some 16 million years ago.

At 18.5 miles on your ride, you’ll reach the junction of Alder Creek Road and Hwy 19. Turn left on the highway for an easy, nearly flat ride for 9 miles east along the river, back to Spray. You’ll find the BLM’s Muleshoe Park just 1 mile along the way – it offers pit toilets and a place to rest by the river.

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Light to moderate

Seasons: Spring to fall

From Spray, ride east on Hwy 19/207. You’ll climb slightly getting out of town, then be treated to a nearly flat ride for 2 miles. Three miles from Spray, turn left on Hwy 207. The light-colored outcrops near the junction are known as Crazy Woman Rock for a woman who once threatened to commit suicide by leaping from the top. She was convinced to change her plan, but the name stuck.

From the junction, Highway 207 begins a gentle rise, and 6 miles from the start in Spray, you’ll climb around a hairpin turn. The highway climbs another 500 feet in 4 miles. You’ll find Columbia River basalt as the cap-rock.

The highway meanders through forest and pastures. Ten miles from Spray and 1.5 miles past the summit (3,155 feet), Kahler Basin Road turns left off the highway. This road is narrow, but paved. It follows Kahler Creek and its tributaries into Kahler Basin – an open landscape with more of the Haystack Formation’s light-colored outcrops. These rocks are about 25 million years old. They have yielded fossils of ancestral camels, rhinos, three-toed horses and ancestral dogs known as Tomarctus. Leaf fossils include elm, alder, willow and oak. Twenty-five million years ago, the climate was temperate, though a bit warmer than today. Follow the road back to Spray.

Motorized Vehicle Traffic: Light to moderate

Seasons: Spring to fall