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Geographic region: Willamette Valley farmland
Municipality/town: Carlton
Route configuration: loops
Distance: 17.3 miles
Min/max elevation: 150’/382’
Total ascent: 711’
Max grade: 3.4% up/6.9% down
Surface: ~10 miles gravel road, ~7 miles paved road
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended)
Obstacles: none
Best months: any
Permits: none required
Traffic: moderate on NE Hendricks Rd (0.9 mi), light-moderate on NE Mineral Springs Rd; otherwise quite light
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): yes
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 34 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: Locate Carlton, OR. Head east on E Main St – go 0.6 mi. Continue east on NE Hendricks Rd – go 0.7 mi. Park in the large gravel turnout on the side of the road.
Head east on NE Hendricks Rd – go 400 ft
L on NE Johnson Rd – go 0.4 mi
@0.5 mi: R on NE Yamhill Rd – go 0.5 mi
@1.0 mi: Slight L on NE Hendricks Rd – go 0.9 mi
@1.9 mi: R on NE Intervale Rd – go 1.0 mi
@2.9 mi: R on NE Oak Springs Farm Rd – go 1.0 mi
@3.9 mi: R on NE Bayliss Rd – go 1.6 mi
@5.5 mi: Continue straight onto Mineral Springs Rd – go 2.1 mi
@7.6 mi: R on NE Gun Club Rd – go 1.5 mi
@8.1 mi: R on NE Old McMinnville Hwy – go 1.5 mi
@10.7 mi: R on NE Jernstedt Rd – go 1.2 mi
@11.9 mi: L on NE Mineral Springs Rd – go 0.4 mi
@12.3 mi: Slight L to stay on NE Mineral Springs Rd – go 1.1 mi
@13.4 mi: Cross NE Hendricks Rd and continue straight on NE Johnson Rd – go 0.4 mi
@13.8 mi: L on NE Yamhill Rd – go 1.3 mi
@15.1 mi: R on NE Rowland Rd – go 1.7 mi
@16.7 mi: L on NE Yamhill Rd – go 0.1 mi
@16.8 mi: L on NE Johnson Rd – go 0.4 mi
@17.2 mi: R on NE Hendricks Rd – go 400 ft
End @17.3 mi
Since many of the routes in this guide are on the hillier side, this course can serve as a welcome break while still providing lovely scenery. The few hills that you will cross are largely in the first few miles, with a little bit of mildly rolling hills at the end as well.
The route starts off with some short sections on NE Henricks Road, which can be a bit busy, but it’s only about a mile total on it and has little traffic on it early on the weekend mornings. After this bit, the rest of the roads are much less traveled.
The roads are a mixture of gravel and paved, meandering around a variety of agricultural farms from dairy cattle to wheat to hazelnut orchards. Slightly more than halfway through, you will be on NE Mineral Springs Road. This is a paved road with an okay shoulder, but a mile or so down, there is a hazelnut orchard on the left where the soft but packed dirt on the border feels much nicer for running.
The last little loop around NE Rowland Road and NE Yamhill Road has some beautiful views of barns and crop fields. This section is all gravel, so it’s a nice way to finish out this gentle route.
Geographic region: Willamette Valley farmland
Municipality/town: Carlton, Yamhill
Route configuration: loops with out-and-back
Distance: 18.7 be miles
Min/max elevation: 150’/382’
Total ascent: 1,089’
Max grade: 4.8% up/7.0% down
Surface: ~14.5 miles gravel road, ~4 miles paved road (78% non-paved)
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended)
Obstacles: none
Best months: any
Permits: none required
Traffic: mostly very light (except NE Hendricks Rd is moderate and NE Mineral Springs Rd is light-moderate)
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): yes
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 34 miles
[Click on buttons above to get route links on Gaia GPS or Ride with GPS]
To get to the start: Locate Carlton, OR. Head east on E Main St – go 0.6 mi. Continue east on NE Hendricks Rd – go 0.7 mi. Park in the large gravel turnout on the side of the road.
