Just outside the Portland and Vancouver city limits, this 53-mile, hill-country ride offers backwoods isolation, Cascade views, and a bit of a gravel-road climbing.
Depart from St. Johns (a sleepy neighborhood northwest of Portland proper), crossing the St. Johns Bridge on a pedestrian path. The first challenge of the day is Newberry Road, a short, twisting, and stiff (10+ percent grades in spots) approach to Skyline Boulevard, the north-south spine of the route. Use caution dropping down Cornelius Pass on ill-repaired, sometimes gravel-strewn pavement. At the bottom, head north up Rock Creek, a dark and cool valley adorned with vine-covered hillsides and frozen-in-time vehicles.
After topping out at Skyline Drive (where the route returns), take another sometimes-sketchy descent down Rocky Point to US-30. Here the route jogs north and west right by Scappoose, and begins climbing Dutch Canyon, a beautiful river valley bordered by farm fields, cattle, and old broken homes. At mile 25.6, you’ll pick up Otto Miller and the finest 3-mile, gravel climb imaginable; this road rarely sees cars and is rideable most of the year. (The gravel continues for a ways after the top). On clear days, Mount St. Helens, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Hood can be seen from the saddle.
Descend the backside of the climb past working farms and ranches back towards Skyline and a remote, 18-mile return that rolls and pumps along the top of a ridge with views of the Coast Range to the west and Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens to the east. Pick up Germantown Road for one last iffy-descent back down towards the St. Johns Bridge.
-Mapped by The Rapha Continental
Position Format:
Datum:
Tracks
Dutch Canyon
Distance: 53.06 mi
Points: 1288
Calories: none
Total Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
#
Distance
Instruction
Distance to next
1
0.00 mi
Start - From James John Cafe, head southeast on Lombard St.
Then go 0.05 mi
2
0.05 mi
Turn Right - Leavitt Ave.
Then go 0.05 mi
3
0.10 mi
Turn Right - Ivanhoe St.
Then go 0.05 mi
4
0.15 mi
Turn Left - St. Johns Bridge/US 30
Then go 0.78 mi
5
0.93 mi
Turn Right - NW Bridge Ave.
Then go 0.41 mi
6
1.34 mi
Turn Left - US 30
Then go 2.67 mi
7
4.01 mi
Turn Left - Newberry Rd.
Then go 2.09 mi
8
6.10 mi
Turn Right - Skyline Blvd.
Then go 1.69 mi
9
7.79 mi
Turn Left - Old Cornelius Pass Rd.; prepare for right turn onto Rock Creek
Location: 45.608153, -122.864227
The first of several chunked-up descents, the drop down Cornelius Pass includes a bit of dodgy pavement, and a quick right turn onto Rock Creek Road. On the return trip, stay on Skyline.
Location: 45.698027, -122.909203
This fast and sketchy (but doable) descent alternates between steep and sandy switchbacks and flat-out 45-mph straight-aways. Use caution.
Location: 45.740813, -122.888775
Leaving Scappoose, the route heads west up Dutch Canyon, a beautiful river valley bordered on the right by steep hillsides and old broken homes and on the left by farms and fields dotted with cows, alpacas, and horses.
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