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Geographic region: Willamette Valley farmland, Oregon Coast Range foothills
Municipality/town: Yamhill
Route configuration: loops with dogleg
Distance: 21.2 miles
Min/max elevation: 339’/1,562’
Total ascent: 2,400’
Max grade: 16.5% up/19.0% down
Surface: gravel/dirt road
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended)
Obstacles: 3 gates (closed to automobile traffic but allows pedestrians and bikers to cross):
gate on NW Trask Toll Rd at 0.6 mi (and on return at 12.5 mi)
gate on NW Fairchild Creek Rd at 3.8 mi, allows you to go around
gate on unnamed road at 12.4 mi, allows you to go around
Best months: spring through fall (higher elevations may be covered in snow in the winter months)
Permits: none required
Traffic: very light to none on weekends; there may be logging traffic during the weekdays from NW Trask Toll Rd
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): The portion to the west of the start is secluded and may not feel safe to go alone (at least bring bear spray if you do go alone here); the portion to the east of the start is safe to go alone.
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 41 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: Locate Yamhill, OR. Head west on NW Moores Valley Rd – go 1.4 mi. Continue straight on NW Oak Ridge Rd – go 6.1 mi. Turn left on NW Old Railroad Grade Rd – go 0.4 mi. Continue straight on NW Fairdale Rd – go 0.7 mi. Park on the side of the road.
Head NW on NW Trask Toll Rd – go 3.8 mi
@0.7 mi: R at Y to stay on NW Trask Toll Rd
@1.6 mi: straight/L at Y to stay on NW Trask Toll Rd
@2.6 mi: straight/L at Y to stay on NW Trask Toll Rd
@3.8 mi: L at NW Fairchild Creek Rd at 4-way/∆ – go 1.5 mi
@5.2 mi: sharp R on NW CC/Hanna Cr N Fork Tie Rd – go 0.8 mi
@7.0 mi: R at triangle on unnamed road (Flying M Rd goes L but goes into private property) – go 0.7 mi
@7.7 mi: Turn around at bridge over North Yamhill River – go 0.7 mi
@8.4 mi: L on NW CC/Hanna Cr N Fork Tie – go 2.9 mi
[@10.3 mi: continue straight/R]
@11.3 mi: Continue straight (NW CC Rd becomes an unnamed road) – go 1.3 mi
@12.5 mi: R on NW Toll/NW Trask Toll Rd (pass around gate) – go 0.7 mi
@13.2 mi: continue straight (L) onto NW Fairdale Rd – go 0.5 mi
@13.6 mi: cont straight onto Old RR Grade – go 0.5 mi
@14.1 mi: R on NW Oak Ridge Rd – go 2.6 mi
@16.7 mi: R on NW Fairdale Rd – go 5.0 mi
End @21.2 mi
This fully gravel/dirt road route offers a terrific combination of densely forested and bucolic farmlands with the Coast Range as a backdrop. It starts with the biggest climb of the whole route, going up NW Trask Toll Road. This is logging country, so it’s best to go on the weekends to avoid log truck traffic here.
As you climb up this 3+ mile hill, you will pass through thickly treed areas as well patches of harvested timber under various stages of replanting and regrowth.
At 3.8 miles, you will turn left onto NW Fairchild Creek Road (no sign but look for the gate to cross) to get a welcome roughly 2-mile downhill with through the woods. At 5.2 miles, you come to a dogleg portion of the route. You can skip this dogleg, but it’s a real treat travelling along this more rustic double-track and densely vegetated section. You can turn around whenever you like, though this route has the turnaround at a bridge over the babbling North Yamhill River.
If you study the map, you will see NW Flying M Road that runs east/west. I used to have a route that included the full length of this road, but a landowner said that this goes through private property and thus public access is prohibited. Others have said this section is owned by Yamhill County and/or USFS. To be on the safe side, I took that portion out.
After completing the dogleg, you will head east on NW CC Road back toward the starting point, at which point you will head out for a 7-mile loop through woods and farmlands. The second big climb of the route is up NW Oak Ridge Road, but there are some stunning panoramic views to give you and excuse to stop and take a break.
You will round out the end of this loop on NW Fairdale Road, where you may see grazing cattle in some of the gorgeous open pastures.
Geographic region: Willamette Valley farmland
Municipality/town: Yamhill
Route configuration: loop
Distance: 16.3 miles
Min/max elevation: 210’/748’
Total ascent: 1,166’
Max grade: 7.7% up/7.5% down
Surface: gravel/dirt road
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended)
Obstacles: none
Best months: any
Permits: none required
Traffic: very light to none on weekends; there may be logging traffic during the weekdays on NW Fairdale Rd, NW Old Railroad Grade Rd, and NW Oak Ridge Rd
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): yes
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 39 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: Locate Yamhill, OR. Head west on NW Moores Valley Rd – go 1.4 mi. Continue straight on NW Oak Ridge Road – go 1.7 mi. Park at the corner of NW Moores Valley Rd and NW Oak Ridge Rd on the north side of the intersection.
Head south on NW Rockyford Rd – go 1.4 mi
@1.4 mi: R on NW Moores Valley Rd – go 4.9 mi
@6.3 mi: R on NW Old Moores Valley Rd (Google names it NW Hibbard Rd) – go 0.6 mi
@6.9 mi: L on NW Fairdale Rd – go 3.4 mi
@10.3 mi: continue straight onto NW Old Railroad Grade Rd – go 0.4 mi
@10.7 mi: L to stay on NW Old Railroad Grade Rd – go 3.6 mi
@14.3 mi: R on NW Rockyford Rd – go 2.0 mi
End @16.3 mi
This moderately hilly route loops around bucolic farmlands of Yamhill and through thicker greenery bordering the North Fork of the Yamhill River. You will start by heading south on the graveled NW Rockyford Road, passing by quiet farming homesteads. At 1.4 miles, you will head west on NW Moores Valley Rd, for the only paved portion of the route (about two mile’s worth). You will pass by alpaca, sheep, and cattle farms. They may a bit shy here, but inquisitive. After the road turns to gravel, the farms become more spread apart, divided by lovely groves of trees.
Around the 5-mile mark, you will catch a stunning view of lush pastures with the Coast Range in the background. If you go early enough, you might be lucky and see herds of elks in the pastures. You will then head north on NW Old Moores Valley Road, then left on NW Fairdale Road, passing by more farms which likely include some cattle. You will eventually start heading east again on NW Old Railroad Grade Road, through denser patches of trees, and bordering the North Fork of the Yamhill River. The last couple of miles take you south on NW Rockyford Road to the finish, rolling through more open farmland once again.
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