OrangeSoma

Getting ready to start a ride to San Francisco from Tacoma, WA in the next couple of days. Pretty amped for it! Been doing some mountain biking at the local trails in Whistler so feeling pretty ready for a bike trip except I don't have an exact route.

A few months ago, I did a little bit of short touring along the Oregon coast and stopped in the Pacific City. I may start there again or, just bike down from Tacoma. Any suggestions on routes or stops that would be good to do along this route?

I was just in Crater Lake National park a couple of weeks ago, so no need to stop there.

psy

Pacific coast bike route, just follow the signs

B. Carfree

That would be fine in Oregon. Once you get past Arcata, there's a lot of different routes that offer, for some of us, a better riding experience than staying on hwy 101 and then hwy 1. The Lost Coast is marvelous, but would be missed if one stayed on the beaten track (several ways in/out, but the best is to enter at either Ferndale or from the Avenue of the Giants and exit via Usul Rd). Hopping into the hills from Mendocino can be much more enjoyable than fighting the raging cagers along the Sonoma Coast (see the routes for Levi's Grand Fondo for some routing ideas). Sure, both of these options involve more climbing than staying along the shoreline, but the climbs are quite pretty and offer up some wonderful views of the coast. Also, there is MUCH less traffic on the hillier options than along the shore and that traffic is generally better behaved.

Even Oregon has some wonderful backroads in the coast range that make for an enhanced tour. However, the campground options are much more limited once one leaves the coast in OR, and it's so nice to have a (free) warm shower at the end of the day I usually stay on the coast in OR. You can obtain some very nice maps of the relevant National Forests that tell you which coast range roads are paved and which ones are not paved, at least as of the mid-'90s (few have been paved since then) from the US Forest Service. Probably too late for this trip, but think about it for next time; there will be a next time because the Pacific coast is addictive.

rawly old

Take 7 south to 507 on to Grand Mound. From there south to 603 and on down the Winlock Vader Hwy
which is a nice rural back road parallel to I-5, farmland with little traffic. That'll eventually get you to
Longview & across to Oregon 30, west to the Pacific Coast hwy. There are a number of little parallel
side roads for taking a break from the main hwy 30. I do not recommend going west from Longview on
the Washington side of the Columbia. Traffic not to bad, but narrow & windy, with dubious shoulders.
However there is a cool place to cross the Columbia off 4, south at Cathlamet. There's a bridge
onto the island that goes to a small ferry which crosses to Westport Oregon & hwy 30. Bikes cross
for a buck the last time I was there.
Somehow I got off 30 onto a long horrendous back road that went forever before sneaking into
the back door of Astoria. I felt like I'd entered the Twilight Zone.
From Astoria the are a number of parallel side roads off 101 on thru Seaside then over the hump
to Cannon beach, etc., etc., Good luck.

psy

While I personally would agree with B carfree, as I've done the coast twice, and I did the "aca approved" lost coast route 4 years ago (the paved version that spits you out onto the Avenue of the giants), and this spring I did the REAL lost coast via the kings range, and loved every grueling minute of both rides. But honestly, unless you're the type that loves a challenge and NEEDS to get off the beaten track, the standard routes marked on the freeways give the most scenery per effort if you will, and that's what I would recommend to most of the casual and or first time tourists.

escii_35

If you have warmer gear you could try eastern Oregon down to Reno then ride over Ebbtts Pass or Carson Pass to Sacramento. I think the sweet spot for this Fall route is fast fading but weather was great in eastern Oregon from Sept 16 to Sept 30.

Sketch of Route:

1a.Train to Centralia
1b. Tacoma to Elbe to Morton via hwy 7.
2. Ride hwy 12 to Randell turn right
3a. Elk Pass FR 25
If you take elk pass cross at the bridge of the gods.
3b. Babyshoe pass FR23 (8mi of gravel)
If you take Babyshoe figure out a way to cross the no bike bridge to Hood River or Just ride to "The Dalles." The Oregon Side is much more scenic
3. Hwy 197 to 97 Madras.
4. Take the old hwy and roads paralleling 97 to Terrebone. 97 is a freeway in disguise. Smith Rock SP is a must.
5. Bend
6. Choose a route east to 395 and ride to Reno. If you have a beefy bike bonus points for riding via Pyramid Lake.