I started out just thinking about how beautiful Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks must be, and how wonderful it would feel to bike them. I dream of someday having enough weeks free to explore this incredible area. The picture here is a heatmap of most popular places people ride in the park. I am a long way from actually making this adventure happen, so this is more of a placeholder to remind myself that it needs to get on the plate in the future.
Bucket List Rides: North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is inarguably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Why not bike it? This could be done as a 60 miles one-day trip, dropping off at Washington Pass and stopping at the Visitor’s Center. It could also be done as a 153 mile/3-day bike camping tour from Mazam to Bellingham. Either way, this ride would probably be the most amazing in September.
Bucket List Rides: Olympic National Park
The only way to ride Olympic National Park is to Ride the Hurricane! This has been on my back burner for years. Will it happen in 2021? Will the Century ride happen?
Planning Ahead: The Scenic Bikeways of Central Oregon
I think it would be super fun to stay in Sisters or Sunriver and enjoy some of the Scenic Bikeways of Central Oregon. The first on the list is McKenzie Pass, 38 miles one-way, which I think would be best enjoyed as the first ride of the adventure.
Sisters to Smith Rock might pose as a fun add on to a one-way McKenzie Pass ride, or a fun loop on it’s own right. Twin Bridges Loop is 36 miles total and makes for a perfect day trip. Madras Mountain Loop is also another perfect 29-mile day trip. Can’t go wrong!
There is also Crooked River Canyon, a 36-mile round trip scenic ride that would be fun as a day trip.
Planning Ahead: Old West Scenic Bikeway
I’m super excited to ride the Old West Scenic Bikeway and the I plan to camp at Clyde Holliday State Recreation Area and bike from there! I’ll bike through the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Bates State Park, and the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. More planning to come!
Planning Ahead: Willamette Valley Oregon Scenic Bikeway
I’m starting to plan my 2021 biking goals. I want to try my hand at a solo-week long bike camping tour….annnd maybe even two. A goal like this is ambitious and requires training. One of the rides I’m looking at is the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. I already rode on every stretch of this bikeway, and many of them several times. However, my route always happened to be planned for other reasons, and I never paid specific attention to the Bikeway itself. I’d like to ride this bikeway, for the sake of the Bikeway in nothing else. I’m in the early stages of planning, but this might be a 2 or 3 night trip (134 or 174 miles, depending on route), and might involve me sleeping in a tent or in at BnB or motel. More planning to come.
Camping Spot Ideas: