Adventure Cycling Association

We’ll start creating the group vision in our Welcome Meeting. After dinner, we’ll go over housekeeping and the Adventure Cycling Absolutes. We’ll get vehicles parked and then head to bed to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for tomorrow’s ride.

Today, we’ll leave camp and head off on our tour, wandering our way north through the Willamette Valley floodplain with a fast and flat day that gives us time to stop along the way. There are several restaurants in Harrisburg, should one choose to supplement their Adventure Cycling supplied lunch. Consider stopping for photos at the Tree of Shoes or taking a quick break at the Snag Boat Bend Unit of the Finley National Wildlife Refuge. Just before Corvallis, it’s worth checking to see what’s fresh at the Peoria Road Farm Market. Downtown Corvallis offers lots to see and is our grocery stop for the evening meal. On your way to the RV Park, take in Oregon State University’s flagship campus and stop for photos at the Irish Bend covered bridge.

In the morning, we’ll head south. The first half of the day is flat and generally on low-traffic rural roads. There are coffee shops and cafes in Philomath, a few miles off route. Take a moment to eat some of your snacks in Alpine because, from there, we head into the mountains of the Coast Range. The road starts rising gradually, and then we tackle a two-mile climb that averages a leg-testing eight percent grade. Fortunately, we’re on the South Fork Road, a BLM scenic byway with little traffic and moderate speeds. Our climbing is rewarded by a gradual descent into Alsea. Before town, you’ll whizz past the goat farm, but don’t worry; you can buy cheese made from their milk in town. We’ll stop for groceries then continue down the road to our campsite.

Alsea is a former logging community that has fallen on hard times as the timber industry changes. Departing town, we’ll continue west, enjoying a gradual downhill with a few small hills following the curves of the Alsea River to the Pacific Ocean. After this remote road, we’ll enjoy busy Waldport. This is an exciting day for riders who have never seen the Pacific Ocean.

Today, we’ll bike along the well-traveled Pacific Coast Bike Route. Legions of cyclists and drivers make their way here every summer to enjoy the fabulous scenery. We’ll ride through the Cape Perpetua Recreation Area and Marine Reserve (Oregon’s largest) and enjoy more beautiful views of the ocean. Most riders choose to stop at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint for photos. As you continue down the coast, a stop in Florence’s historic Old Town is a must for food at Mo’s and a stroll along the water before finishing the last few miles into Mapleton, where we’ll spend the night.

On this final day of the tour, we’ll leave Mapleton and pedal back over the Coast Range. We’ll pass through the town of Deadwood, home to the historic Deadwood Creek Bridge. Farther along the route, hop off the bike for a short hike down to Lake Creek Falls, where riders are treated to a view of salmon ladders and can take a dip in the refreshing swimming hole. We conclude this day’s ride, and the tour, with a fun descent to the outskirts of Eugene before bidding each other farewell.