We started slowly losing elevation back towards the river. We started to get views of the John Day River and the canyon it has carved out over time. We didn’t notice it at the time (who does?) but we were getting a nice little push with a tailwind.Īfter about mile 9, the scenery really opened up. For the next four miles we rode through a windfarm beneath the giant spinning propeller blades. From here, the terrain is lumpy but not overly steep and the traffic is pretty non-existent. After about four miles and 1000ft of elevation gain we turned on to Starvation Lane (they never name these roads Happy Unicorn Way do they?) which was immediately gravel. We were tipped off to some interesting rides by Dave, the resident park ranger, who suggested we check out a few particular faint squiggles on the map.Įvery ride out of Cottonwood Canyon State Park begins with a climb (but also ends with a screaming descent) since it is at river level. We arrived mid-morning on the first day and after dumping our gear, Laura, our friend Robert and I assembled our bikes and hit the road. Often we think of State Parks as simply destinations on a bike tour, a place to pitch your tent then move on, but more and more we think they also make great basecamps for loops and deeper exploration (read our Gravel Getaway tour from Stub Stewart State Park). We went, of course, interested in the mixed terrain riding possibilities. ![]() There are also remnants of an old ranch on the property so it gives the feeling of doing a farmstay when you are on the property. There is potable water available as well as a large gazebo in the day use area which makes for a great place to hide from the mid-day sun. The park has 21 primitive tent campsites with a vault toilet and even 7 dedicated hiker/biker sites. The landscape is full of sagebrush and rocky basalt cliffs which cradle the John Day River. However, it if you have access to an automobile, it makes for a beautiful place to basecamp for a few days to ride, hike and fish. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from Portland through the Gorge, so unfortunately it is a bit challenging to get to purely on bike. If you have a route or a destination you think we should explore, contact us!Ĭottonwood Canyon State Park is located right along the John Day River and is one of Oregon’s newest and largest State Parks. ![]() Rode Trip is our series of recommended bike travel ideas.
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