*Motorcycle Roads NorthWest

I had an opportunity to ride part of this road recently. I found it to be a very nice rural road without much traffic. The western half of the road that I did was quite enjoyable with very smooth pavement and built with well-engineered curves without extreme changes in curve radius.

If you’re riding a “serious sportbike” or a heavier sport-tourer, you should be aware that there is a multiple-mile stretch of this road that is completely unpaved on the extreme eastern end. It doesn’t show much for curves in maps, but other riders I’ve spoken with indicate that this section has some significant switchbacks in this unpaved area that may be problematic for such bikes bigger or more street-oriented than my V-strom. Also problematic is the road this one connects to: Eddyville-Blodgett Hwy (OR SR180). It’s in dire need of repair since large trucks have been using it as a detour around the US 20 construction zones and tearing the roadway up mercilessly.

I don’t have any pictures available yet, but will upload those once they’re developed.
One of our readers did this road in September 2006 and found it to be quite nice, with a layout that not’s overly technical and newish smooth pavement.

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Courtesy of kbfalken:
I rode this one about a month ago (mid September 2006). This road totally rocks if you like twisties. Combine with the Siletz highway (also more turns than you can count), and you’ll have one of the best sport-bike type rides I’ve ever experienced. Good times!!

• Road Name: Logsden Road (Siletz-Nashville, OR)
• Counties: Lincoln(OR)
• Length: 22
• Towns: Logsden, Nashville, Siletz

Download the Streets and Trips file for Logsden Road / Rock Creek Road

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This is another of the Clearwater River Valley grade roads. Like Greer Grade Road, this one starts down at the bottom of the valley quite near the village of Greer goes up to the top of the plateau and comes back down near Pardee.

I have no other information on this road, including its condition. If you happen to know about this road, please post a comment below as I plan to ride this one next spring.

• Road Name: Woodland Grade Road (Greer, ID)
• Counties: Idaho
• Length: 23
• Towns: Greer, Pardee, Pardee Corner, Tramway

Streets and Trips file for Woodland Grade Rd

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Just about everyone in the Pacific Northwest is familiar with Forest Service Road 25, the road that goes around the east side of Mt. St. Helens and provides a way to get to FS99 and Windy Ridge. Where FS25 is a twisty, curvy work of art done in asphalt, FS23 is another matter.

FS23 splits away from WA 39 shortly before it turns in FS25 and heads east. In the middle of FS23 is a somewhat twisty section of gravel that lasts for about 5 miles.

This road isn’t a nicely maintained as FS25, and is probably recommended for adventure bikes if you plan to do the whole route. In my opinion, if you take FS90 across (and deal with its own gravel section), you get the best of FS23 if you come in there after the gravel section of FS23.

As for the rest of FS23, it comes down out of the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest via SR 141 through Trout Lake into Bingen and White Salmon where it intersects with Washington SR 14.

• Road Name: Washington State Route 141 / Gifford Pinchot Forest Service Road 23
• Counties: Klickitat, Lewis(WA), Skamania
• Length: 79 miles
• Towns: B Z Corner, Bingen, Husum, Randle, Trout Lake, Underwood, White Salmon

Download the Streets and Trips file for Gifford-Pinchot FS 23

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This road follows the Nehalem River out through the Cascade Range out to Nehalem Bay near Manzanita.

While I’ve never had an opportunity to ride this road myself, I’ve been told there are significant sections of the roadway that are not merely unpaved but are dirt 2-track trails.

Note: This road is known as Foss Road at the western junction where it meets US101.

• Road Name: Foss Road / Lower Nehalem Road
• Counties: Clatsop, Tillamook
• Length: 27
• Towns: Batterson, Blyvbach, Elsie, Foss, Helloff, Lukarilla, Lynnbrook, Maples, Nehalem Falls, Rector, Salmonberry, Snark, Wakefield

Streets and Trips file for Lower Nehalem Road / Foss Road

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The Nestucca Valley Road is a sparsely-traveled road that croses the Coastal Range between Carlton and Beaver in Northwestern Oregon. The road is very technical with gravel in many of the corners and no discernable rhythm. It felt far more difficult than FR99 coming down from Helens. NOT a road for beginners or recently-returning riders. The road on the east side of the summit (easily identified by the multiple miles of gravel at the top) had quite a bit of gravel down the center line of the lanes and absolutely no signage warning of curves or recommended speeds.

Most riders in our group were taking the corners at 25-30mph, the corners all being very tight and usually blind. Some members of our group had to stop to relieve themselves because of the vibration and washboard rather quickly overwhelmed the rear suspension on the group’s Dyna Glide rider and also my 84 Sabre even at maximum compression damping.

The sweeper on the west side of the Coast Range were quite a bit more forgiving, although many still had no recommended speed or signage. I was able to maintain 50mph regularly through most. Much lower frequency of gravel mid- corner as well.

NVR slices down out of the Coastal Range into Beaver. Most desired services are available in Bear, noable food, fuel and auto repair. Indeed, although I did get a photo, there is reputed to be a ‘Beaver Service’ station for auto repair somewhere in town. NVR meets US101 in Beaver, linking you to the rest of the Pacific Ocean shoreline.

If you’re looking for a less-challenging connecting road off US101 to make your hop over the mountains worthwhile, I suggest Oregon 22 eastbound out of Hebo, a few miles south of Beaver on US101.

• Road Name: Nestucca Valley Road
• Counties: Tillamook, Yamhill
• Length: 45 miles
• Towns: Beaver, Blaine, Carlton, Nenamusa

Streets and Trips file for Nestucca Valley Road

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