Oregon is a great destination for mountain bikers. This state on the West Coast of the USA boasts countless world-class trails running through beautiful scenery, from the lush forests of the Cascade Mountains to the arid desert of the east. Mountain bikers will love exploring trails such as the Bend, the McKenzie River Trail and the Oakridge. In addition to these well-known mountain biking routes in Oregon, there are other great trails scattered throughout the state, from Portland in the north to Ashland in the south. If you want to bike through one or more of these fantastic locations, you will first have to apply for a ESTA visa.
The McKenzie River Trail
The McKenzie River Trail is one of Oregon’s many beautiful riverside trails and can be explored in both directions. This trail is located one hour west of Sisters and one hour east of Eugene.
The trail crosses many mountain springs and through it you can admire towering pines and cedars, some of which are as old as the state itself. The McKenzie River Trail has everything in terms of path variety and scenery. It’s hard to keep your eyes on the trail with all its spectacular beauty. Sahalie Falls, Blue Pool or Clear Lake are all must-sees. If you have time, you can also do the Olallie Ridge Loop. It’s steeper and more technical than the McKenzie River Trail, but you will enjoy wonderful and unforgettable views. If you’re a true river trail enthusiast, Oregon’s North Umpqua Trail (80 miles) will not disappoint you.
Alpine Trail, Oakridge
Many mountain bikers can’t get enough of the beauty of Oregon’s forests, especially those near Oakridge. For the past 14 years, the city has hosted the Mountain Bike Oregon event, which runs along the famous Alpine Trail. From the top, the views are breathtaking, and the trail is almost perfect single track. There are numerous possibilities for all levels. The trail is not very technical, and you can go as fast as you like as it is a downhill trail.
If you want to extend this route even further, you can also choose to ride the “ATC” loop. To do this, turn right on Tire Mountain Trail halfway and then take Cloverpatch, back to Alpine. Be sure to bring a map or guidebook if you take this route
Blackrock
A few hours south of Portland, just outside Salem, Oregon’s state capital, a wooden mountain bike trail is hidden in the woods. Blackrock is the only proper freeride trail in the state. BlackRock is a fantastic place for mountain bikers. The trails are graded according to difficulty. There are technical wood sections as well as a basic training area to improve your skills before hitting the trails.
This set of seven trails offers something for everyone. The higher altitude trails have alternative options for wet days, and most of them are built with a succession of jump sizes to suit almost any skill level.
Mountain biking in Oregon, USA
Near Portland, Eugene and the other major cities in Oregon there are great, easy-to-find mountain bike trails where you can have a lot of fun. These trails are located in the mountains and hills of the Cascade Range. On the other side of the state, on Oregon’s eastern plains, Bend is one of the best MTB destinations in the USA, as it has a huge number of fast and fun trails to explore. In each of these areas, there are trails for all types of mountain bikers.
For a mountain biking holiday in Oregon (USA), travellers from the UK need an ESTA visa. You can apply online for this electronic travel authorisation, and then it will be digitally linked to your passport. It is therefore very important that you travel to the with the same passport you used to apply for your ESTA. If your passport expires before the two-year validity period of the ESTA, your ESTA will also expire earlier. In this case, you will need to apply for a new ESTA with the new passport details. As long as the ESTA is valid, you can use it for an unlimited number of trips, each of which last a maximum of 90 days.
