Willamette Valley Bike Tour
It was a great experience. We loved the challenge and being surrounded by the beautiful scenery. The guides were fun and easy to be around.
Wonderful, well designed trip. No worries, just have fun and enjoy beautiful roads, delicious food and make new friends. And get lots of exercise in too.
In the mid-19th century, nearly a half a million people risked their lives to set out on a perilous journey, traveling over 2000 miles across the virtual unknowns of wild and rugged North America. The route, and the struggle, became known as The Oregon Trail. Their desire was fueled by rumors of a “Promised Land” on the other side of the continent. Oregon’s Willamette Valley was touted as a homesteader’s paradise – a one-hundred-mile-long valley of lush oaks, wild berries, hazelnuts, wild game, timber for homes, temperate weather, rivers for travel and crop irrigation, and rich agricultural lands. For those who survived the journey, the rumors proved true, and the Willamette lived up to its promises as a veritable “Eden.” More pioneers settled here than anywhere else in what we now call the Pacific Northwest.
Today’s Willamette Valley is synonymous with outstanding wines and beautiful wineries. While this is not a winery tour per se, we will stop at a couple of local wineries to toast our adventure (included). Being in wine country, however, does make the destination a perfect location for a fantastic cycling adventure! Enjoy mild weather, open horizons, flat to rolling terrain, tranquil back roads, fresh local food, and cozy accommodations as you pedal across the valley from the Coast Range to the Cascade foothills.
If you are looking to combine this tour with one of our other adventures, both the Columbia Gorge and Oregon Crater Lake tours make a great “pairings.” If you are eager to explore Portland by bicycle while you are in the area, we encourage you to check out our sister company, Cycle Portland’s offerings.
Itinerary
Day 01
For our first "taste" of the Willamette Valley, we cycle via Oregon's first rails-to-trails State Park to a local winery.
Meals
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Douglas on Third
Distance
47 miles (or more, or less)
Elevation
+1697 ft / -1849 ft (or more, or less)
Meet in Portland. Shuttle (less than an hour) to the town of Vernonia in the Coast Range to begin cycling on the first “rails-to-trails” state park in Oregon. After lunch you can choose to pedal or shuttle on to a local winery for a tasting (included) before we shuttle into McMinnville for two nights at Douglas on Third – a wonderfully restored boutique hotel in a historic building near the heart of town.
Day 02
Bucolic farms, wineries and a mysterious rock are just a few of the things you will encounter on today's loop ride from McMinnville.
Meals
– Breakfast
Lodging
Douglas on Third
Distance
26 miles (or more)
Elevation
+941 ft / -941 ft (or more)
Pedal a morning loop from McMinnville past farms and wineries in the valley before returning to town for a layover afternoon. Explore breweries and wineries in the historic downtown, do some more riding, or visit the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (not included) to be awed by the “Spruce Goose” – the largest wooden airplane ever built! Or opt to extend your morning ride with an out and back on a lovely road before you return to town. Lunch and dinner today are on your own.
Day 03
Cross the mighty Willamette River on a historic cable ferry as you traverse the valley on the way to Silverton.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Silverton Inn and Suites, or the Oregon Garden Resort
Distance
45 miles (or less)
Elevation
+1,705 ft / -1,427 ft (or less)
Today we point ourselves east as we cycle across the valley toward the Cascade Mountain foothills. Cross the mighty Willamette River (just like the settlers did!) on the historic Wheatland cable ferry. Established in 1844, it is considered the oldest continuously operated ferry in Oregon. Enjoy lunch at the Willamette Mission State Park on the river. Spend the next two nights in Silverton at the Silverton Inn and Suites, or the Oregon Garden Resort.
Day 04
Immerse yourself in old-growth rainforest ecology and waterfalls on a hike at Silver Falls State Park and cycle back to Silverton.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Silverton Inn and Suites, or the Oregon Garden Resort
Distance
19 miles (or more), plus about 5 miles hiking
Elevation
+1,113 ft / -2,224 ft (or more)
Shuttle to Silver Falls State Park. Known to many as the “crown jewel” of the Oregon State Parks system, it boasts the 2nd highest concentration of waterfalls in Oregon (the Columbia Gorge is #1). Have lunch in the park and immerse yourself in old-growth rainforest ecology on a lovely hike (up to about 5 miles or so) to as many as ten waterfalls in this veritable wonderland before deciding whether you want to pedal or shuttle back to our lodging in Silverton.
DAY 05
Savor more scenic and peaceful cycling on your way to Champoeg Heritage Area on the river. Celebrate with lunch and local wine!
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Distance
33 miles
Elevation
+910 ft / -1,037 ft
Cycle via one of Oregon’s famous covered bridges back to the banks of the Willamette River. We conclude our cycling outside Champoeg State Heritage Area – the site of Oregon’s first provisional government until it was destroyed by a flood in 1861. The park recreates the landscape of pioneer times. We end today’s ride, and the tour, at a winery for a celebratory toast!
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Have you been to Portlandia?
Our sister company, Cycle Portland, offers guided small-group bike tours exploring the vibrant city, bountiful breweries, or culinary wonders. The tours are a great way to explore the City of Roses before your bike tour begins, or after you’re out of the saddle.
Discover Portland by bike!