Portland, Oregon: The land of mountains, rain, great coffee, and some of the best riding found in any city in the US. I've lived here for a decade and still haven't had my fill. In fact, with every passing day, I find another reason to love Oregon even more than I already do. The natural wonders, extensive network of paved and unpaved roads …and lots of singletrack! Most importantly, the community here is one of those things that saturated my experience in this part of the world.
Gravel in Oregon is unmatched—it's no surprise it's also the land of gravel events and races in every corner of the state—all year round. With the diverse natural wonders, topography, climates, and biomes across the state, you can find whatever you seek—and more. This alone would require many articles to scratch the surface. However, in this guide, I want to focus on the stuff you can get to from your front door, a few local classics, and hidden gems scattered west of Willamette River. I fell head over heels for what I call the "in-between" spaces, areas where nature remains moderately natural, as it was before the urban sprawl, or so I think. These spaces exist all over Portland, and they're hidden in plain sight; you just need to know where to look. Let me share some of those spaces with you.
Many factors set Portland apart in cycling, both on and off-road. Although a big city—the largest in the state—it acts like a quaint town. Each side has its vibe and topography, from cinder cone buttes to rolling hills and views of Mt. Hood, the giant volcano off to the east. However, you don't need to get out of town to find the goods. For example, The West Hills, apply names because it's west of downtown, and is home to some of my favorite local rides. These Hills are home to two of the three routes in this guide. The first is in Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the United States, and home to dedicated car-free gravel roads and singletrack, only minutes from downtown. The last route is just outside of the city. For those seeking bigger miles—fear not—I created a long-distance version you can find at the end.
Cycling in Portland
Riding from your front door, Portland is full of interconnecting cycling networks, and the cycling infrastructure is pretty darn good, but we could use some improvements. The metro area is laced with greenways, cyclist-priority shared roads, typical bike lanes, and some completely closed to cars, like the Springwater corridor that travels from downtown to Boring, a small town over 30km away not far from the foothills of Mt.Hood National Forest!
Cycling infrastructure connects you to many places across town, like bike shops, such as Metropolis, Joe's Bikes, and Fat Tire—to name a few—all of which are on some of the busiest bike lanes. If you're looking for pre and post-ride snacks, you're in luck! The city is dotted with whatever your pallet desires, from world-renowned coffee shops like Stumptown to hidden gems like La Casita Mexican Grill food truck—my go-to burrito, hidden under the corner of a parkade at SW 5th Ave, and Harrison St.
The following routes start close to the downtown because of what Portland offers, it's a perfect way to start any ride. I'll show you some of the fastest ways to access gravel without driving out of town. I'm not a fan of driving my car for a ride, and since this guide heavily focuses on the west side, I will include one route on the east side of the metro area as an extracurricular for those who want to explore that area.
Portland Gravel Rides
1. Forest Park: Escape the Sprawl
If you only have one day to ride in Portland, Forest Park is the spot. Riding this area should be a mandatory rite of passage for any gravel cyclist visiting or living in Portland. Forest Park is massive and you could easily spend an entire day riding through the main routes. With that in mind, I put together a route that combines the great legal stuff in a flow that eliminates as much doubling back as possible.
This ride starts in North West in the “Alphabet District," the gateway to Forest Park and a few famous climbs. It's a unique neighborhood with its architecture, restaurants, and coffee scene. The ride begins at Fat Tire bike shop near the foot of West Hills. A beautiful thing about this route is the quick transition from the hum of the city to an almost silent wilderness. You'll experience this as soon as you pass the last house (and first gate) ascending Holman Lane.
The entry fee for this route begins right away with a spicy gravel climb, a bit loose and rutted, and a few mud pits, depending on the season. Later, it turns to the pavement before connecting into Forest Park again through Firelane 1. Although all fire lanes in the park are singletrack, every lane is slightly different. Some are better to climb, while others are best left alone.
Once down Firelane 1, you'll be on the famous Leif Erikson Drive—the main artery of Forest Park—that connects you to pretty much everything in the park. The route travels north, with a natural ebb and flow of singletrack—some steep, chunky—through the forest.
The northern part of the route will kick ass; the 1.5km BPA road descent is well-known around town, and the 20% drop is no joke, but make sure to look up so as not to miss the view of the Willamette River and St. Helens (Volcano) in the background. The climb back up through fire lanes 12 and 15 will hurt, but their serenity is unmatched. It's my go-to place to escape to the "deep forest" straight from my front door.
The route connects back to Lief Erikson, traveling south towards NW, and eventually back to Fat Tire, where you started. By now, I expect you to be hungry—I know I would be! If so, then you're in luck. This neighborhood has too many good pizza joints; Scottie's Pizza Parlor and Escape from NY are two of the best in the area, IMHO.
This ride is a quintessential Portland gravel experience.
2. Lake Oswego: Trails & Tunnels
Although only 30% of the route is unpaved, I would be remiss if I didn't include this gem of a route with you, as it packs a lot in 25 miles. What this route lacks in volume, it compensates for in punchy and flowy singletrack, and a few hidden gems unbeknownst to many locals, such as the train tunnel under the Dunthorpe neighborhood. Lights are a must!
