*Motorcycle Roads NorthWest

For riders used to the hustle & bustle of Western Washington, Washington’s Route 20 is prone to inducing a bit of mental dissonance. If you departed on your trip from Seattle, you’ve spent the last couple hundred around lots of cars, motorcycles, and RVs. Well, that pretty much seems to end once you’re east of Okanogan.

Once you cross the Columbia at Tonasket, you’re into a whole different time and place. Riding through the canyon floors of these sparsely-forested hillsides, it’s very easy to believe that you might be riding through the early years of the 20th century and not the 21st. Indeed, I kept half expecting to see some miner on a donkey or a rancher riding down out of the hills every time I came around a corner.

No, there were no cowboys or gold miners, instead I got deer. All over the place they were.

Most of Route 20 is rangeland, mostly fenced thankfully, but rangeland nonetheless. I would see deer near the road or in adjoining fields every 4-5 miles. On many occasions during this 150+ mile ride, I’d see deer grazing alongside big beef cattle as nonchalantly as if they too were completely domesticated.

Finlay Canyon across to the Methow Valley:

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Are you looking for twisty? Yes? Well, we have that.

Are you looking for a spot to camp alongside the road next to an alpine stream? Yes, we have that too.

Are you looking for a tight, technical road with 25-30mph corners and little in the way of traffic and enforcement? Yes, we even have that too.

Alongside the road, on the way to FR52 proper

This fine little road operates under several different names throughout its route, depending on what county you are in. At the north end up in Pierce County it’s called Osborn Road. On the east end in Lewis County, it’s called Skate Creek Road for the lovely alpine stream that it follows down into Packwood. In the middle inside the National Forest, it’s what everyone else calls it, Forest Service Road 52.

Sunny Creekside. All sorts of backwoods camping going on through here. Major fly-fishing country.

And a Forest Service Road it is. It’s not terribly well-maintained but it is paved clear through from end to end and not a lot of kibble in the corners. The centerlines on that road are rather confusing, as the road is painted with both double-yellow and a dotted yellow going down the middle, both clearly visible yet equally faded.

The curves are definitely not rythmic either, they bounce around in various speeds and radii cutting between the forested hillsides and the rapids-filled mountain creek.”

Rapids-Filled Skate Creek

If you’re looking for camping, it’s very popular for that as well. While I was riding this road in mid-June, I saw about 20 creek-side campsites over the course of 23 miles. Pretty easy to spot in the morning, as most of them had a small cloud of woodsmoke hanging across the road.

Alas, every road has its problems. If you’re a rider of serious track-tuned motorcycles, you will not enjoy this road. I’ve heard complaints of bumpy road surface from owners of serious sport machines, such that they claim they can barely stay in the saddle. Being a rider with a marked preference towards sport-touring and adventure-touring motorcycles, I have had no such problems.

• Towns: National, Ashford, Packwood
• Length: 25
• Counties: Lewis, and a small bit of Pierce

Microsoft Streets & Trips file for Gifford-Pinchot Forest Service Road 52

Overview Map of Forest Service Road 52:

Google Map:

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I rode Oregon Route 22 out of Hebo with part of our group returning to Beaverton (outside Portland) from Beaver (along 101). Oregon 22 is a very picturesque road with lots of trees and interesting geology lining it. While most of the road was 40-50mph sweepers, some of the corners were surprisingly abrupt 90-degree right angles more frequently seen on back-country ‘farm-to-market’ roads.

OR22 has a decent road surface, but very few long straights for passing. I distinctly recall having difficulty finding a spot to pass the preceding rider in a safe and legal manner. This is not to say that Oregon DoT was over-liberal in their use of double yellows, but rather that the straights were often far too short to pass other motorcyclists who crawl through corners and pin the throttle on the straights.

OR22 (together with OR18) is the easy road between US101 and points east for this area. A more-challenging road is to be found in the Nestucca Valley Road.

One point of particular interest to aeronautic and aircraft enthusiasts, The Evergreen Flight Musuem located in McMinnville, Oregon is just off Highway 18 along this route east. An immense glass and brick building with many WW2 and early-Cold War aircraft, it’s certainly a site worth visiting.

• Towns: Cloverdale, Dolph, Grande Ronde
• Length: 25
• Counties: Tillamook, Yamhill

Microsoft Streets & Trips file for Oregon Route 22

Overview Map of Oregon Highway 22, Hebo to Valley Junction:

Google Map:

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While this road is certainly no Aufderheide, it’s a fantastic road that I highly recommend. It’s scenic, from disturbingly fresh-looking lava flows and fantastic views of Mt. Bachelor to sobering views of recent forest fires and the distinct possibility of up close and personal visit with the extremely large elk in the area.

Here’s a few links:
GORP- Cascade Lakes Highway
Travel Oregon
OregonTravels.com

Here’s a few photos from my recent visit.

View of Mount Bachelor

A good friend and I stopping for a breather and some photos on the North end of the Road.

View back up Cascade Lakes Highway

• Road Name: Oregon State Route 372 ‘Century Drive Highway’, Lava Lake Road, and Cascade Lakes Highway
• Counties: Deschutes, Klamath
• Length: 68
• Towns: Bend, Crescent Lake Junction, Elk Lake