Route Needed from Salem to Portland

[fmkissel]

Help! I need a route from Salem to NW Portland to complete a 2 week tour of Oregon that our San Diego bike club is doing in June. I'm stuck as to how to get from Salem to Portland (specifically, NW Vaughn St) - do we use the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway up to Champoeg Park and then over to NW Portland, do we use 99 or do we use a route on the east side of the 5 to take us back? The shortest and safest route would be great if anyone has any suggestions for me????

Thanx so much
Fern Kissl

[K'Tesh]

Interstate 5 is legal south of Hwy 217.

[Jeff Wills]

Originally Posted by fmkissel

Help! I need a route from Salem to NW Portland to complete a 2 week tour of Oregon that our San Diego bike club is doing in June. I'm stuck as to how to get from Salem to Portland (specifically, NW Vaughn St) - do we use the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway up to Champoeg Park and then over to NW Portland, do we use 99 or do we use a route on the east side of the 5 to take us back? The shortest and safest route would be great if anyone has any suggestions for me????

Thanx so much
Fern Kissl

I did this last October (actually, Vancouver, WA down to Eugene and return):

Follow the Monster Cookie route north from Salem:
http://www.salembicycleclub.org/filemanager/MCR_Map.pdf
(either leg- they're about the same). From Champoeg, go east to Butteville, either on Champoeg Rd. or on the off-street path that starts in the state park. Continue east on Arndt Rd. and Knights Bridge, stop in Canby if you like. From Canby, go north on N. Holly St. and cross the Willamette on the Canby Ferry (free for bikes!). Continue north on SW Mountain Rd. (not mountainous, just hilly). Turn right at SW Turner Rd. (if you get to Stafford, you've gone too far).

Descend Turner to SW Borland and turn right. Borland turns into Willamette Falls Dr., which eventually drops you into Oregon City. From Oregon City, there's a bike path that takes you under I-205, over the Willamette, paralleling Highway 99E/McLoughlin Bl. Once you're in Gladstone, get off McLoughlin and onto SE River Rd. Follow River Rd. to Milwaukie (and McLoughlin again) and get on to SE 17th Ave. into Sellwood.

Once in Sellwood, turn left on Umatilla or Spokane and follow them to the Oaks Bottom trail. Follow the Oaks Bottom Trail into downtown. Once in downtown, you'll have to cross over the Willamette once again on the Hawthorne or Steel bridges, and then make your way to NW Vaughn. Following Naito/Front to Thurman would be your best bet.

Much of the last 15 miles or so is on bike lanes or bike paths and is well worn by many riders of all abilities.

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Haven_kd7yct]

Jeff's route is pretty good, but be cautious in the Pete's Mountain area:

Mountain Rd has no shoulders and no bike lanes; no posted speed limit, either, which means people go anywhere from 45 to 65 mph (depending on their age). Basic speed law in Clackamas Co is 45.

Turner also has no shoulders and no bike lanes; it doesn't even have any paint! There are a lot of blind corners on Mountain and Turner, and if you're on this road during a school day, watch out for school buses.

Borland has no shoulders and no bike lanes; it's posted 45mph in places, then goes down to 35 and 25 once you get into Willamette. Actually, now that I think about it, bike lanes appears shortly after it changes to 35... but disappear once you get out the other side of Willamette. Willamette Falls Drive (which Borland turns into in Willamette proper) becomes the default surface-street for people avoiding bad traffic on 205, just FYI on that.

Otherwise, it's a beautiful route!

[fmkissel]

Thanx to both of you for the reply! I greatly appreciate the information you've provided on both the route and the safety concerns. I was trying to avoid crossing the Willamette again and was hoping to be able to ride into Portland on the West side of the river, but your advice is to go up on the East side.
I'll let you know if I have any other questions.

Thank you, again!!!!
Fern

[fmkissel]

Unless I'm mistaken, the route Jeff suggested looks like it could be about 80 miles.....I don't want to take the group on an 80 mile day for their last day. Any suggestions to shorten this route to 60, max 70 miles?

Thanx!!!
Fern

[lynnef]

Originally Posted by fmkissel

Thanx to both of you for the reply! I greatly appreciate the information you've provided on both the route and the safety concerns. I was trying to avoid crossing the Willamette again and was hoping to be able to ride into Portland on the West side of the river, but your advice is to go up on the East side.
I'll let you know if I have any other questions.

Thank you, again!!!!
Fern

Crossing the Willamette is not a big deal. Did you get the private message I sent?

You can cross it at the Wheatland Ferry by Willamette Mission State Park. Or the Canby Ferry in Canby (steep climb up from the ferry, but very short). Or over Hwy 219 south of Newberg. Or the Boone Bridge over I-5.

Unfortunately, the most direct route is I-5 or Hwy 99, and they both suck.

[Jeff Wills]

Originally Posted by fmkissel

Unless I'm mistaken, the route Jeff suggested looks like it could be about 80 miles.....I don't want to take the group on an 80 mile day for their last day. Any suggestions to shorten this route to 60, max 70 miles?

Thanx!!!
Fern

Really? My wife and I rode from Champoeg State Park (about 13 miles from Willamette Mission) to home (Vancouver, Washington- about 15 miles from downtown Portland) and we were done by 3PM, with a full touring load, and taking it easy. I don't think it was much over 65 miles. (No computer- haven't had one for 15 years.)

Haven's warnings about the Pete's Mountain area (Mountain, Turner, and Willamette) are valid, but we had no problems. Traffic was pretty light and quite considerate.

Jeff

[fmkissel]

Hi, Jeff. We're coming from Salem, so we have extra miles in there I've got the route all mapped and have decided to go on the eastern side of the I-5. Thanx to everyone for their help!!
Fern