Biking bliss at Fort Stevens State Park
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on July 13th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
(File photo) - Slideshow below.
Last weekend I discovered camping at Fort Stevens State Park. The 3,700 park includes beach access, a lake, historical sites, and even a real life shipwreck.
But the top attraction by far is the fabulous network of dedicated bike paths that connect all of the above.
You can literally go everywhere by bike and the result is that everyone does…and I mean everyone. I was astounded at the amount of people riding around. It was like being in a bikey utopia where no one was afraid of cars and people of all ages rode their bikes with reckless abandon.
As we rode around I made believe that each destination was another part of the city and smiled at the thought of having a connected network like this in Portland. A guy can dream can’t he?!
Check out the photo gallery or the slideshow below to see what I mean.
Created with Paul’s flickrSLiDR.
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July 13th, 2007 16:40
There's an episode of the old Route 66 TV show that showed the heros driving their Corvette on the beach past the wreck of the Peter Iredale at Ft. Stevens.
Today I guess they'd have to be riding fat-tyre cruisers...
The wife and I rented a yurt there one New Years. Didn't get much riding in, but we had the whole park to ourselves!
July 13th, 2007 17:41
Its been a bike-topia since the 70's. I remember seeing all the bikes riding the network and being jelous in the family car. Its one of Aurelia's favorite places to camp.
July 13th, 2007 17:52
I rode Ft. Stevens last year, feeling a bit guilty -- can all that impervious cover and the tree-trashing it took to put in those trails really be good for the environment? But the experience of swooshing through the quiet forest with no bumpiness, no having to watch for protruding tree roots or rocks or other trail dangers... it just blew me and my friend away. We even made it out to the old gun emplacements and remnants of the army base. I bet having the rental bikes and paved paths available turns on lots of people to parks, and now I'm on the lookout for other parks that have them. I rode in Vancouver BCs Stanley Park a couple weeks ago. Any other paved-path park recommendations?
July 13th, 2007 19:26
One of my favorite paved park destination in the Grand Canyon. The Rim "Drive" at the South Rim is now closed to cars so, it's just bikes buses and hikers. If you go in spring or fall you it's a little quieter and cooler - lots of good campsites and easy access to facilites (grocery, visitor center, sights) by bike.
Not a park, but a long multi-use path that's very bike friendly exists in Monterey too - just did that strtch while bike touring the CA coast and I was amazed at how well bikes and peds got along even in the tourist-heavy Cannery Row area.
San Francisco and south Marin County also make a great bike path destination. You can ride from near Fisherman's wharf, across the Golden GAte Bridge all on paths and once through Sausilito, the neworkk of paths continues on to Tiburon and beyond.
Ok, maybe you had some closer destinations in mind? What about Eugene - lots of great paths there along the Willamette River and surrounds. Diamond Lake, near Crater Lake has a trail around the lake and a very nice camp ground with views that are hard to beat.
OR, there's a cool rails to trail path from Couer d'Lane (sp?) to the Montana border - oops I've left the state again.
Speaking of rails-to-trails, of course there's the trail in Vernonia,and a trail down in K-Falls (Alice winner helped advocate and care for it)and I know there are others..
Finally, I hear there are bike paths in Sunriver BUT I also hear that bikes are prohibited from the streets - so not sure that's for me.
July 13th, 2007 21:47
I remember going camping there as a kid. Those were some good times.
July 13th, 2007 22:39
If you have the room, bring an extra bike (with fat tires) that you wouldn't mind getting rusty out on the beach.
A couple of years ago the family and I did at least ten miles in the surf and sand between the northernmost point of Oregon (the proper name escapes me) and the wreck of the Iredale. The sand is fairly hardpacked and not hard to pedal in at all.
July 13th, 2007 23:38
I camped there once and will never go back. When I woke up, my Vanilla was stolen. I had not locked it up, but it was close by within 50 feet or so. Beware this Fort Stevens park, it is not so blissful.
July 14th, 2007 15:10
Here's some info about a fun,family-friendly bike event held at Ft. Stevens every August: http://recumbentretreat.org/.
July 15th, 2007 09:30
Dang Jeff, how many Vanillas have you owned and had stolen?
July 15th, 2007 21:07
Yes, the Recumbent Retreat is quite the event! The lighted bike parade on Saturday night is the highlight of the weekend - 100 plus funny-looking bikes lighted to the gills. Campers make their yearly vacation plans to see the spectacle! Be there - August 17-19!