Cycling in Oregon - Eugene, Bend and Crater Lake

Experience the stunning beauty in Oregon's Cascade Mountains

Get ready for exhilarating rides and mind-blowing scenery! This stunning guided bike tour in Oregon's Cascade Mountain Region provides plenty of both. Road bikes, hybrid road bikes, and electric bikes are all available for this tour.

This bucket list ride will take you through forests of tall timbers and lava fields, along sparkling rivers and snow-crowned peaks, up the High Cascades to Crater Lake, and an accelerating downhill to Diamond Lake.

You will have time off the saddle too as you hike Central Oregon's high desert.

View more photos

Highlights

• Iconic Eugene
• Mountain town and outdoor culture in Bend
• Aufderheide Scenic Byway
• National Scenic Byway
• Smith Rock State Park
• Crater Lake
• Hike Central Oregon’s high desert

Daily program

Day 1: Arrival in Eugene, Oregon and bike the stunning Aufderheide (60 miles)
Meet your group in Eugene at the Valley River Inn at 8 am or the Graduate Eugene at 8:15 am. If you have not overnighted in either of these establishments, you will have to take a taxi to either location to meet your transfer and set off on your first exhilarating ride on the beautiful Aufderheide Scenic Byway, one of the top ten roads in the west for cyclists. You pedal along the wild McKenzie River through the dense old-growth of the Willamette National Forest. Overnight in Blue River in a historic cottage on the Mckenzie River. Elevation gain/loss: +3,659 ft / - 3,528 ft

(Meals L, D)

Day 2: Blue River - Bend (48 miles)
You ride up the Cascade Range, an impressive 3700-foot climb spanning 22 miles. The snow-capped mountain view at the top of McKenzie Pass is well worth the effort. The descent sweeps down through the majestic pines of the Willamette National Forest into the Old West town of Sisters. You spend the next two nights in Bend. Enjoy the craft beer! Elevation gain loss: +4,608 ft / - 2,621 ft

(Meals B, L, D)

Day 3: Bend
You visit Smith Rock State Park, a climbing paradise. Thousands of routes attract climbers from around the globe. Cliffs of tuff and basalt offer climbs of all difficulty levels. The afternoon is yours to enjoy Bend on your own. The hard part will be deciding what to choose! Bend offers a plethora of choices: world-class fly fishing on rivers like the Deschutes and Metolius, stellar hiking and mountain biking, river rafting, and of course, brewpubs, shops and art galleries. You can also cycle if you would like. Your guide can help with route suggestions.

(Meals B)

Day 4: Bend - Crater Lake (40 miles)
Today you pedal the Cascade Lakes Highway, a gorgeous National Scenic Byway in the Deschutes National Forest. You follow the foothills of Mt. Bachelor from Dutchman Flat to Crane Prairie Reservoir, a premier wildlife viewing site for many nesting or migrating birds. It is a breeding ground for osprey, and its shallow waters are home to record-breaking rainbow trout. The afternoon finds you heading to Crater Lake National Park, pedaling across a high alpine meadow strewn with the remnants of the volcanic eruption of Mt. Mazama eight thousand years ago. As. you crest the rim of the volcano, you get your first view of Crater Lake, 1500 ft below. As one of Oregon’s seven wonders, it’s nothing short of breathtaking! Spend the next two nights at Crater Lake Lodge, the lovingly restored National Park Lodge perched on the west rim. The views are fantastic. Elevation gain/loss: +1,718 ft / - 2,348 ft

(Meals B, L, D)

Day 5: Crater Lake (35 miles)
According to Bicycling Magazine, the cycling itinerary that unfolds today is one of the most spectacular one-day rides in the country. As you ride the rim road of the lake, the deepest in the USA and one of the most pristine on Earth, to one side, you find a rocky cliff dropping down to the water, and on the other, a 100-mile panoramic view from 7,000 feet of elevation. Take in the unforgettable sights of the Cascade Mountains; Eastern Oregon’s high desert, Cinnamon Butte and The Sisters. Elevation gain/loss: +4,165 feet / - 4,163 feet

(Meals B, L, D)

Day 6: Diamond Lake | Transfer to Eugene
You have come to the last day of your cycling itinerary and have earned this relaxing downhill. Enjoy the shores and water of Crater Lake once again before descending into the Umpqua National Forest. You can then cycle the lovely shoreline of Diamond Lake on a traffic-free paved bike path to the resort to pack up and transfer back to Eugene. Eugene dropoffs are between 4 - 6 pm. The three drop-off locations are Valley River Inn, Graduate Eugene or the Eugene Airport. Elevation gain/loss: + 1112 / - 3014 feet

(Meals B, L)

Surface and terrain

You will ride on paved backroads and highways such as the beautiful Aufderheide Scenic Byway or the McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway. On your last day of cycling, enjoy relaxing cycling on a dedicated bike path along the shores of Crater Lake.

Hotels

McKenzie Riverside Cottages
McMenamins Old St. Francis School
Crater Lake Lodge

Your itinerary does not include accommodation in Eugene, Oregon, before or after your tour.

The arrival pick-up will be at the Valley River Inn at 8 am and the Graduate Eugene at 8:15. You can make your own arrangements at either of these establishments. Ask us and we can provide discount information for the Graduate.

Booking.com is also a great resource for researching and booking extra nights. At the end of your tour, your are dropped off the Valley River Inn, Graduate Eugene, or the Eugene Airport between 4 - 6 pm on the last day.

How to get there

Tour start

Nearest airport: Eugene Airport (EUG) or Portland International Airport (PDX)

Once in Eugene, we offer the following transfers on day 1:
From Valley River Inn, pick up in front of the hotel at 8 am.
From Graduate Eugene Hotel, pick up in front of the hotel at 8:15 am.

Many hotels in Eugene provide shuttles from the airport. In addition, OmniShuttle also offers personalized door-to-door airport shuttle transportation. The cost is about $27 between the airport and the city center.

Oregon Express Shuttle provides scheduled shuttles between Portland Int'l Airport and Eugene for $45 ($78 r/t). Bolt Bus also offers inexpensive bus service between Portland and Eugene for $12-15 one way.

Tour end

Drop-off in Eugene between 4 - 6 pm on day 6. Drop-off at Valley River Inn, Graduate Eugene or the Eugene Airport.

Driving? Just ask us about parking options!

Dates

Prices

Included services

• Accommodation for 5 x nights
• Breakfast each morning, 5 x lunches and 4 x dinners
• Water, fruit juices, soft drinks, energy bars, fruit, and snacks available during the cycling day
• Transfer from/to Eugene at tour start and tour end
• Giant road bike or Giant flat bar road bike (please specify at the time of booking)
• Guided cycling
• Full van support

Bike rentals

Road Bike (included): Giant Defy Advanced 3 (other Giant options available based on bike size needed).
Hybrid/Flat Bar Road Bike (included): Giant Fastroad SL 1 (other Giant options available based on bike size needed).
Electric  Bike (supplement applies): Giant Fastroad or Giant Roam (other Giant options available based on bike size needed).

All bikes come equipped with:

• Variety of frame bags for small extra items
• GPS-based Wahoo computers for routing
• Spare tube/ pump/tire levers
• Two water bottles per guest
• Regular flat pedals, toe clips, or straps (you may prefer to bring your own saddle and/or clipless pedals to be installed)

Tour Company