Into the Horn

5 Star Route / Bend, Oregon / Published October 2018 / Version 1.0 / Directions

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Three gravel bike riders on primitive forest roads.

Gravel bike rider on primitive forest service road with burned trees and views to east.

A view of the Metolius arm of Lake Billy Chinook.

Gravel bike rider on primitive forest service road near summit of Green Ridge.

Gravel bike rider descending very primitive forest service road.

Gravel bike rider on hard pack gravel road with open view to the east.

Gravel bike rider on primitive gravel road filled with pine needles.

Gravel bike rider descending hard pack gravel with open views.

Gravel bike rider on gravel road making sweeping uphill turn with trees changing color in background.

Two gravel bike riders on good hard pack gravel with trees in fall colors.

Picture of map of the Horn of the Metolius.

Sign to Lake Billy Chinook and Prairie Farm along NF-11 Forest Service road.

Route:

Loop | 43 mi

Gain:

3,500 ft

Surface:

50% primitive Forest Service roads, 50% hard packed gravel

Technical Difficulty:

Very Demanding

Navigation:

Challenging

Locale:

Remote

Tire Suggestion:

40 mm+

eBike Friendly:

Yes

If you hear the Call of the Wild whispering your name, this is your route. A good balance of adventure, big views, beautiful red ponderosas and a 50/50 mix of hard pack gravel and primitive forest service roads in the Horn of the Metolius area. Few rides take you to such a remote area.

Map

Brown = gravel / dirt road

Blue = single track

Red = paved road

Purple = paved bike path

GPX Download

Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

This route rides great (!) in the spring/early summer when the “washboard” is at a minimum, the peaks are snow-capped, and the flowers are in bloom. The fall colors can also be outstanding. If possible, do the ride midweek and not on a summer holiday weekend. Summer can be hot and dusty and with some vehicles on the hard packed gravel.

Terrain & Riding

Most of the ride is a series of rollers. Nothing too crazy steep, but it just keeps challenging you. The first half of the ride is on smaller roads … a few rocky, some shale, and a smattering of baby heads. Now just stop your windging because none of them last that long … just pause and enjoy the beauty.

The second half of the ride is on wide, hard-packed gravel roads. We hit some washboard but nothing that you can’t sneak around if you are paying attention.

The Start

At the end of the paved section of NF-11, ~ 10.5 miles north of Highway 20.

Lat / Long: 44.469339, -121.556808

Food & Water

None.

Notes & Options

Route Notes

Ride the route in the direction as mapped, the opposite way could be brutal.

Route Options

A much shorter route can be had by driving to mile marker 30.2 where NF-11 intersects the route. Use Prairie Farm road as a connector between miles 34 and 8. This gives a route length of ~ 24 miles.

Comments

Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!

Ridden and Reviewed by:

KevinE / Team Dirty Freehub

He should have “Never Stop Exploring” tattooed on his chest! He loves adventures on bikes and is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.

LindaE (aka Gravel Girl) / Team Dirty Freehub

She loves a good day of gravel, like most people like a good book. She’s always amused by the outdoors and the wild adventures. Gravel Girl is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.

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