Westside Tour
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When we like to ride this…
This is a go to route for us Bend locals. It goes most of the year, except when we there is snow in town. We like this route outside of tourist season. If done during the summer, and early start is recommended (prior to 8 am).
And if the weather is touch and go, this is a perfect route. It is really easy to bail out and be back to town in a flash.
The Start
Drake park near the historic green “wagon wheel”.
Lat / Long: 44.059283, -121.319430
Food & Water
- ~ mile 0, downtown Bend.
- ~ mile 20.5, the cafe at the Loge Bend.
- ~ mile 24, the Old Mill.
Terrain & Riding
The route is fun, close to town, relatively flat, and a mix of paths, trails and road. Expect to encounter others on the trails, remember to give way. The terrain is a mix of urban and national forest, with a number of scenic river and mountain views.
Be ready to test your navigation skills. There are a number of tricky turns, ones that are easy to miss, thus zoom way in on your navigation device. Way in!
Points of Interest
Drake Park / ~ The Start
You start out in downtown Bend, in the historic Drake Park. You then pass by First Street Rapids and take the River Trail around Awbrey Butte with nice views of the mountains. When the River Trail ends, you will take paved roads up the backside of Awbrey Butte and head out to Shevlin Park.
Shevlin Park to Phill's Trails / ~ mile 8.9
Then you meander through Shevlin Park and then on a few paved roads to reach Skyliners Road and then over to Phil’s Trailhead Parking Area (which is the start of an extensive mountain biking area). Here you are on gravel roads that will loop you to Century Drive.
Back to Town / ~ mile 18.5
You then catch the bike path back towards town, which winds you into a gravel road, paralleling Century Drive. You will drop down into the Old Mill District and follow the Deschutes River, then slice through a historic neighborhood to take you back to Drake Park.
Route Notes
We recommend a red blinky light with rear looking radar detector (i.e. Garmin Varia)
Podcasts
Roundabouts in Bend (A short history)
In this podcast, we talk with Mike Hollern, the Chairman of the Board for Brooks Resources, about the early days of roundabouts in the city of Bend. Learn about the first roundabout, some of the challenges in building the first, and some of the unique benefits.
History of the Old Mill
Learn about the history of the Old Mill, how it influenced the name of our city and what it looked and felt like when the mills were operating. Joining us is Kelly Cannon Miller, the Executive Director of the Deschutes Historical Museum and Vanessa Ivey the Manager of the Deschutes Historical Museum.
Logging in the Old Mill: Local Cyclist Tells the Story
Bend, now a town of outdoor enthusiasts, microbreweries, and technology, used to be the center of timber production. The Old Mill District was the heart of this activity, with two active mills, one on the east bank of the river and one on the west bank. In the 1950s, over 50 rail cars per day would off-load timber into the river. On today’s show, long-term resident and bad-ass gravel cyclist Jeff Boulet shares snippets of history with us.
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