Head east on NE Hendricks Rd – go 400 ft
L on NE Johnson Rd – go 0.4 mi
@0.5 mi: R on NE Yamhill Rd – go 0.5 mi
@1.0 mi: Slight L on NE Hendricks Rd – go 0.2 mi
@1.2 mi: L on NE Stag Hollow Rd – go 0.7 mi
@1.9 mi: R to stay on NE Stag Hollow Rd – go 135’
@2.0 mi: L to stay on NE Stag Hollow Rd – go 1.5 mi
@3.5 mi: Turn around at Hwy 240 and head back on NE Stag Hollow Rd – go 1.5 mi
@5.0 mi: L on NE Finn Hill Lp – go 1.6 mi
@6.6 mi: sharp L on NE Stag Hollow Rd – go 0.5 mi
@7.1 mi: L on NE Hendricks Rd – go 0.6 mi
@7.7 mi: R on NE Intervale Rd – go 1.0 mi
@8.7 mi: R on NE Oak Springs Farm Rd – go 1.0 mi
@9.7 mi: R on NE Bayliss Rd – go 1.7 mi
@11.4 mi: sharp R on NE Mineral Springs Rd – go 1.1 mi
@12.5 mi: Cross NE Hendricks Rd and continue straight on NE Johnson Rd – go 0.4 mi
@12.9 mi: L on NE Yamhill Rd – go 2.5 mi
@15.4 mi: L on NE Withycombe Rd – go 0.5 mi
@15.9 mi: L on NE Fryer Rd – go 0.2 mi
@16.1 mi: R on NE Yamhill Rd – go 0.4 mi
@16.5 mi: L on NE Rowland Rd – go 1.6 mi
@18.1 mi: L on NE Yamhill Rd – go 0.1 mi
@18.2 mi: L on NE Johnson Rd – go 0.4 mi
@18.6 mi: R on NE Hendricks Rd – go 400 ft
End @18.7 mi
Just east of Yamhill and Carlton this area is flat-to-rolling terrain with wheat fields, hazelnut orchards, vineyards, and dairy farms. This route overlaps some with Route 9, but it has more quiet gravel roads and it’s a little hillier. After about a mile from the start, you will head north on Stag Hollow Road, an-and-back on gravel through farmlands including vineyards and filbert orchards. Toward the end of the out-and-back section, you will make a small detour on NE Finn Hill Loop, with more rolling hills of vineyards and fruit tree orchards.
You will then return to NE Hendricks Road, which can be a bit busy but thankfully you will exit off it after just over a half-mile. From there, the course makes a series of beautiful loops past century-old farms.
You will wind around more rolling filbert orchards on NE Bayliss Road and NE Mineral Springs Road, and then cross over NE Hendricks Road to do two more loops through open wheat fields and more filbert orchards and vineyards with views of the Coast Range to the west. With the exception of the short sections on NE Hendricks Road and NE Mineral Springs Road, this route is very quiet and peaceful, with just gently rolling hills. We use this route as a nice break from the routes with more tortuous climbs. It’s easy to do this route at any time of year, but it’s especially lovely in the spring through late summer.
Geographic region: Willamette Valley Vineyard farmland, Chehalem Mountains
Municipality/town: Yamhill, Newberg, Gaston
Route configuration: out-and-back with a loop
Distance: 24.2 miles
Min/max elevation: 203’/667’
Total ascent: 2,587’
Max grade: 9.8% up/10.3% down
Surface: ~13 miles paved road, ~11 miles gravel road
Bikes allowed: yes (gravel or mountain bike recommended)
Obstacles: none
Best months: any
Permits: none required
Traffic: mostly light; light to moderate on NE Laughlin Rd
Feels safe to go alone (my personal comfort level): yes
Driving distance from downtown Portland: 31 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 east on Hwy 240 – go 2.4 mi to the intersection of NE Woodland Loop Rd. Park in the wide spot of gravel on at the northeast side of the intersection.
Head northeast on NE Woodland Loop Rd – go 4.0 mi
@4.0 mi: R on NE Laughlin Rd – go 2.4 mi
@6.3 mi: Continue straight on NE Albertson Rd – go 0.2 mi
@6.5 mi: R on NE Dopp Rd – go 3.2 mi
@9.7 mi: R on NE Caulkins Rd – go 0.6 mi
@10.3 mi: R on NE Ribbon Ridge Rd – go 2.1 mi
@12.4 mi: L on NE Dopp Rd – go 0.5 mi
@12.9 mi: L on NE Albertson Rd – go 0.2 mi
@13.1 mi: Continue straight on NE Laughlin Rd – go 0.8 mi
@13.9 mi: R on NE Ridge Rd – go 2.4 mi
@16.3 mi: turn around at NE Flett Rd and head back onto NE Ridge Rd – go 2.4 mi
@18.7 mi: R on NE Laughlin Rd – go 1.5 mi
@20.2 mi: L on NE Woodland Loop Rd – go 4.0 mi
End @24.2 mi
Ribbon Ridge is home to numerous vineyards and wineries, providing gorgeous scenery for this challenging course of relentless rolling hills. Just three into the course on NE Woodland Loop Road, you will find yourself on a ridge with stunning views to either side of the road.
Then you will wind down that first big hill, heading northeast on NE Laughlin Road for a bit of a breather on a flatter section. Some curious cattle might want to greet you along the way. Near the six-mile mark, you will start heading east to make a large loop around NE Dopp Road and NE Ribbon Ridge Road. This loop winds through mostly deciduous forest and some open farmland. Near the corner of NE Dopp Road and NE Calkins Road, there is a farm with goats, sheep, and llamas. Some of the goats will come to the fence for some fresh grass if you offer it. And I always offer.
After finishing the loop, you will head back on NE Laughlin Road. Before heading back to the start, there is a roughly five-mile dogleg section on NE Ridge Road that’s worth the extra mileage (and climb!) for more beautiful countryside scenery.
The last big hill is from about the 20- to the 22-mile mark, and it’s not easy. But the views to either side are so gorgeous. The last couple of miles are a breezy downhill coast, a great way to finish this wonderful route.
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