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New Paths in the Columbia River Gorge

If you’ve ever ridden to Cascade Locks from Troutdale, you probably remember the least enjoyable part of that ride as the trek along the shoulder of I-84 as you travel to Eagle Creek.  Even on a sunny day, this is a terrible bike ride.  It’s noisy, there are huge gusts of wind from passing semis, and, as with most modern roads, there is nothing particularly scenic or interesting about the shoulder of I-84.

It has always seemed odd to me that in order to get to one of the best bike rides around (the section of the scenic highway closed to car traffic for the last 60 years or so), one must complete a treacherous, very bike-unfriendly ride on the Interstate.  But even with the treacherous ride, getting to the section of the scenic highway between Eagle Creek and Cascade Locks is worth the effort.  The road has been car free for years.  A carpet of green moss now covers the worn cement lanes.  Huge trees toppled by gorge winds lay strewn across the road in some places.  And the silence that surrounds one in the forests of the gorge is hypnotic.

So I was pleased to learn of the significant progress being made on a new bike path that will allow both cyclists and pedestrians to bypass the interstate in order to get to Eagle Creek and beyond.  Currently, the project is scheduled for completion around August of next year.  Not as soon as we would like, but soon enough.  Read more about it here:

Article

or see the map of the path:

Map

 

Oregon Tours

1 (503) 243-2453 info@pedalbiketours.com
133 sw 2nd avenue portland, or, 97204