eBIKE DESTINATIONS TOUR

OAKRIDGE, OREGON

EPISODE TWO

Are you wondering where you can legally ride your eMTB? We’re setting out on a multi-stop series to share eMTB-friendly destinations and trails to ride. This episode takes us to the sleepy town of Oakridge, Oregon. While the town and amenities may be a bit behind the curve, their acceptance of eBikes on the countless trails surrounding town are forward-thinking and why they’re viewed by many as the MTB capital of Oregon.

We’d like to thank Canyon Bicycles for helping make this series possible and for supplying us with two incredibly fun and capable Canyon Spectral:ON eBikes to ride in lots of fun places.

With a population of just over 3,000 people, Oakridge and the neighboring town of Westfir sit 40 miles east of Eugene, 150 miles southeast of Portland and about a two-hour drive from the non-eBike friendly town of Bend, Oregon. The Willamette National Forest and steep peaks of the Cascade Range surround the communities, offering the primary source of revenue and traffic to the mountain community. The woods used to provide a different type of income for locals as logging was the primary industry up until the 1980s. Since then, outdoor recreation in the form of fishing, hiking, dirt biking and of course mountain biking have risen in popularity.

Ranging in elevation from 1,200 to 1,600 feet in town, Oakridge offers a long season with claims that they’re above the fog and below the snow. Warm and dry summers make for long and fun days on the trails, but the locals tend to prefer Spring and Fall as the colors are dirt make for an even better experience.

SHUTTLE SERVICES

Oakridge, Oregon is known for having some of the best and longest shuttles in Oregon, and possibly the entire West Coast. With the countless number of logging roads and trails, it’s only natural that shuttle companies would find a natural fit. A quick search will give you plenty of info on brands like Cog Wild and Trans Cascadia Excursions who offer daily shuttles to a variety of trails.

For our trips, we use Trans Cascadia as they’ve got a great location with a parking lot and coffee shop at the base of the most popular trail in town. What’s more, Trans Cascadia have big plans for building a fun campground with a dual slalom track, general store and more. Be sure to let ‘em know The Loam Wolf sent ya!

TRAILS

Alpine Trail is without a doubt the most popular trail in Westfir/Oakridge. It can either be a 15 or 24-mile ride with a roughly 20-minute shuttle drive up to the top. Even after the shuttle drops you off, you’ve got another short climb before you begin the nearly 5,000 foot descent. Be warned however, there is about 1,900 feet of climbing strung out over the 2-4 hour ride down. On the way you’ll enjoy different types of soil, epic views and some amazing segments, like the famed Jedi Forest. Alpine isn’t an overly difficult trail for the most part and is relatively smooth for a majority of it. Some exposure and very high speeds will keep experts happy, and the views and casual riders will also likely enjoy the ride with a few tricky spots here and there.

Other great rides include Dead Mountain, Lawler and Eula. We’d suggest talking with Trans Cascadia or whoever you’re booking a shuttle with to get the best intel on the ground. Of course, you could climb yourself or drive your own vehicle, but for the price, you’ll get a lot more riding time in by using a professional outfit.

OFF THE BIKE

Time saved means more time for activities like swimming holes, lakes, rivers and post-ride drinks and meals. There are plenty of options to keep you fed while in town but take note the town is pretty shuttered on Mondays and Tuesdays, so options will be less.

We’d like to thank Canyon Bicycles for making our 2022 eMTB Destination Tour series happen and allowing us to help share eBike friendly locations to our readers. After having traveled long distances only to arrive and find out that eBikes are not welcome, we wanted to do what we could to prevent others from similar frustrations.

If you’d like to see us visit and share more places, please leave a comment or suggestion so we can keep this series going!