Suggestions: Areas to ride in Oregon / Cascades

W

WellWell

Member
Hello


I have 16 days to Sport Tour ride in Oregon, Starting Sept 1. Never been there but using the Butler maps as a skeleton for the trip. Am leaving from here in the Bay, will enter Oregon on the 2nd day.- No rushing.

Any experienced suggestions, particularly through the Cascades and scenic cheap places for motel or Airbnb?

Any good hub points to make a 2-3 day stay and do 250--300 range mile loops? We also think there might be a place / area just to goof off for a day.

I have my ride crew but would like to get experienced info on weather, events, loops and accommodations.

We are going to be on a ultra casual, no rush approach. May entertain catching a concert or event if its interesting.

Also if there is anything you did but would do differently, I would be interested to know. You can PM if you prefer.
thanks

WW
 
islemann

islemann

Re Tired Not Dead
Nestucca River Rd. / OR 202 / OR 47 / OR 38 / OR 34 / OR 20 / OR 8 / OR 6 / US 30 / US 20...

Basically any road other than I-5 or I-84 or US 95/395.

I always make this point - Oregon roads are among the best motorcycle roads in the country, but they're unforgiving of hubris.

Carry a locator beacon and do not rely on cellular service other than on the interstate corridors. There are vast swaths of Oregon that are back-country. Many of the best roads will put you hours away from aid in the event of an emergency or crash.

Carry extra fuel with you and take every opportunity to keep the tank topped up.

If you've been riding in California for long, you know that there are some isolated places when you get into the mountains. Oregon takes that up a notch as we are a much less populous state. Our vast swatches of isolation can be just 10 or 15 miles from the interstate.

As you get closer to your trip - pop a proposed route up on here, I'd be happy to tweak it for you.
 
Mr Pepsi

Mr Pepsi

Mr Pepsi (Brent)
like.jpg
 
FreeRyde

FreeRyde

The Curmudgeon
I have an Oregon motorcycle road map, it's far better than butler maps... I can send it to you if interested.
 
EastBayDave

EastBayDave

- Kawasaki Fanatic -
Been all over OR, but also familar w/S. & SEastern OR as Grandpa was a big-time OR state surveyor there just before & after WWII. He supervised state surveyor's in SE/E OR while overseeing the building of all the desert roads after WWII that didn't exist or were dirt before WWII. He got them paved. :hail

He & his crews established the towns between Klamath Falls, to Wagontire, to Riley, to Burns & all over that area of E. OR desert country. I spent many toddler-years/summer kid years riding around in a 50's/60's station-wagons thru those areas (thank gawd for a/c!) Dad had the biggest/baddest 63' Bonneville wagon that could be bought. It was badass w/huge engine.

Have been planning to return someday; it may just remain on the unfulfilled bucket list...ah well. Tho hazy in my memory, I can recall some truly small towns (Wagontire sticks out; a TINY town w/a pop. of 15 people.) Many a HOT day riding around the desert...(far off stare....) :thumbup :teeth
 
bikewanker

bikewanker

Well-known member
Oh Yeah

bcj said:
Baker City on the east end of the state for a hub.
Nearly all the non-freeways are great for a change of scene.
The local site has a meet there every year.

22 Detroit Lake - 126 - 242 - Sisters makes for a great day.

Check the gold dredge at Sumpter then 7 - 26 - 19 painted hills - lots of great roads in that area.

Sunday Morning Rides website

Motorcycle Roads NorthWest website
Click to expand...

May be an annual trip for me! 395 is good road either side of John Day, really. If only there was a good way to go directly to Utah 12:)
 
bwhip

bwhip

Every Ride a Gift
I can't imagine a better place for sport touring than Oregon. You'll find many ride reports with maps and photos on my blog. Butler Maps have been a big help, along with http://www.motorcycleroads.com/Routes/Oregon_113.html

Just did this ride last week:
https://bwhip62.wordpress.com/2017/07/17/ahhhhhhh/

Similar one last year which included Crater Lake: https://bwhip62.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/finally-2/

A couple more recent ones:
https://bwhip62.wordpress.com/2015/09/19/fantastic-long-riding-weekend-with-great-friends/

https://bwhip62.wordpress.com/2017/05/27/beat-the-holiday-traffic/
 
ST Guy

ST Guy

Well-known member
Be sure to ride the 20/126/242 loop. Especially 242. Use the little Google Maps man to check it out.

Ride around Crater Lake.

Camp at Diamond Lake. National forest campground with showers.

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway!

66 and 140 are also nice.

And if you're coming back down through California, you MUST ride 96 from north to south.
 
Dennis D.

Dennis D.

