May 1, 2021 - by Jamie Stuckless
April 7, 2021 – Oakridge, Oregon is known as the mountain biking capital of the Pacific Northwest, and it is one of seven destinations that has been recognized as a gold-level Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) for its high-quality mountain biking opportunities.
There are more than 35 trails in the Cascade Mountains that surround the City of Oakridge. Most of the 130 miles of trail are singletrack and can be accessed by either fire road or shuttle service.
The trail difficulty ranges from beginner to advanced and, for riders looking for even more variety, there are also hundreds of miles of paved forest roads for road cycling.
Like many off-road cycling destinations, it can be challenging to determine whether or not e-bikes are permitted. E-bikes are specifically banned from singletrack routes within the Willamette National Forest; however, there are 25 trails marked for e-bike use on Trailforks.com. This includes the 5.3-mile-long Dead Mountain Trail with over 3,000 feet of descent, and the 4.6-mile Lawler Trail, one of the area’s most technical routes.
According to local touring company, Cog Wild Bicycle Tours, more e-bike trails include Alpine, Tire Mountain, Cloverpatch, Cloverpatch Tie, Winberry and Larison Creek.
Building on Oakridge’s reputation as a world-class mountain biking destination, the Mountain Bike Oregon Festival was launched in the area in 2005. This three-day festival started out small, but it now regularly sells out with hundreds of visitors participating in bike demos, skills clinics and trail rides.
In between mountain bike runs, consider going for a canoe ride or checking out Salt Creek Falls, Oregon’s second-tallest waterfall. There are many options for overnight accommodations including campgrounds, an RV Park, several inns and the Westfir Lodge. Before turning in for the night, don’t forget to visit the nearby hot springs.
