Start in Sisters and follow an 1860s wagon route that includes views of Mt. Washington and lava flows. The steep descent to Belknap Hot Springs has switchbacks through dense, verdant Cascadian forests. This bikeway is closed to motor vehicles each spring for car-free riding.
Distance: 37.91 miles (one way)
Elevation Gain: 2,191 vertical feet (add an additional 4,000 vertical feet if you ride back to Sisters)
The 38 mile McKenzie Pass ride is without a doubt the most spectacular bike ride in the entire state of Oregon. The ride begins at the Village Green Park in Sisters, Oregon, along Oregon Route 242, which is a stretch of roadway included on the U.S. Register of Historic Places. The route heads west past hay meadows and ascends 2,000 feet through Ponderosa pine forests. The road follows an 1860s wagon route, emerging from the forest at Windy Point and revealing a view of Mt. Washington and a 2,000-year-old lava flow. The 25 mile, 4,000 foot descent snakes down exhilarating switchbacks to the dense, verdant Cascadian forests and rushes out over the McKenzie River. It is these dramatic transitions through such diverse natural environments that define the uniqueness of this Oregon bikeway.
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