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There are several places to ride local.
Ridgeline in Eugene is beginner friendly but heard the mtb section is currently closed for trail work. Check the map for open to mtb trails
Thurston Hills in Springfield has a nice green line Acer Spades. There is a group that rides there on Tuesday nites, Show up after 5 leave the parking lot at 5;30, (FB page- Eugene Mountain Bike Group). They will ride some trails wirh rocky tread (YewHaw)
Carpenter Bypass near Lorane is a network of trails, many are beginner friendly. I plan to ride there today, noon at North parking lot (gravel pile), I drive a green Tacoma and you are welcome to join me. Forum back if you plan to show.
Regarding riding fast , getting technical, and not falling, good luck with that. You’re new to mtb, learn to ride first, fall a few times, gain confidence then speed and tech…then fall some more.
Last I heard Eugene POS intends to build about 4.5 miles of trail in 2022, including extending Ridgeline for multi-use and a mtb specific line. No info on the bike park, lack of funds is likely an issue. Situation is subject to change and probably will.
Lots of people feel the same way and have suggested a pump track/skills course at Arlie, Amazon, and State Street parks, as well as Thurston, Whypass, and probably others. Eugene POS is more receptive to mtb lately but doubt the old landfill at Alton Baker is a site they would approve. You are welcome to attend the virtual DOD Board meeting next Monday for more discussion.
Welcome back to the mtb world. There is some good riding to be had at why pass and north shore. Winter trailwork ops on weekdays with a small crew will be ongoing, email [email protected] if you’re available.
Trail closures are at the discretion of land managers and while it is recommended to stay off the Hardesty system trails, there is no closure.
WET TRAIL RIDING ETIQUETTE
The rainy season is upon us and it’s time for DOD’s annual PSA on behalf of our local trails. The main message is that riding many trails when they are wet or muddy causes unnecessary damage and erosion while other trails actually hold up pretty well under wet conditions. A general rule of thumb is after a few days straight of Oregon liquid sunshine or when a layer of snow is melting fast, you should do something else and give the trails a break.
TRAILS TO DEFINITELY AVOID
Goodman Creek, Eagle’s Rest, and lower Hardesty are some of the more fragile trails we have access to. Owing to many small creeks, seeps and even a swale area, the drainage on these trails is poor. Many years they don’t dry out completely until June or July. The more people bike, hike, or bring their horses there in wet conditions the more vulnerable the trails are to long term damage. Please wait to ride these trails until they are completely dry.
TRAILS TO DEFINITELY RIDE
Whypass: AKA Carpenter Bypass, this trail network outside of Lorane was built by mountain bikers as a place to ride year round. Proper construction, drainage, and maintenance along with strategic armoring means that these trails are quite resistant to damage during the winter months.
North Shore: This out and back trail near Lowell is blessed with good rock content and has also received a lot of love from the mtb community over the years to greatly improve the tread and drainage. North shore is a perfect winter riding trail.
Finally, two things to remember: 1) Continued mtb access to multi-use trails is not necessarily guaranteed 2) Trail Elves are not a real thing … Disciples of Dirt, ATCA, GOATS and other trailwork volunteers will be the ones that have to go out and fix the damaged tread in the spring. Please be a responsible and considerate trail user and make good decisions about where and when to ride this winter.Big shout out to these three and several others who showed up to clear OROR trails after the big wind last month. Trail stars!
North Shore Trail is an excellent trail with tech features and provides access to much more trail on National Forest. The poison oak is leafing out so if you get it, something to consider.
Not much in the way of legal trail w/in biking distance.
There is Ridgeline trail in south eugene if you like riding gravel hiking trails, and wild iris in SW eug. is open to bikes but is crowded with hikers so I don’t recommend it. Check the Eugene Parks map as many trails are hiking only.
Thurston Hills in east springfield has limited trails open now due to wet muddy trails but expect all trails to open in a month or so. Check with Willamalane.
As might be expected in a metro area with so little single track to offer, there are several non-sanctioned trails close in to the city, but I have not ridden them so can’t tell you much about them.
USFS requires hardhats for trailwork and that is a good thing. If need be,
one will be provided for your trailwork safety.
