Old santiam wagon road
Willamette Valley, OR
Description
Old Santiam Wagion Road boasts a long and fascinating history, once serving as a trade route for indigenous peoples and later for European settlers. Today, it offers a fun and scenic recreation trail. For adaptive riders, it’s fully aMTB1, meaning no worries or difficulties at all. The route is quick and exciting, so it’s over before you know it—plan on a couple laps to make it worthwhile. Each loop covers seven miles. Afterwards, a visit to nearby Clear Lake is highly recommended.
Staging
Stage from the main McKenzie River Trailhead parking lot. It is paved and flat. There are marked spots, but no marked accessible spots. There is an outhouse that is not wheelchair accessible.
Route
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can venture onto the upper section of this trail. I’ve heard it’s in quite poor condition and more suitable for ATVs, but the gravel riding opportunities are practically endless. Sand Mountain Lookout is nearby if you’d like to check that out, and Big Lake offers camping. There’s also a green section of the Santiam Wagon Road across the highway—I haven’t personally ridden it, but I’m told it’s all double track and likely aMTB-friendly.
As for our ride, we started by climbing a short segment of the McKenzie River Trail. After entering, take an immediate right at the main trail sign, across the bridge, climb the short section mentioned earlier, and then turn left onto Eno Road. The road climb is very gentle and goes by quickly. In fact, when someone pointed out we’d reached the trailhead, I was surprised to learn we were already there.
From that point, the trail starts off fast with a fall-line descent. Watch out for debris, as it doesn’t appear to be maintained regularly. About halfway through, there’s a slight uphill before hitting some steep rolling sections—and then, just like that, it’s over. Drink beer. Repeat.
