Aufderheide Scenic Bikeway: Oregon’s Newest Must-Ride Cycling Route
Discover why this Willamette National Forest road is considered one of the state’s premier places to ride.
We’re only 10 miles into our ride and I already know this will be a day to remember.
We’re following Forest Road 19 through the Willamette National Forest. It’s peaceful here, almost serene; the sounds of rippling waters along the South Fork of the McKenzie River meld with the low drones of rolling bike tires and whirling chain.
Friends have told me again and again that this may be the best ride in Oregon. How could that be, I asked myself each time. With so many beautiful and challenging routes across the state, it would take a special setting, a unique course to rank that high on any list.
Now I get it.
ALSO: Breaking down the Aufderheide Scenic Bikeway with maps and videos
Our group of four is pedaling deep into the Douglas firs of Lane County, so deep in the old-growth forest that there’s likely no cell phone coverage here. It doesn’t matter. We don’t need the outside world. The setting reminds me of rides from Estacada to Detroit in northern Oregon where we follow the Clackamas River far into the wilderness.
It can be argued that route, the Cascading Rivers Scenic Bikeway, is indeed one of the best in the state. And if that becomes the standard against which others are measured, then today’s experience along forks of the Willamette and McKenzie rivers is equal and perhaps better.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission, keepers of the state scenic bikeways program, decides which pathways represent the best in cycling here. And that panel determined in November 2024 that our road today is worthy of such lofty praise. This is now the Aufderheide Scenic Bikeway, and it is the 18th addition to the state’s network.
So, it’s official: This is one of Oregon’s best cycling experiences.
Gaining scenic bikeway status “was tremendous news for us,” says Jara Mouracade, owner of Westfir Lodge and Mountain Market. “Getting the designation puts more emphasis and eyes on this beautiful road.”
Westfir, nearby Oakridge, and much of eastern Lane County are known as mountain bike country. Jara estimates about 90 percent of bike riders who stop at her market ride mountain bikes, but that percentage may shift as more road riders discover the Aufderheide.
“Bicycling is baked into the local DNA,” says Natalie Inouye, a member of the state scenic bikeways advisory committee for many years and a longtime promoter of the Aufderheide route. “They are all about bicycle tourism. It is a place where you can go with confidence knowing the people there are going to take good care of you.”
The Details
Jara is already noticing a change.
“I had (road biking) guests who rode down the bikeway yesterday, spent the night, and are returning north today,” Jara says. “They said they loved it, and they were surprised by the good condition of the road.”
The bikeway is named after Robert Aufderheide, the Willamette National Forest supervisor from 1954 until his death in 1959. It was Mr. Aufderheide who first pitched the idea of making Forest Road 19 a scenic road for vehicles.
It is now called the Aufderheide Scenic Byway, part of a longer West Cascades Scenic Byway. Coincidentally, though not surprisingly, the West Cascades byway also includes the Estacada-Detroit drive.
The Aufderheide runs for 65.5 miles between Rainbow and Oakridge along the western foothills of the Cascade Range. The elevation profile indicates there is about 3,800 feet of elevation gain no matter which direction you ride.
The ride is an up-and-down endeavor that follows Forest Road 19 while taking on several local street names along the way. The climb ends midway through the ride near the Box Canyon Guard Station, elevation 3,620 feet, where a memorial to Robert Aufderheide is located. That means the riding is almost all downhill from there.
So Many McKenzies
We start from the south and quickly find ourselves comfortably pedaling through the trees toward Westfir, a former timber town. Once there, the oversized Office Covered Bridge stands to our left, spanning the McKenzie River’s south fork. Immediately to our right is Jara Mouracade’s Westfir Lodge and Mountain Market, an oasis for the hungry, thirsty, and sleepy.
Stepping inside the small store, my eyes focus on beer taps, and my nose leads me to freshly baked peanut butter cookies. I can imagine myself sitting by the outdoor firepit some evening, clutching a cold pint, listening to riders’ recollections. Today, however, we still have many miles to go, so I purchase cookies for the team and click-clack the bike shoes toward my Torelli.
I make a mental note: Return ASAP for another ride, that pint, and a good night’s sleep.
It’s 32 miles to the Box Canyon Guard Station and then 27 miles, primarily downhill, to Rainbow. We eventually swing around Cougar Reservoir where rain and melted snow collect before flowing down the McKenzie and eventually merging with the larger Willamette River. We speed downhill until we cross the river one more time, find flat pavement, and eventually reach Highway 126, the McKenzie Highway.
Now there’s one more “McKenzie” of note. Highway 242 starts 10 miles to the east. That’s where the McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway begins its climb over the Cascade Range and down to the city of Sisters in Deschutes County.
“I love how these (scenic bikeway) rides are so close and can interconnect,” Natalie says. “And what a spectacular way to explore the state.”
We agree. That’s why we’ve booked a rustic cabin at Horse Creek Lodge near Rainbow. We’ll get our rest and relaxation, listen to the forest sounds – is that the river, or could it be the wind? – and make our way toward the mountains in the morning.
Dan Shryock is a travel writer and career journalist who focuses on cycle tourism. Based in Oregon, his work has appeared in magazines and websites in California and the Pacific Northwest. His book, “Cycling Across Oregon: Stories, Surprises & Revelations Along the State’s Scenic Bikeways” is available on Amazon.