Yamhill Loop
Highlights & Remarkable Spots
Orchards, Farms and Woodlands / Paved to Gravel Road / ~ Miles 0 to 10
Lead out of Yamhill on a bit of pavement, but it soon transitions to hard-packed gravel roads with a bit of loose pea gravel over the top. The terrain rolls up and down (sometimes pitchy 8% or so) past Hazelnut orchards, farms and into the woodlands.
Mt Richmond / Gravel Road / ~ Miles 10 to 15.5
The next 2 miles climb up Mt Richmond, with short pitches at 8 to 15%. Roll along the summit ridge for a couple of miles with expansive valley views to the east and distant views of Mt Hood to the north. The descent also pitches down steeply, but not long.
Yamhill River / Gravel Road / ~ Miles 15.5 to 21
Flattish, big mossy trees with the river to the right. This is a really special section of road.
Timberlands & Farms / Gravel to Paved / ~ Miles 21 to Finish
This section has a double bump of two short climbs, but after mile 25.3 it is all downhill. First on gravel and then pavement for the last 5 miles. At the turn onto Moores Valley road, mile 29.5, the traffic noticeably picks up. We would recommend riding single-file and with a red blinky light.
Credits & Acknowledgements
This route is based on the Yamhill Gran Fondo route of 2019.
When We Like to Ride This
Mid-April through early July when the rivers are running full, the fields are green, and the flowers are in bloom. And … those special weeks in the fall when the leaves begin to change color.
Terrain & Riding
We like this ride for its:
- rolling terrain with short pitched climbs
- hard-packed gravel
- countryside beauty
- easy access to Portland
The Start
Beulah City Park. Restrooms.
Food & Water
- None.
Route Notes
40 mm tires are about perfect. The gravel roads are hard-pack with a layer of pea gravel over the top.
Even though the route has light traffic, we would recommend a red blinky light as there are several sectors where there is a bit more traffic.
Route Options
Other rides in the area to consider are:
- Yamhill Loop / 5 Star Route
- Yamhill 8 / Development Route
- Ghost Hill / 5 Star Route
- G-Man / Development Route
- McMinnville Mayhem / Development Route
- Powerhouse / 5 Star Route
- Chehalem Vineyard Tour / Development Route
From this collection of routes, you can build longer and more challenging routes, but you can also shorten routes to your liking. See our 20 Minutes series on “How to Modify Routes with RideWithGPS“.
This route is within Yamhill county, one of the fastest-growing regions in Oregon. The area faces increasing urbanization pressure. To learn more, and maybe get involved, visit the site “Friends of Yamhill County”. Take a few minutes to read the quarterly newsletter.
Videos
The Ride! Yamhill Loop
A quick 2-minute video of what to expect on your ride!
Podcasts
Farm Talk with Nicholas Kristof
In this podcast, we talk with Nicholas Kristof, the award-winning columnist from the New York Times, and farm owner in the Willamette Valley. We talk about growing up on a farm, the challenges of farming, and some of the opportunities for rural and urban Oregonians to come together.
Keep it Local! Learn More
Ridden and Reviewed by:
Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!
This would probably be a good training ride since it's got some hills, but I didn't find it very good as a sightseeing/touring ride compared to other areas an hour from portland.
Again I would DEFINITELY recommend doing it counter-clockwise, it would probably be way more fun that way.
Just a heads up that the road was recently paved on the last 2-3 miles of the route, no lines down yet, was a little sketchy especially with trucks pulling boats and RV’s but drivers did give plenty of space.