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Geographic region: Oregon Coast Range
Municipality/town: Gales Creek (unincorporated Washington County)
Route configuration: loop
Distance: 20.3 miles
Min/max elevation: 922’/2,955’
Total ascent: 3,115’
Max grade: 13.0% up/13.3% down
Surface: ~18 miles gravel/dirt road (some larger rocks), ~2 miles dirt path
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended)
Obstacles: 3 gates (closed to automobile traffic but allows pedestrians and bikers to cross):
gate on Rogers Rd at the northwest end of Gales Creek Campground
gate on Round Top Rd north of the peak of Round Top Mtn
gate at the beginning of Storey Burn Rd (near Hwy 6) but this is usually open
Best months: spring, summer, fall (higher areas may be covered in snow during the winter)
Permits: none required
Traffic: virtually none for most of it on the weekend; there may be some logging traffic during the weekdays. You also might see an occasional vehicle on the southern section of NW Storey Burn Rd, where you may also see people target shooting away from the road)
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): no. Consider bringing bear spray.
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 40 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: From Hwy 26 W, take the Hwy 6 W exit – go 18.5 mi. Park in the gravel parking area at the Storey Burn Rd intersection.
Head northeast in the parking lot – go 400’
Head northeast on Gales Creek Tr – go 2.0 mi
@2.0 mi: L on Rogers Rd (go through Gales Creek Campground) – go 3.5 mi
@5.5 mi: R at Y onto unnamed road – go 1.1 mi
@6.6 mi: R toward Round Top Mtn peak – go 0.3 mi to the peak, look at view, loop around tower and head back
@6.9 mi: head back – go 0.4 mi
@7.3 mi: R on NW Round Top Rd – go 1.1 mi
@7.5 mi: stay L (shortly after, there will a gate to be crossed)
@8.5 mi: L on Bell Camp Rd – go 3.0 mi
@9.9 mi: take a short detour to the R for a great view
@10.4 mi: continue straight at 4-way intersection
@11.5 mi: L on Storey Burn Rd – go 250’
(Google Maps shows Storey Burn Rd continuing all the way to Hwy 6, but this section of Storey Burn Rd does not connect)
@11.6 mi: straight on NW Standard Grade Rd – go 2.2 mi
@13.8 mi: L on unnamed road – go 1.0 mi
@14.8 mi: R on NW Storey Burn Rd – go 5.4 mi
@20.2 mi: L into parking lot
End @20.3 mi
This is not the longest route, nor does it have the most cumulative ascent. But it ranks at the top regarding strenuousness. This is largely due to the relentlessly steep and lengthy climb to the peak of Round Top Mountain. But the stunning beauty is worth the effort. The route starts at the base of NW Storey Burn Road with a two-mile section of Gales Creek Trail that parallels Highway 6. The trail is narrow, downhill, windy, and muddy at times, so a biker may prefer to zip along Highway 6 for this portion.
Once you reach Gales Creek Campground, you will head northwest on Rogers Road. You will soon cross a gate as you begin the arduous climb to Round Top Mountain. From slightly after the two-mile mark to nearly seven miles, with the exception of a short flat section around mile four-and-a-half, you will be climbing up a very steep grade (with nearly 2,000 feet of climbing in 4.7 miles). At around 6.6 miles, you will turn right to head up to the peak just 0.3 mile beyond. There is a tower at the top, and it’s worth it to circle the tower to take in all the gorgeous panoramic views.
After completing this short dogleg, you will turn right to resume the large loop on NW Round Top Road, and it’s thankfully downhill and flat here. You will soon need to cross another gate, and then you will continue another mile or so before turning left on Bell Camp Road. Bell Camp Road winds through forested areas, but around the 9.9-mile mark, be on the lookout for a short pull-out to the right which is worth the extra 50 yards or so to catch some more beautiful panoramic views.
You will continue on rolling hills until you intersect with Storey Burn Road, and in a few hundred feet, NW Standard Grade Road. This last roughly five-mile section on NW Storey Burn Road is mostly downhill, and it has a gentler grade than the climb up Round Top Mountain. That, along with some more lovely views, makes for a more relaxing finish.
Geographic region: Oregon Coast Range
Municipality/town: Gales Creek (unincorporated Washington County)
Route configuration: out-and-back
Distance: 12.2 miles
Min/max elevation: 1,626’/3,069’
Total ascent: 1,885’
Max grade: 11.9% up/11.9% down
Surface: gravel/dirt road (some larger rocks)
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended)
Obstacles: gate at the beginning (usually open to all traffic but if closed, pedestrians and bikers may cross)
Best months: spring, summer, fall (higher areas may be covered in snow during the winter)
Permits: none required
Traffic: virtually none for most of it on the weekend; there may be some logging traffic during the weekdays. You also might see an occasional vehicle on the southern section of NW Storey Burn Rd, where you may also see people target shooting away from the road)
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): no. Consider bringing bear spray.
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 40 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: From Hwy 26 W, take the Hwy 6 W exit – go 18.5 mi. Park in the gravel parking area at the NW Storey Burn Rd intersection. (Some maps call it Storey Burn Rd rather than NW Storey Burn Rd; they are the same.)
Head southwest on NW Storey Burn Rd (the road will wrap around to head north) – go 5.4 mi
@5.4 mi: R at Y to stay on NW Storey Burn Rd – go 0.2 mi
@5.6 mi: R at Y to stay on NW Storey Burn Rd – go 150’
@5.6+ mi: L at Y to stay on NW Storey Burn Rd – go 0.5 mi
@6.1 mi (or wherever desired): turn around and head back – go 0.5 mi
@6.6 mi: L to stay on NW Storey Burn Rd – go 0.2 mi
@6.8 mi: L to stay on NW Storey Burn Rd – go 5.4 mi
End @12.2 mi
One of the shorter routes in this guide, it still packs in a lot of climbing and beautiful panoramic views of the Coast Range in a relatively short time. This route stays entirely on NW Storey Burn Road, which keeps it pretty simple. Be sure to look to the north to see the tower at the peak of Round Top Mountain.
The turnaround point for this route is at 6.1 miles, which of course can be changed to whatever you prefer. The peak of the climb is about a half-mile before the turnaround, but the scenery continues to be so lovely that I had to include it. After you turn around and climb back up a steep but short hill, you will get to coast most of the way back to where you started.
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