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Painted Hills

Pedal-Powered Tour Time

image credit, Joni Kabana
Written by Oregon Media

Pedal-Powered Tour Time

Open road enthusiasts will discover journeys lined with more trees, prairies and cattle than people and cars.

Four designated scenic bikeways pass through Eastern Oregon

Cyclists on the Old West Scenic Bikeway

OLD WEST SCENIC BIKEWAY

John Day River Territory

174-mile loop

This challenging route begins in John Day then passes by charming small towns, the Strawberry Mountains and the John Day River, as well as the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Over the Hill Bike Tours offers two- to eight-day SAG-supported road bike tours with lodging and meals included.

Painted Hills Scenic Bikeway

John Day River Territory

130-mile loop

Non-cycling info for scenic bikeways Cycling through the Painted Hills reveals millions of years of history in layers of earth, ash and clay. This scenic bikeway connects all three units of the John Day Fossil Beds, which hold the world’s best fossil record of the Age of Mammals (the last 50 million years) and exhibit a record of climate change.

Grande Tour Scenic Bikeway

Northeast

134-mile “figure-8” route

This route covers farms and rangeland with views of the Wallowa and Elkhorn mountains. Pedal through Baker City and La Grande, as well as Cove, Union and North Powder. Reward beers, pastries, repair shops and Main Street attractions are plentiful on this figure eight-shaped route, which still offers miles of remote open road.

Blue Mountain Century Scenic Bikeway

Oregon’s Rugged Country

108-mile loop

Climbing a total of 8,000 feet throughout the loop—with the bulk of the elevation gain in the Umatilla National Forest—this rugged adventure gives cyclists access to mountain meadows of wildflowers, hidden valleys, windswept prairies and working ranches. Beginning and ending in the town of Heppner, and including a thrilling descent into the town of Ukiah, the towns offer dining, drinks and lodging.