Cycling in Linn County includes routes that take you past some great old covered bridges like this one, Gilkey Bridge near Scio.

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Country roads, mountain trails beckon bicyclists of all abilities

Road Biking

Linn County, in the center of Oregon's beautiful Willamette Valley, offers something for every bicycle enthusiast or casual rider: country roads winding through pastoral agricultural communities, challenging hills and mountain roads for those seeking a heavier workout, and lots of shade along the way to stop for a refreshing breather.

Highways 20 and 126 take cyclists into the mountains for challenging rides and rewarding, spectacular scenery.  U.S. Forest Service campgrounds and day use sites make good stopover points for bicycle touring. Riders are encouraged to use caution because not all forest roads are paved or have suitable shoulders for sharing the road with motorized vehicles. 

The Strawberry Century and Covered Bridge bicycle tours offer road riders formal, organized treks of up to century-length, while many shorter routes provide a chance to enjoy the beauty of the Linn County countryside.  Most rides are of moderate difficulty.  All are worth the effort.

On the local level, Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home all offer trails that are suitable for biking, some paved, some not.  For more information, visit our Hiking/Mountain Climbing page.

For more on road riding in the county, visit  Santiam Spokes and Mid-Valley Bike Club web sites.

Mountain Biking

With logging and U.S. Forest Service roads criss-crossing the county's hills and mountainsides, it's not too hard to find plenty of good back-country fun.  But there are also established trails, such as Santiam Wagon Road, which is being developed in some areas for multiple uses such as mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and drivers of vintage vehicles or wagons. Along the Santiam Wagon Road are various segments – the Fish Lake Trail, the Hackleman Trail, House Rock Trail, Sevenmile Trail and Snow Creek Trail, all of which make for good shorter rides with some terrific scenery.

At the east end of the county, along Highway 126, the Clear Lake area offers a variety of rideable trails, and the Upper McKenzie River Trail system hooks into those and connects Clear Lake with the scenic waterfalls a couple of miles south of the lake. The Clear Lake Loop Trail circles the lake and hooks into the McKenzie River Trail, which runs southwest to the Waterfall Loop Trail, through old-growth Douglas fir forests, and past lava flows and the spectacular Sahalie and Koosah falls.