Eastern Oregon hunting ranch reinvents itself as bicycle tourism destination

Their logo pays homage
to pheasant-hunting roots.

A 300 acre ranch located near a ghost town about 190 miles east of Portland is the latest sign that bicycle tourism is poised to deliver a jolt to Oregon’s rural economies.

Phil and Kathy Carlson founded Treo Ranches as a bird hunting destination in 1987. Since then they’ve built a strong business, but now they’ve realized there’s another market worth shooting for: city slickers on bikes. A press release about Treo Bike Tours‘ new, all-inclusive group cycling retreat packages states that the ranch, “is reinventing itself as a vacation destination for urban cyclists who want to experience the Old West by bicycle — and maybe even shoot few rounds while they’re at it.”

Riding just outside the tiny town of Heppner.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The packages start at $225 per person per night and the price includes everything: Treo will feed you three meals a day, put you up in their 3,200 square foot guest house (which boasts a hot tub, beer on tap, a pool table, and more), and even offer full ride support when you’re out on the roads (including a mid-ride picnic lunch!). Speaking of roads, the riding around Heppner (pop. 1,291) is fantastic and relatively auto-free. Treo also has bike route maps and suggested itineraries at the ready.

Here’s a promo video put out by Treo:

The Carlsons are taking reservations now for the first dates in May. Check out TreoBikeTours.com for more info.
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Treo Bike Tours is an exciting development for bicycle tourism in Oregon. Since the first Oregon Bicycle Tourism Summit (now known as the Oregon Active Transportation Summit) back in April 2006 to its prominent role at the National Bike Summit, bicycle tourism in Oregon has gone from an idea pushed by activists to a full-fledged industry with government backing in a relatively short time. Collaboration between Travel Oregon, grassroots advocates, the State of Oregon, and jurisdictions throughout the state have created a socio-political infrastructure that holds vast potential.

This is just the beginning. It’s going to be very fun to watch bicycle tourism grow in Oregon.

Delve further into Oregon’s bicycle tourism news and industry via the archives.