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Thread: McKenzie River Trail
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05-04-2021, 03:46 PM #1
McKenzie River Trail
Planning on hitting up the McKenzie River Trail in late July/early August. Planning on shuttling w my wife and two boys but have the following questions
Younger son is 11 and will most likely not be up for a 25 mile ride even if there isn't much up. Are there any options to bail out early or get dropped of part way up?
Where is the best spot to rent bike and get a shuttle in the area as we'll be flying in and don't want to deal w bringing bikes for 2 days of riding?
If I was to hit up another trail around Bend what is the recommended ride.
Thanks in advance
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05-04-2021, 06:50 PM #2
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05-05-2021, 07:37 AM #3
I would recommend avoiding Bend at all cost. That town is the epitome of lame white washed mountain town. Phil’s is fun if you ride a rigid bike and enjoy pedaling downhill. Go to Oakridge instead. Might be a better option to have the little guy join you on the flatter section of the McKenzie that parallels the road.
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05-05-2021, 07:46 AM #4
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05-05-2021, 07:58 AM #5
Never been to OR, GF and I are thinking about renting a van in Portland for a couple weeks. Sounds like Bend may be with a look but not spend a lot of time there.
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05-05-2021, 09:00 AM #6
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05-05-2021, 09:05 AM #7
Bend shops can arrange shuttling too
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05-05-2021, 11:28 AM #8
Yeah, vandago or outdoorsy would be good bets. Heck, you could take mine out if you want (for a price) long as I'm not using it.
I think Bend is good for 2 days max, maybe three if you're riding sisters on the way out. If you're coming with bikes, I'd explore more on the west side of the Cascades. Oakridge, black rock, Rogue River and Ashland depending on your timeframe.
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05-05-2021, 12:17 PM #9Registered User
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Rogue River? Tell me more
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05-05-2021, 12:29 PM #10
North umpqua tail is awesome to.
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05-05-2021, 01:35 PM #11
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05-05-2021, 02:30 PM #12
McKenzie River Trail
We’ll have bikes with us.
l’ll look at those rental companies, we rented from Wandervans out of Boise before and it was a decent deal. Their van builds are nothing special but work fine, cost is like $2k for two weeks and they have vans in Portland now.
Doesn’t make sense to drive ours out from Maine for that short of a trip.
We want a mix of coastal cruising and trail riding.
Better to come in June or late Sept?
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05-05-2021, 06:26 PM #13
MRT from Clear Lake to Carmen Reservoir is pretty technical (rocky). The section around the lake is a continuous rock garden. There’s only three places to exit on this section - where the trail crosses the highway just below the lake, a footbridge above Sahalie Falls, and at Carmen.
From Carmen to Trail Bridge Reservoir the river goes underground down to The Blue Pool. Still a plethora of rock gardens. IMO the views in this section aren’t worth the effort. There’s no decent exit between these two points.
From Trail Bridge to Bigelow Hot Springs the trail becomes more loamy with fewer rock gardens. The first 2-3 miles out of Trail Bridge has a bunch of up-down along the side of a hill, and a few places with some exposure. There’s no exit between these points.
From Bigelow Hot Springs to terminus @ Paradise Campground is loamy, fast and fun. The trail crosses to the road side of the river just above Belknap Hot Springs near Boulder Creek. Plenty of spots to bail from there.
Horse Creek Lodge in McKenzie Bridge provides shuttle service.
If you are flying into Redmond, rent bikes at Blazin’ Saddles in Sisters.
From end of west end of MRT, drive 15 or so miles west on hwy 126 and turn left toward Cougar Reservoir and Aufderheide Road. Follow that over the hill to Oakridge. I haven’t been over that route since it burned in 2017 and again last fall, so it may be a little desolate. Terwilliger Hot Springs is on the way
Note that if you drive up from Eugene you will likely experience road delays and devastation from the Holiday Farms fire last September. The towns of Blue River and Finn Rock are pretty much gone and all of the old cabins along that part of the river are nothing but river rock chimneys.
If you want to ride in Bend I might suggest a shuttle from Swampy Lakes to town. From Paradise go east on hwy126 and turn on off on hwy 242 to Sisters. Watch for bicycles.
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05-05-2021, 08:52 PM #14
Thanks to all that replied with useful information and a special gold star to TBS. Greatly appreciated.
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05-05-2021, 09:31 PM #15
Oh yea,
the Blue Pool at Tamolich Falls has that color because the water is
1. so fucking cold (37-38F) that no organism can survive in it, and
2. cleansed by percolation through volcanic rock where it goes underground.
It’s way deeper than it looks
It is not a swimming hole. People have died after jumping in.
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05-06-2021, 12:06 AM #16
Toss up on the timing in S. Oregon. June will be dry, but temps shouldn't be too hot yet. September will be dry, temps could be hot, wildfire smoke could still be an issue. Then again, we could see rain by late September...hard to say these days.
Check out Whiskey Run - small trail system near S. Oregon coast. Worth a stop if you're nearby. Mountain of the Rogue in Rogue River if you're driving the I-5. Ashland watershed is worth a day or two - shuttling and pedaling opportunities. Could probably help out with a shuttle or two if I'm around. Oakridge, of course, is a must. There's other stuff around depending on what you're looking for.
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05-06-2021, 02:57 PM #17
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05-06-2021, 04:42 PM #18
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09-06-2021, 12:05 PM #19
A bump for anyone considering a late-summer MRT ride.
The trail is closed between Trail Bridge Reservoir and the Frissell boat ramp due to the Knoll Fire. Maps show it burned to the river between Ollalie CG and Deer Creek (Bigelow Hot Springs).
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11-21-2021, 10:15 PM #20
Coming through tomorrow. Any conditions report. Thinking about contacting shuttle company in the morning.
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11-22-2021, 02:39 AM #21
I believe it’s still closed for a 4 mile section.
MRT is the most overrated trail I’ve ridden. Check out the Oleary Ridge loop(might be snowed in) or King Castle if you’re in the area
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11-22-2021, 08:14 AM #22Registered User
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Counterpoint - MRT is one of the most memorable trails of my life. Because of the scenics, not the trail itself. If blue pool section is open, go for it. If you can't find a shuttle the Highway is a mellow spin up - if my memory is correct.
Last edited by muted reborn; 11-22-2021 at 09:25 AM.
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11-22-2021, 09:49 AM #23
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11-22-2021, 10:16 AM #24
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11-22-2021, 10:41 AM #25
Call McKenzie Ranger Station for status of the trails (541) 822-3381
I'm guessing it's gonna be wet/muddy - except in rock gardens of course.
The section from Blue Pool to Bigelow Hot Springs was closed in September for fire - I would expect it to be open by now
O'leary and King Castle will be wet - really doubt there is snow
Nice day shaping up 50 miles east of there
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