Menu bar on top may not be visible on older browsers. It's also at bottom of page.
Menu bar on top may not be visible on older browsers. It's also at bottom of page.
Geographic region: Chehalem Mountains
Municipality/town: Newberg, Sherwood
Route configuration: loops
Distance: 21.9 miles
Min/max elevation: 314’/1,197’
Total ascent: 3,062’
Max grade: 11.4% up/11.2% down
Surface: ~18 miles paved road, ~3 miles gravel road
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended, although road bike is fine for most of it)
Obstacles: none
Best months: any
Permits: none required
Traffic: light
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): yes
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 22 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: Locate Sherwood, OR. Head southwest on Hwy 99W. About 6 miles past Sherwood, turn L on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 1.0 mi. Park in the gravel on the corner of NE Corral Creek Rd and NE Schaad Rd.
Head northeast on NE Schaad Rd – go 0.6 mi
@0.6 mi: Sharp R on NE Old Parrett Mountain Rd – go 1.6 mi
@2.2 mi: L SW Parrett Mountain Rd – go 1.7 mi
@3.9 mi: R on SW Heater Rd – go 2.2 mi
@6.1 mi: R on NE Smith Rd – go 1.1 mi
@7.2 mi: L on NE Parrett Mountain Rd – go 1.6 mi
@8.8 mi: L on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 220 ft
@8.9 mi: L to stay on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 0.8 mi
@9.7 mi: L on SW Heater Rd – go 0.5 mi
@10.2 mi: L on NE Smith Rd – go 1.1 mi
@11.3 mi: Slight R on SW Parrett Mountain Rd – go 0.5 mi
@11.8 mi: L on NE Old Parrett Mountain Rd – go 1.6 mi
@13.4 mi: Sharp L on NE Schaad Rd – go 0.3 mi
@13.7 mi: L on NE Anna Dr – go 0.3 mi
@14.0 mi: L on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 1.1 mi
@15.1 mi: Slight R on NE Kramien Rd – go 2.4 mi
@17.5 mi: L on NE Parrett Mountain Rd – go 0.7 mi
@18.2 mi: L on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 3.7 mi
End @21.9 mi
With a one-and-a-half mile steep uphill at the very start, this course doesn’t kid around. In fact, this route has very few flat spots, so be prepared for a roller coaster of a course. The steepest climbs are in the first half, though, which helps to make the last eight miles or so feel relatively easy by comparison.
Parrett Mountain does not cover a large area, but it has many scenic roads and vistas. To take full advantage, I created a route with multiple loops, with only a small amount of repeating sections. I apologize in advance for having this course go up NE Smith Road twice, as it’s a butt-buster of a hill.
After almost every tough climb, you will be rewarded with a view of bucolic farmland. And another bonus: farm animals! One of my favorite parts about running in the countryside is being able to stop to talk to, feed, and even pet such cute cows, horses, donkeys, goats, and more. Many will come right up to the fence to greet you if you stop and call them over.
This route has quite a bit more pavement than most of the others, but many of the paved sections are very quiet and peaceful, making this a tranquil course overall.
Geographic region: Chehalem Mountains
Municipality/town: Newberg, Sherwood
Route configuration: loops
Distance: 17.6 miles
Min/max elevation: 387’/1,197’
Total ascent: 2,354’
Max grade: 11.2% up/10.0% down
Surface: ~10.5 miles paved road, ~3 miles gravel road, ~4 miles dirt path
Bikes allowed: Bikes are no longer allowed on the Bob and Crystal Riley Park trails, but I have been told this may change in the future. I will update this if anything changes. Gravel bike recommended for the rest.
Obstacles: none
Best months: spring, summer, fall (can be muddy after a lot of rain in the winter but if there have been several dry days, it’s fine)
Permits: none required
Traffic: light
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): yes
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 22 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: Locate Sherwood, OR. Head southwest on Hwy 99W. About 6 miles past Sherwood, turn L on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 1.0 mi. Park in the gravel on the corner of NE Corral Creek Rd and NE Schaad Rd.
Head northeast on NE Schaad Rd – go 0.6 mi
@0.6 mi: Sharp R on NE Old Parrett Mountain Rd – go 1.6 mi
@2.2 mi: L on SW Parrett Mountain Rd – go 1.7 mi
@3.9 mi: R on SW Heater Rd – go 2.2 mi
@6.1 mi: R on NE Smith Rd – go 1.1 mi
@7.2 mi: L on NE Parrett Mountain Rd – go 0.4 mi
@7.6 mi: R into Bob & Crystal Rilee Park
Head west into the parking lot a few hundred feet, then turn R to find the entrance to the trails.
@7.7 mi: head west on Dan’s Field Loop – go 0.1 mi
@7.8 mi: R toward Burt’s 80 Field Loop (there is a sign here that say’s Dan’s Field Loop; just turn R here) – go 0.2 mi
@8.0 mi: Continue straight onto Burt’s 80 Field Loop – go 1.6 mi
@9.6 mi: R toward Dan’s Field Loop – go 0.1 mi
@9.7 mi: Continue straight onto Dan’s Field Loop – go 0.5 mi
@10.2 mi: R on Curtis’ Field Loop – go 0.9 mi
@11.1 mi: R on Dan’s Field Loop – go 0.2 mi
@11.3 mi: return to parking lot and head back to the road
@11.6 mi: R NE Parrett Mountain Rd – go 1.2 mi
@12.8 mi: L on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 220 ft
@12.9 mi: R on NE Parrett Mountain Rd – go 0.7 mi
@13.6 mi: R on NW Kramien Rd – go 2.4 mi
@16.0 mi: Slight L on NE Corral Creek Rd – go 1.0 mi
@17.0 mi: R on NE Anna Dr – go 0.3 mi
@17.4 mi: L on NE Schaad Rd – go 0.3 mi
End @17.6 mi
This is a shorter version of Parrett Mountain than Route 6, but it includes a ~3-mile loop of trails in Bob & Crystal Rilee Park around the middle of the route. You can enjoy the same lovely farm and valley views as the longer route with the bonus of accessing trails that skirt the edges of crop fields and horse pastures.
