Mountain Biking Pro Tips needed for Portland area.
What are your favorite trails, resources or social groups that center around mountain biking here in town? Just moved from Texas and I know nothing. Gracias.
Posted Nov 20, 2016, 11:30 PM UTC
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Northwest Trail Alliance is the local IMBA chapter, I am a member but not very active.
Plenty of resources out there about Sandy Ridge, it has some of the best riding in the PNW. It's technically open year-round (good drainage) but I have no idea what snow conditions are like this year. I saw some snow pics up by Timberline (Mt. Hood) this weekend...
Seconding Stub Stewart. It has some beginner to moderate XC and some freeride / jump-y stuff too if that's your thing.
There are also some trails up on private lumber company owned property up towards Scappoose, open to NWTA members seasonally (closed during logging and fire season)
Also check out EasyClimb in Cascade Locks and Post Canyon out towards Hood River. Lots of great riding in Bend I guess, too, but I've never made it out there.
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Sick, this is perfect info. Thanks!
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Here's a good Facebook group: Sandy Ridge Trailhead Mountain Bikers
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you're less than seven hours from whistler now, so no excuses next summer
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Please be aware that most hiking trails in Portland parks are off limits to bikes. Powell Butte has 9 miles of singletrack you can ride (but not when it's wet, like now), and in Forest Park you're allowed on Leif Erickson Dr. and some of the fire roads, totaling about 30 miles, but not the Wildwood Trail and other hiking trails. Stub Stewart State Park, and Coyote Wall/Syncline out east in the Gorge, are better bets.
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Powell Butte has 9 miles of singletrack
It's not "singletrack", it's wide hiking trails at best. A lot of it is graded doubletrack (trails on top, Holgate Lane, etc). The trails are not designed specifically for cycling, either. I ride up there a few times a year (close to my house) and while it's still fun, it pales in comparison to real, sustainably designed off-road bike trails.
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Found the West Hills NIMBY
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I'm an active local rider - lots of the trails in the area have just gotten a little too wet to ride, but once the season starts up again, I'd try:
- Sandy Ridge
- Timberline to Town
- Post Canyon
- Syncline
- Black Rock
- Alsea Falls
- Capitol Forest
- Brown's Camp
- Keep on eye on the Gateway Greens project
Some of these are pretty far away - up to 2ish hours. We don't have great trails in the city, but there are a lot nearby.
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When you get a chance go out to black rock. Just Google it, that place is pretty popular.
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Excellent, thank you!
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There's a huge indoor park on 82nd Avenue built for mountain bikes. Don't remember the name though
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The Lumberyard
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Bingo
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For resources:
http://www.cascadesingletrack.com/
and
Between these two sites you'll have a very good overview of nearly every worthwhile or maintained track within a day's drive of Portland (and beyond).
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well - (provided you own a vehicle), be aware of Stub Stewart State park, which is located off of the Vernonia turnoff from Hwy 26- 40 min from downtown. It is sort of a 'disneyland' for mtn biking, plus a few other sports such as disk golf, camping, and horseback riding. Picture something like forest park terrain (but more tree variety), with miles of mountain bike courses with different skill levels, designed by a club. I have no problem as an amateur. I was there this weekend (not the right season, with the mud) and I happened to find a big cluster of chantrelle mushrooms.
I'm not that sure of your other options in the area.
BTW, riding 6 miles in from Manning along the Vernonia-Banks trail is fun - it has a slight grade, so you go up hill to Stub Stewart, but cruise all the way back downhill.
Wonderful. Exactly what I'm looking for, especially with the added camping site bonus. Did you find enough dryish trails to ride out there? The whole season thing is new for me coming from Texas. There we have summer and summer with an ice cube.
muddy trails is a concern - you can do long term damage when the trails are wet - creating ruts, displacing dirt. This time of year, it's often wet, so just something to be aware of and try to minimize.
There are some trails that do drain very well - I've heard Sandy Ridge drains well but haven't tested that myself.
There are some trails starting at gales creek campground out RT6 toward the coast range, they drain well and have challenging uphills/ fun downhills. Cut into the side of a very steep ravine which can be un-nerving at times but allows for good drainage, details on cascade single track website.
Muddy trails are not really a concern with modern trailbuilding techniques. Most of the trails are designed and built for year round riding, especially in the pacific nw. Sure, some of the old fall line stuff shouldn't be ridden in the wet but most everything else is fine. At most you're leaving minor ruts that can be fixed with treadwork come spring.