The route connects the top hits of the Lake Oswego area in a fast and furious flow. Starting at the best coffee shop in Sellwood, Cinco Siete, you'll take the greenway across Sellwood Bridge and up Riverview Cemetery. This private land is open to the public, so respect the land and not race for a KOM.
Following the route, you'll fly down towards Maple Leaf, a beautiful tree tunnel road on rolling hills. From there, you'll hit SW 27th Ave—a steep neighborhood climb on the outskirts of the LO area. Once you cross Boones Ferry Rd, you'll reach the first short dirt section at a dead-end road—just follow the dense trees—and keep a watchful eye out for a steel knob on the ground and call it out for others riding behind you!
The transitions from neighborhood to forest are rapid from this point forward. As you fly through Springbrook Park and down the singletrack on Iron Mountain, the flow and each transition from one forest pocket to another might be short, but when weaved together, it's almost like you're hopping through portals from one area to another—that's one of the cool reasons I chose to include this route here.
The highest point on the route is Cooks Butte, with its off-camber and steep trails. From there, you'll continue to pass through a few more dirt pockets before descending towards Lake Oswego Creek and under the bridge's archway, unfortunately, this boulder-strewn section is not entirely rideable—unless you're a trials phenom.
Continuing along you'll end up paralleling train tracks on some chunky ballast-covered sections where you'll reach a small train bridge that you must dismount to cross on foot. The tracks lead you to the infamous and ominously pitch-black tunnel, slightly curved to hide any useful light. Between the chunder rock, the darkness, and the temperature drop, it adds to the portal-hopping theme of this ride.
The last few miles are spent quietly riding along the river on singletrack, eventually returning to Sellwood Bridge, where you can continue north to downtown or circle back to where you started the ride.
These roads remind me of the early days when I discovered the joy of gravel and adventure rides. The excitement of adventure, the unforeseen obstacles, and uncovering something that became a part of my identity
3. North Plains: Plateaus & Mountains
If the gravel within the city limits is impressive, brace yourself for what is beyond the urban sprawl! The small town of North Plains west of Portland is the classic starting point for many gravel rides around the area and beyond, into the Tillamook/Coastal Mountain Range. The area boasts a network of B-roads, various grades singletrack, and lots of fun stuff for those willing to work for it. Think of this as a gateway to your grand gravel adventures.
Unlike the other two routes—this one is not well-serviced—so you must be self-supported. So bring enough water, food, and essential tools, as you will be without any services. With that in mind, this is a balanced adventure. The gravel climbs, descents, views, and gate hopping are just a few things that I love about this. The route passes through classic zones that shaped the local gravel scene. Such as the NW Parson climb, and red barn on NW Hayward before ripping the descent to Highway 26, and the Bocona Zone. These names are synonymous with gravel antics that many local riders cut their teeth challenging themselves on over the years.
Starting from the public parking in North Plains, the route heads out across farmlands on gravel and paved roads westward towards the mountains. Once you pass the "Pavement Ends" sign, the escapade begins. Traveling through tree canopies, "dead-ends" and a few gates to hop. These roads remind me of the early days when I discovered the joy of gravel and adventure rides. The excitement of adventure, the unforeseen obstacles, and uncovering something that became a part of my identity in the saddle.
If you are looking for an adventure, this route (or the longer version) has what you seek. The numbers don't reveal how truly hard this route is, so plan accordingly. Be warned, this route passes through public roads with locals that might not be the most welcoming to cyclists in some sections. Although encounters are rare, I wanted to point this out to anyone attempting this route.
Portland truly is a cyclist's heaven. With an extensive network of paved, gravel, and singletrack trails, you can ride in any direction in the state and be guaranteed to have a good time every time, rain or shine. Well, not entirely—the summer weather here is amazing, so take that "rain or shine" statement with a grain of salt.
Bonus: Memaloose Loop
Additionally, I recognize that my focus in this guide was on the west of the Willamette River. That said, I present you with this beast of a route east of town, easily reachable via the Springwater corridor. The Memaloose route is even more remote, adventurous, and primarily immersed in the wild nature of Mt. Hood. This route requires a high degree of self-reliance as there will be minimal to no services (based on season). So plan like you're headed into the wild because you will be.
Wrapping up
I'm a huge advocate for riding from my front door whenever possible. This guide shows you how possible this is in Portland. These three routes are just a drop in an ocean of adventures accessible from the city. I chose these routes based on what I like to ride and what I wouldn't want anyone to miss on their first trip to Portland. Building a good route isn't about going farther or climbing the height of Everest. A good route must have a flow, a reason, and question marks to explore, including gas station Jojos, and most importantly, a sense of exploration.
Riding from town and crossing the in-between spaces that go unnoticed brings joy to any of my rides and sharing that with others is equally rewarding. So, I hope you feel the flow and embrace the hidden gems within my beautiful city.
If you found this informative, I share ride reports of my excursions and rides on my website, thepaperclip.cc, and on Instagram.
