High Desert Ramble: 3 Day Bikepack

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Bend, OR, US

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Route Overview

Dawn Rae + Rob Knoth

Adventurous bikepacking routes for families

110 mi.

7,501 ft.

A scenic, backcountry tour out Bend's backdoor. Explore the spectacular high desert scapes of Skyline Forest, the Whychus Creek, and Metolius River valley all under the watchful eyes (and protective barrier) of the Cascades.

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Route Details

NOTE: Currently, Skyline Forest (@slice[section here](d,11844.97,30665.36)) is closed to the public, making this route unrideable as shown here. We're leaving this up as an ambassador route in hopes that Skyline Forest access returns. [Here](https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42963158) is a reroute option, not as cherry as the original, but will go.

This three day, primarily unpaved bikepack weaves together multiple gems in Central Oregon. Take in the dynamic forest, wild waters, Cascade views, and quiet dirt paths of the high desert. While most of the route stays in the backcountry, there are a handful of well-timed, idyllic resupply opportunities, offering you a chance to treat yourself while enjoying the beauty around you.

# Route Details

## **DAY 1**
* From town, the route heads west on paved and dirt paths. 
* Soon, begin a @slice[long climb](d,6230.34,32340.28) in Skyline Forest. Except for a couple of steeper pitches, the grade is friendly. You'll vacillate between open views of the surrounding mountains and towns and tree-lined ribbons of gravel and dirt. At mile 20, you'll pass a small but mighty @poi[creek](65278337), which might be a god-send after all that climbing.  
* Enjoy a well-earned descent before starting another (but shorter) @slice[climb up](d,38666.61,40894.41) to 3 Creeks Lake Road.  
* The brief descent down paved 3 Creeks is dreamy and fast. 
* Gravel returns for your last few miles of the day. As you travel towards the Whychus, grab some great views of the Three Sisters. 
* We recommend camping along the wild Whychus for your first night. There are multiple dispersed camp sites in @slice[this area](d,52163.52,57731.25), most of them with direct water access.

## **DAY 2**
* Day two warms you up with a @slice[steady climb](d,59914.63,64454.38), your biggest of the day. 
* The descent on the other side unspools down the hillside with views of Black Butte. You parallel Trout Creek for awhile, as it - along with you - weave through mountain meadows.  
* Eventually, you reach paved Hwy 242 and hop on it briefly before switching back into the forest on the classic red-dirt roads of this area. [See note in "Good to Know" about optional extension on Hwy 242 up and over McKenzie Pass.] 
* You'll skirt around the western edge of Black Butte Resort, before connecting to Suttle Tie trail. A mixture of grass-in-the-middle double-track and flowy singletrack, @slice[Suttle Tie](d,92892.83,100168.17) delivers you to your first culinary pit stop - Suttle Lake Lodge.
* @poi[Suttle Lake Lodge](65278348)'s seasonal restaurant, the @poi[Boathouse](65278349), offers fast, delicious eats and drinks that we suggest enjoying on its floating patio. Inside the lodge is a year-round bar that also serves food (and has a stellar selection of board games). 
* With belly full, continue on a lovely meander into Camp Sherman. While small, the @poi[store](65278357) in Camp Sherman has a fantastic deli and stocks a variety of grocery items and essentials. Pick up a treat or dinner. Stop and enjoy the mighty, magical McKenzie River right outside. 
* If you're ready to call it a day, camp at @poi[Riverside Campground](65278355) just down the road. It's a walk-in, tent only campground right on the Metolius that tends to be much more mellow than the many campgrounds north of the store on Metolius River Road.
* Whether it's the afternoon of Day 2 or the morning of Day 3, consider a stop at the @poi[Head of the Metolius](65278359) where the Metolius births from an underground spring.
* From here, the route climbs up the shoulder of Black Butte and circles around the southern edge. 
* If you didn't camp at Riverside, there are a few @poi[dispersed campsites](65278360) (no water access so plan ahead) as you exit the trail around Black Butte. Another option is to camp at @poi[Indian Ford Campground](65278361). (This campground, while forested, is very close to Hwy 20 so be prepared for traffic noise).

## **DAY 3**
* The trail after you leave Black Butte all the way into Sisters is a peaceful meditation through ponderosas and sage. 
* Once you reach Sisters, you have a plethora of food options. We've noted a few of our favorite standbys on the route, but there are many more. @poi[Village Green City Park](65278369) is a lovely, lush place to rest. It also has great bathroom and shower facilities, as well as bike tools on the SE corner of the park. The local bike shop, @poi[Eurosports](65278364), is a block away if needed.
* From Sisters, play through the Peterson Ridge trail system, then begin a tour through the rural countryside on a mix of gravel and paved roads.
* Drop into the open beauty surrounding @poi[Tumalo Reservoir](65278373), eventually reaching the reservoir itself. 
* As you leave the reservoir, you'll dovetail with a popular road cyclist route through farmland and the outskirts of Bend. @slice[Johnson Road](d,167692.14,171726.33) will likely be the busiest road you'll encounter, but the bike lane is solid.
* At the bottom of a hill, turn right into @poi[Shevlin Park](65278374) and be greeted by immediate calm in one of Bend's best city parks. As the route passes through Shevlin, you'll need to carry your bike over a bridge and hike it up a @slice[short hill](d,171914.16,172058.35) on the other side. For us, the charm of Shevlin makes this the ideal way to go. If this sounds cumbersome to you, stay on Johnson, climb away from Shevlin, and rejoin the route at the @point[upper parking lot](d,173028.81).
* From here, go through neighborhoods and another city park before arriving back where you started. Well done, you.

# Good to Know

* The route begins and ends in Bend. Street parking in town is legal for up to 72 hours.
* The route is rideable spring through fall. How early and how late depends on snow levels. Generally April/May through October.
* Suttle Lake area, Camp Sherman, and Sisters (and Bend!) are all popular tourist destinations, especially in the warmer months. Build in a little time and patience as you take in the charms at each.
* A dropbar gravel bike to a rigid or hardtail mountain bike will serve you well on this ride. Surfaces are mostly non-technical dirt and gravel, with some washboards.
* If you have a little extra time (+1-2 days), you can extend your trip by combining it with our [Mothering Metolius route](https://ridewithgps.com/ambassador_routes/2200-mothering-metolius-overnighter). 
* Another extension option is to do an out-and-back up and over McKenzie Pass (all paved). To do this, @point[continue straight on Hwy 242](d,78670.58) instead of turning right, retracing your steps the next day to rejoin the route. McKenzie Pass is a classic, bucket-list ride in Central Oregon; the landscape is stunning. Highly recommend doing this when Hwy 242 is still closed to cars. (Generally the road opens the 3rd Monday of June.) We suggest camping at @poi[Scott Lake](65278372) and scoring one of the sites towards the back of the campground.
* Want to tackle this as an overnighter? We recommend camping at @poi[Cold Springs Campground](65278347), an easy 3 mile round-trip detour at a well-placed middle point. Or, stay the night at @poi[Suttle Lake Lodge](65278348) or one of the many campgrounds around Suttle Lake.
* Special shout-out and thank you to our friend [Jesse Blough](https://www.instagram.com/thegreatjesse/). The route from Sisters to Shevlin Park on Day 3 is his work of love.

High Desert Ramble: 3 Day Bikepack

Route Overview

Route Details

Other routes by Dawn Rae + Rob Knoth

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Mothering Metolius Overnighter

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