Like Route 6, the toughest hills are in the first half. Once you get into Bob & Crystal Rilee Park around mile 7.6, the hills feel a little gentler. The trails here are dirt and grass with some dirt clumps, so it can be slow-going at times. But still, it’s just fun to circle the pastures and fields of grain.
Once you exit the park around 11.6 miles, you will head south on NE Parrett Mountain Road, and then turn right on NE Kramien Road, where you will get a nice section of smooth gravel road flanked by farms and then forest. More than half of the course is paved, so the gravel and dirt sections can feel welcome to runners looking for a softer surface.
Geographic region: Willamette Valley farmland
Municipality/town: Aurora, St Paul, Butteville
Route configuration: loops
Distance: 9.9 miles (10.3 miles for bike version)
Min/max elevation: 92’/217’
Total ascent: 443’
Max grade: 4.0% up/5.3% down
Surface: ~6.5 miles paved road, ~2.5 miles paved path, ~1 mile dirt path (all paved for bike version)
Bikes allowed: yes (mountain bike recommended for the dirt trail portions; you could use a road bike and skip those trails)
Obstacles: none
Best months: any
Permits: Oregon State Park day-use parking permit required ($5); can be purchased via self-pay station at entrance
Traffic: light
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): yes
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 24 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: Locate the Butteville General Store at 10767 Butte St NE, Aroura, OR 97002. Park in the parking lot.
Head northwest on Butte St NE – go 160’
R on 1st St NE – go 300’
@0.1 mi: continue straight on Butteville Rd NE – go 0.6 mi
@0.7 mi: R on Schultz Rd NE – go 0.8 mi
@1.5 mi: R on Arndt Rd NE – go 0.6 mi
@2.1 mi: L on Butteville Rd NE – go 0.5 mi
@2.6 mi: R on Champoeg Rd NE – go 2.8 mi
@5.4 mi: R to enter Champoeg State Park – go 0.2 mi
ON FOOT:
@5.6 mi: L on bike path – go 50’ and turn L again – go 0.7 mi
@6.3 mi: enter parking lot, turn R – go 60’
@6.3+ mi: R on Townsite Tr – go 1.1 mi
@7.1 mi: R through a field (overflow parking) to stay on Townsite Tr
@7.4 mi: L on path bordering park entrance road – go 0.1 mi
@7.5 mi: L to continue on path which becomes Champoeg Butteville Bike Path – go 1.8 mi
@9.3 mi: continue straight on Schuler Rd NE – go 0.4 mi
@9.7 mi: L on Butteville Rd NE – go 0.2 mi
@9.9 mi: L on Butte St NE – go 100’
End @9.9 mi
ON BIKE:
@5.6 mi: L on paved road – go 0.1 mi
@5.7 mi: L on paved road – go 0.7 mi
@6.4 mi: continue on L side of parking lot – go 0.1 mi
@6.5 mi: L on paved path – go 0.1 mi
@6.6 mi: continue straight through parking lot – go 0.1 mi
@6.8 mi: L on paved path – go 1.1 mi
@7.9 mi: L to continue on path which becomes Champoeg Butteville Bike Path – go 1.8 mi
@9.7 mi: continue straight on Schuler Rd NE – go 0.4 mi
@10.1 mi: L on Butteville Rd NE – go 0.2 mi
@10.3 mi: L on Butte St NE – go 100’
End @10.3 mi
Butteville, a quaint town on the Willamette River, is home to the oldest continuously-operating retail establishment in Oregon, The Butteville Store. This route, the shortest of this guide and with gently rolling hills, starts at this store to make two different loops.
The first loop is just over two-and-a-half miles long, wrapping around a residential neighborhood, then passing by an old cemetery and some open farmlands with livestock and crops. As you finish this first loop, you will pass by the Butteville Store again before heading south to start the larger loop. Shortly out of town, you will head west on Champoeg Road NE, which takes you through hop fields, fruit orchards, and wineries.
At the 5.4-mile point, you will turn into Champoeg State Park. There was a bustling town of Champoeg that was built in the 1840s, but the town was all but wiped out by a flood in 1861 and never rebuilt. You will loop around the park, initially on the main park road, and then, if on foot, on dirt and bark chip paths that border the Willamette River. If you are on a bike, you will need to stay on the paved paths and roads. Whether on foot or bike, you will head east to join the Champoeg Butteville Bike Path, which will take you through a beautiful woodsy area on the edge of the Willamette. After the bike path ends, you will have less than a mile to finish back up at the Butteville Store.
Copyright © 2024 RUN! BIKE! COUNTRY! 60+ Routes on NW Oregon Backroads - All Rights Reserved.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.