Lava Beds

Open in the App

Klamath Falls, OR, US

Show 2 more photos

Route Overview

Zach's Bikes

Bicycle Retailer and Service Center

94 mi.

2,512 ft.

A picturesque, pan-flat road ride crossing over the California-Oregon border into a little-known National Monument.

Send to Device Advanced Export View Standard Route (with cuesheet)

Route Details

*A nearly pan-flat road ride, this route serves equal history, nature and beauty in a long day ride. As an out and back with the furthest distance at nearly 100 miles, one can tackle as much or as little as they desire. There is an incentive to go further though: **it only gets prettier as you get closer to the turn around point.***
____
This is a great early season ride as the temperatures and snow levels are typically much warmer than the rest of Southern Oregon (keep in mind it gets hot out there mid-summer). Use this as an opportunity to log some base miles, or use it as a less-challenging century ride. The only real elevation gain out there is in the National Monument itself, but while the climb is long, it's really not very steep.
____
# The Route
Starting at @poi[our shop](6067911), the easiest and safest way to get out to the farm roads is on @slice[bike paths](d,1279.41,11505.53). The conditions on the paths out of town tend to have several expansion cracks, so keep an eye out for those. Once you get to the @point[roads themselves](d,11505.53) they tend to be worn in chipseal with the occasional crack. You can expect little to no traffic on most of this ride, with the short exception of a couple of miles on @slice[Stateline Road](d,36451.71,39741.85).

Water and food stops are easily found around 25 miles into the ride in the town of @point[Merril](d,33607.26). Stop at the @poi[Polar Bear](6067810) for a quick coffee on the ride out (you can use the walk-up window to keep it quick) and visit @poi[Tacos A La Mexicana](6067812) for an awesome burrito on the ride back. If you just need water and a @poi[restroom](6067811), the park underneath the watertower has facilities (adjacent to the Polar Bear).

**It's important to note that you will need to pay the National Monument visitor fee at the @poi[visitor center](6067813) (they irregularly staff the @point[gate](d,60659.44))! This is a highly under-utilized park and support will help maintain the irreplaceable historic and natural resources. You can also fill up water and use their restroom up there too.**

Finish your ride with a pizza at @poi[Rodeos Pizza](6067913). They have an amazing beer selection and awesome unique pizza.

Lava Beds

Route Overview

Route Details

Other routes by Zach's Bikes

Spence Mountain Advanced Loop

Hagelstein via Old Fort Road

Lower Klamath Lake Loop

Morgan Butte - Chewaucan River Loop

Running-Y Loop

High Lakes Trail - Brown Mountain Loop

Sign Up

Share link

Share via email

Embedded widget

Get the Ride with GPS mobile app!