Crater Lake and Oregon Scenic Cycling

The Oregon Scenic Bikeway program is the first of its kind in the country.  These Bikeways are official state-designated routes with on-road signage, that have been nominated by locals and selected by Oregon State Parks.  The Scenic Bikeway routes highlight the best bike rides in Oregon and showcase beautiful scenery, state history and local communities. They run past state parks on paved paths and roads, cross mountain passes and high deserts.  We have selected the best of the best in the Eugene and Bend area for our new Oregon Scenic Cycling Tour, which include the well known rides on McKenzie Pass and the Crater Lake Rim Road.

Focusing this tour in the Cascade Mountains, we gather in Eugene, Oregon.  This city, at the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie Rivers, is known for its art museums, green spaces and public markets.  The first day we warm up on our first Scenic Route called Covered Bridges on the Row River Trail along Dorena Lake.   We get right to the challenge of the tour the next day with a morning shuttle to Belknap Springs for our ride up the famous McKenzie Pass. This highway route was originally built  in the 1870s as a wagon toll road and became an Oregon State Highway in 1925.  The narrow, twisting roadway and high elevation (5,325 feet) made the highway too difficult to maintain and keep clear during the winter months, but the same features makes it a favorite for cyclists after the snow is cleared in the late spring.  The grade is moderate but steady, and takes you from wet undergrowth, through drier forest, above treeline, then enters lava flow at the top of the pass for a surreal experience.

We spend a couple days in the Bend area biking along the Deschutes River and down the Crooked River Canyon on scenic bikeways, before shuttling to our ultimate destination: the impossibly blue-green Crater Lake above 6,000 ft.  We have an entire day to ride the short, but hilly Rim Road around the entire crater, exploring every curve and overlook.  Our last day is a fast descent from the Crater as we head north, before taking the Timberline van the rest of the way to Eugene for our tour conclusion.

Please Note: This tour starts with a morning departure for orientation and bike fitting, and an afternoon ride.  We recommend arriving the night before in Eugene.  Because of the rural areas for most of our rides, lunches are included on this tour.