ROUTES OVERVIEW

The Willamette Valley is a large valley bordered by the Cascade Mountain Range to the east and the Oregon Coast Range to the west. It was formed by ice-age flooding from the Montana region, about 15,000 to 18,000 years ago, and it resulted in thick layers of sedimentary soils on the valley floor. The rich soils, along with the mild climate, make the valley ideal for agriculture. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the Willamette Valley until it joins the Columbia River to the north. Several of the routes in this book take advantage of the lush, rolling farmlands and scenic routes along the rivers. 

The Tualatin Valley is in the northwestern portion of the Willamette Valley. It was formed by the Tualatin River, a twisting tributary of the Willamette River. The Tualatin Valley is densely populated; therefore, only one route in the book barely skims the edge of it. 

The Tualatin Hills, though quite hilly, is still technically part of the Willamette Valley. It is a designated American Viticultural Area, meaning that it is a prime wine grape-growing region. It also is home to myriad other agricultural crops and farms, providing beautiful bucolic scenery. The Tualatin Hills merge into the Coast Range, so there are plenty of densely wooded areas as well, with intermittent openings to panoramic views of hills and valleys. Twenty-seven of the 60 routes in this book are at least partially within the Tualatin Hills, a tribute to its stunning scenery.

The Chehalem Mountains, like the Tualatin Hills, are also part of the Willamette Valley and designated as an American Viticultural Area. It borders the southern edge of the Tualatin Valley, with hills that climb quite steeply to the apex of the range, Bald Peak, at 1,637 feet in elevation. The eight routes that are in at least part of the Chehalem Mountains include rolling farmlands, deciduous and coniferous forests, and panoramic views of the valley. 

The Oregon Coast Range was formed tens of millions of years ago from the flow from volcanic eruptions colliding with the continental plate in the ocean. The rapid cooling left precipitous mountains with sharp ridges, even if not extremely high in elevation. The mild, wet winter weather combined with cool, dry summers are ideal for dense forest growth. In fact, the Coast Range contains some of the most productive timber land in the world. While timber harvesting in the past brutally stripped the land without much thought to environmental impact, today’s timber harvesting operations are much more sustainable. Though sections are still clear-cut, the parcels are thoughtfully mixed with timber land in all stages of growth as re-plantings occur constantly. Due to the varying levels of tree growth throughout the Coast Range, the scenery from the routes in this section have an excellent mix of dense forest and panoramic views. The highest points of all of the routes in this book occur in the Coast Range, with the peak being South Saddle Mountain at 3,457 feet high (note that it’s higher than it’s much more well-known and well-traveled neighbor to the north, Saddle Mountain, at 3,288 feet high). Because most of the routes in this section are on logging roads, there is virtually no traffic if done on the weekends.  

The Tualatin Mountains (also known as the West Hills to many Portlanders), is a spur of the Oregon Coast Range. It contains the famous Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the U.S. at 5,200 acres. Running and biking routes in this densely forested area with over 80 miles of trails have been covered extensively in other publications, but it would be a sin not to include at least a sampling of this area. 

The Western Lowlands of Washington (also called the Puget Sound Lowlands) were formed by glaciation between 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. There is only one route in this book that is in this region (and outside of Oregon), and it’s just across the Columbia River, east of Sauvie Island. It feels like a continuation of the Willamette Valley with its sprawling farmlands. This area is very flat, and it serves as a nice breather from the numerous hilly courses.