Well-known member
Hwy 242 is a must ride and Hwy 20 between 126 and Sweethome is good. I'm not a big fan of Hwy 126, it's a beautiful road but as the main hwy W. to E. there are to many motorhomes and semis, kinda like Hwy 92 to Halfmoon Bay down in the bay area. I prefer The Aufterheide Memeorial Hwy. between Westfir and Hwy 126 if your coming from the Eugene side. It' is getting a bit goaty now days though. What Butler maps would call a paved mountain trail. Hwy 34 is an excellent road from Waldport to Philomath and Hwy 36 from Mapleton into the valley is a great alternative to 126.
On the east side almost any of the roads are really fun though it will probably be hot

Dennis
 
WoodsChick

WoodsChick

I Don't Do GPS
EastBayDave said:
Been all over OR, but also familar w/S. & SEastern OR as Grandpa was a big-time OR state surveyor there just before & after WWII. He supervised state surveyor's in SE/E OR while overseeing the building of all the desert roads after WWII that didn't exist or were dirt before WWII. He got them paved. :hail

He & his crews established the towns between Klamath Falls, to Wagontire, to Riley, to Burns & all over that area of E. OR desert country. I spent many toddler-years/summer kid years riding around in a 50's/60's station-wagons thru those areas (thank gawd for a/c!) Dad had the biggest/baddest 63' Bonneville wagon that could be bought. It was badass w/huge engine.

Have been planning to return someday; it may just remain on the unfulfilled bucket list...ah well. Tho hazy in my memory, I can recall some truly small towns (Wagontire sticks out; a TINY town w/a pop. of 15 people.) Many a HOT day riding around the desert...(far off stare....) :thumbup :teeth
Click to expand...

This is super-cool stuff! :thumbup I've burned up a lot of fuel scrambling around those areas in SE Oregon, mostly avoiding your Grandpa's pavement :laughing It is incredibly beautiful and quiet there!

Is 242 McKenzie Pass? If so, that road was a huge ball of fun! Like islemann says, though, very unforgiving should one find themselves off the edge. I rode Aufterheide, too, and it was a blast. We were taking dirt from Redding to McMinnville, but those two sections of pavement were a ton o' fun!




WoodsChick
 
WoodsChick

WoodsChick

I Don't Do GPS
89fj said:
^^^^^which bike were you on, the 610? The aufterhide is awesome
Click to expand...

I wish! I was on my loaded-for-a-week-of-camping Husky 650. I also had half of a Warn M9000 winch on the back :laughing it was still a ton of fun, though!



LoadedChick
 
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EastBayDave

EastBayDave

- Kawasaki Fanatic -
WoodsChick said:
This is super-cool stuff! :thumbup I've burned up a lot of fuel scrambling around those areas in SE Oregon, mostly avoiding your Grandpa's pavement :laughing It is incredibly beautiful and quiet there!

Is 242 McKenzie Pass? If so, that road was a huge ball of fun! Like islemann says, though, very unforgiving should one find themselves off the edge. I rode Aufterheide, too, and it was a blast. We were taking dirt from Redding to McMinnville, but those two sections of pavement were a ton o' fun! WoodsChick
Click to expand...

Yes McKenzie Pass is OR St. Route 242. There are numerous highways in that Area going North/South, or East/West that are very nice especially if your on a motorcycle. Can be a bit lonely; use the "buddy-system" if riding in that area. Don't go alone...

I spent more time to the South in the area of the Deschutes National Forest further East S/E toward Klamath Falls (Grandpa lived in Klamath Falls.) Got my second buck in the Deschutes NF, & did lots of fishin' all over that area toward Klamath Falls (Grandpa had a nice boat.)

I'm sure a BARF Oregonite can fill us in more on modern data. One thing, some of those roads are beautiful yes, but a few of them seemed like hundreds of miles thru nothing but forest. To the point it got boring for us kids back in the day. Hwy 97 from Bend to Klamath Falls comes to mind = long/straight. Seemed to go on & on forever thru the forest...
https://www.distancecalculator.net/from-klamath-falls-to-bend

-ebd
 
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EastBayDave

EastBayDave

- Kawasaki Fanatic -
WoodsChick said:
Speaking of Wagontire...
http://www.myeasternoregon.com/2017/08/03/harney-county-cinder-butte-fire-over-10000-acres/
Last count was 56000 acres :(
OregonLovin'Chick
Click to expand...
Interesting; so strange seeing that town in 1962' it had a population of 15 people. Now they down to 2? Guess they can hardly call it a town anymore?

Funny I actually find myself talking about Wagontire 54 years later. :wtf

I see that fire info but I don't think they have anything to worry about. It's totally desert in that part of OR, only scrub brush & tumbleweeds. I'm surprised they actually evacuated it.

Maybe the bushes have grown a bit in half a century eh'? :laughing
 
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