City Escape: Portland, Oregon

This route includes a ride through some foothills of the Cascade Range, awe-inspiring waterfalls, and a cut across the Willamette Valley into Oregon’s Wine Country. There are good stopping points in some of western Oregon’s colorful small towns. From mountain views to working farmland, rolling hills and rural towns, the scenery is ever-changing.

The route avoids most highways and interstates, focusing on meandering country roads, technical climbs, and some straight sections. The entire route is on paved, well-maintained roads. Traffic is light on secondary roads, but the urban highways can get busy. Elevation gains go from 20 feet to 1,800 feet and back. The midpoint stop at Silver Falls State Park lets you take in some waterfalls that are a short walk from parking areas.

Length

Approximately 175 miles

Lunch stop

Pack a lunch at home for Silver Falls, or soak in some local flavors in St. Paul, Molalla, or the Raptor Ridge Winery in Newberg.

Points of Interest

Raptor Ridge Winery

Raptor Ridge Winery, founded in 1995, creates delicious wine experiences from grapes grown at seven vineyards. The views at their estate are worth seeing, with or without tasting the award-winning wines. The winery gets its name from the many birds of prey that live in the area. Find it at 18700 SW Hillsboro Hwy, Newberg, OR, (503) 628-8463.

Silver Falls State Park

Some 20 miles southeast of Salem, Silver Falls is the largest state park in Oregon. There are many opportunities for hiking and biking, including the Trail of Ten Falls that passes by each of the park’s waterfalls. The tallest one is the remote Double Falls, with a height of 178 feet.

Rocky Butte

An extinct volcanic cinder cone butte, Rocky Butte sits in the middle of Portland. But don’t be put off by its urban location. The 613-feet-tall butte offers fantastic views over Portland, including multiple mountains and the Columbia River Gorge.