Oregon Cycling Magazine

by Karl Benedek

I get asked all the time about the best way to the coast from Eugene. Highway 126 is the most direct route, of course, but not the most fun. I had been out Smith River Road before, but had never tried Highway 36, so this July, my wife and I set out to explore a loop that would take us out Smith River Road and back on 36. This 168-mile route took us about three and a half days and can be ridden in either direction.

Begin by taking Crow Road away from Eugene towards the Territorial Highway. If you forgot to load up on food or water, make the detour to the town of Crow when you hit Territorial. There are no services for the next 50 miles or so. On this stretch, you’ll be slowly climbing past rolling foothills and farms. The grade is quite easy, but there is little shade, so don’t forget the sunscreen.

The climbing begins on Wolf Creek Road with a couple of decent hills. At the end of Wolf Creek Road, turn right on Siuslaw River Road. Signs will point towards Highway 126. That’s OK for now.

Looking at the sprawl of forest roads in the Smith River area on a good map can be confusing. The large wood-panel map on Siuslaw River Road just past the Alma work camp is not a good map. For one thing, it’s upside-down; south is at the top, which takes a little getting used to. The thing to remember is, if you take the right fork, you’ll be travelling towards Camp Creek and Highway 126. If you bear left, you’ll be heading into the Oxbow burn area, which is where you want to be going.

Memories of the Oxbow burn, one of the most severe in Oregon history, evidently linger in the area, evidenced by fresh paint on the roadway marking the start of the fire and the date (August 20, 1966). The fire, started by a spark from some logging equipment, eventually burned over 40,000 acres.

The road begins climbing here, but not for too long. At the top, there is an intersection with a ruined message/display board. As the saying goes, it’s all downhill from here.

Smith River Road winds and twists towards the coast, following the path of the river through steep-walled canyons. The shoulder is mostly overgrown, but since traffic is so light, it hardly seems to matter. You get the impression of a particularly wide multi-use path.

Two landmarks on the upper stretch of Smith River Road bear mentioning. One is the almost-ruined Oxbow burn sign, which has been steadily melting back into the forest for several years now. Pocked with bullet-holes and nearly overgrown, the sign is still visible, but not quite legible anymore. Maybe if you could hack away some of the blackberry vines you could get a better view. The second notable landmark is easy to cruise right past, but arresting once you notice it: the Carpenter fir, an ancient tree that towers over its neighbors and whose girth recalls the redwoods of northern California. Look for this behemoth between the intersections with Carpenter Road and Scare Creek Road.

You will find a few unimproved camping spots as you make your way down Smith River Road, but the only one worth stopping at is Vincent Creek, at the intersection with Vincent Creek Road. This one is hard to miss, especially if it’s a weekend and the place is jumping. There are no fees to use the area, even for camping, and the only drawback is the lack of drinking water. If you have the means to purify water, the river is right there. You’ll find pit toilets and picnic tables here, and a large but lumpy field to pitch your tent. In the heat of the summer, the Smith River runs warm here and is a refreshing way to wash off the road grime.

A few miles past Vincent Creek, you’ll find Smith River Falls. If you missed the swimming at Vincent Creek, here’s another good chance for you.

Continuing on towards the coast, you’ll spot a small pub/convenience store about 15 miles from Gardiner. This is the only place between Crow (remember Crow?) and the state parks south of Florence to stock up on bottled or faucet water and food.

The last few miles to Highway 101 follow the widening river to the estuary. When you see the railroad you’ll know you’re almost there. Turn right at the highway and get prepared for a very different riding experience.
The stretch of Highway 101 through the Oregon Dunes between Florence and Coos Bay is heavily traveled by vacationers, RVers and 18-wheelers. There is also a more-or-less constant headwind if you are traveling north, which you will be. You won’t see much of the ocean on this route, but avoiding debris on the expanding and contracting shoulder will keep your focus on the road, not the scenery. Thankfully, this leg of the trip is only about 18 miles long. On the way to Florence, you’ll pass some state parks. Honeyman State Park offers hiker-biker camping for $4 per person, flush toilets and hot showers. Honeyman is also an entry point to the famous Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. A short ride into Florence and you are in the land of restaurants, supermarkets and ice cream shops.

From Florence, you will turn inland and head towards Mapleton on Highway 126. The traffic will abate somewhat and the shoulder is generous, but it’s still a very busy road and there is nothing much to speak of along it. The miles fly by, especially if the wind is at your back. At Mapleton, you’ll find a couple of little stores and a cafe. At this point, you’ll leave Highway 126 and head towards Deadwood on Highway 36, the Mapleton-Junction City Highway. The road is a welcome reprieve from all the traffic on 101 and 126. There are a few boat ramps with picnic tables along the way, but no water available until Deadwood, about 15 miles from Mapleton. After the tiny town of Tide, the road begins to climb a bit and before long, you’re in Deadwood. There is a small grocery store here, the last chance to stock up for a while. You won’t see another store until Low Pass. The grocery at Triangle Lake, indicated on some maps, burned in 2007 and has not yet been rebuilt.

A few miles past Deadwood, you’ll start climbing again, and eventually you’ll come to the Lake Creek area, home to Slide Rock, a 100-foot natural waterslide that is crowded most hot days. Summertime weekends, especially so. Just beyond the parking area at the top of the hill, you’ll see the entrance to a small private campground that may look full, especially on weekends, but can usually find space for cyclists. You just have to be willing to put up with a pretty wild campground. If you’re in the mood to party, you’re in the right place. If not, don’t forget to pack the earplugs.

Just over the rise from the campground, you’ll find Triangle Lake—both the lake and the town. The road traces two sides of the triangle and you’ll start to see the scenery shift from forest to agricultural. The one notable climb on this stretch comes right before the town of Low Pass, where you’ll find a small grocery. This is the last stop for food on the route until you hit Eugene, and the last stop for water until Fern Ridge Reservoir. Some maps show water available at the Alderwood Wayside State Park, but none was in evidence as of this writing. You will find picnic tables and new pit toilets, though.

Once past Alderwood, keep a lookout for Lawrence Road. You’ll turn right here to head towards Territorial Highway and Fern Ridge Reservoir. Across Territorial, the name changes to Clear Lake Road and you’ll find recreation areas with water, toilets and picnic areas on either side of the Fern Ridge Reservoir dam. From here, it’s just a few miles to downtown Eugene. The nicest way to get there is to take Clear Lake Road to Greenhill Road and turn right. At the intersection with Royal Avenue, you’ll see the western terminus of the Fern Ridge Bike Path which will take you into the heart of Eugene.

Interview

Possibly Related

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• May 2008: Blow bells and a Bend din
• November 2006: A new road south
• June 2007: Biking across the roof of Mexico
• August 2007: Inside Black Rock