O’Leary Landslide Loop

5 Star Route / ~ Eugene, Oregon / Published August 2016 / Version 1.0 / Directions

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Cyclist on Horse Creek Road, McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Beginning of the climb. Deep forest.

Hike a bike near Cougar Reservoir, Oregon

The "hike a bike!

Gravel bike portage near landslide, McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Lifting over a big tree.

Two cyclists riding old mixed surface road by land slides in Oregon

Between two landslides, the road is moss covered. Really cool!

Carrying bike on mixed cross gravel route near McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

More "hike a bike".

Two bicyclists riding overgrown and decrepid tarmac near Cougar Reservoir

Sometimes the road feels more like a trail.

Rockfall on mixed surface gravel ride, Oregon

Watch for rockfall!!

Cyclist navigating abandoned gravel route near McKenzie Bridge, Oregon

Higher into the climb.

Old tarmac road deteriorating into a fine gravel cycling route

Views after gravel grinder climb over McKenzie River, Oregon

Big views!

Cyclist on ridge near McKenzie River, Oregon

Views from the top, along the ridge.

Cyclists descending gravel near Cougar Reservoir, Oregon

Beginning of the descent.

Cyclists on forest gravel descent near Cougar Reservoir, Oregon

Still descending!

Cyclists swimming in Cougar Reservoir after gravel descent

At the end of the descent, go for a swim.

Convenient swimming along boat ramp on gravel grinder Cougar Reservoir Oregon

Get to the water at the boat ramp.

Gravel route crosses Cougar Reservoir dam

Crossing the dam at Cougar Reservoir.

Belknap or McKenzie River Covered Bridge

Belknap covered bridge.

Amazing!

Route:

Loop | 56 mi

Gain:

5,500 ft

Surface:

45% gravel road, 25% Roubaix, 30% tarmac

Technical Difficulty:

Demanding

Navigation:

Attention Required

Locale:

Remote

Tire Suggestion:

40 mm+

eBike Friendly:

Yes

A big climb! Beautiful views! And one of the best gravel descents in the region! And Gravel Girl’s Favorite Ride. But you need to bring your Tom Sawyer spirit as the route requires crawling through an old landslide. And after a long climb and a long downhill, you get to go swimming at the reservoir.

Map

Brown = gravel / dirt road

Blue = single track

Red = paved road

Purple = paved bike path

GPX Download

Ride Details

Terrain & Riding

After a short warm-up, the ride attacks a demanding and majestic climb of 3500 feet in 10 miles. From mile 3 to 9 the grade is always between 6 to 12 %. The ride surface varies from light chip seal to short sections of gravel, to broken tarmac. You will also have to “hike a bike” for about .25 miles across several old landslides. The higher you climb, the better the views become.

At ~ mile 17 you leave the pavement behind. At times the gravel is course and deep, but it is mostly fine and fast. The ride rolls for several miles and then begins a nearly 10-mile descent, all on gravel, to Cougar Reservoir. At the bottom of the descent veer right ~20 yards to the boat ramp and go for a swim. Now traverse around the reservoir in a clockwise direction taking in all its beauty. Then a quick descent down to Belknap covered bridge and the McKenzie River. Your almost home!

The Start

Lat / Long: 44.174708, -122.163775

At the McKenzie Bridge General Store. Portable toilets, no water. An alternative is to park at the McKenzie River Ranger Station, 2 miles east on Highway 126 where there are flush toilets and water.

Food & Water

~ Mile 38.5: Slide Creek Campground

Notes & Options

Route Notes

For advanced/experienced riders. The “hike a bike” section requires you to carry your bike for about .25 miles and to lift your bike over several large downed trees.

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.