North Plains, Oregon
Oregon is full of beautiful places to ride a bike. One of the most convenient areas to explore via low-traffic roads is the Tualatin Valley, about a 30-minute drive west of Portland. Our favorite place to start rides exploring this area is in the small town of North Plains.
North Plains is a community cycling hub, designed to be convenient and welcoming for people on bikes. The town’s hub provides a large parking lot plus ample street parking, a decently well-kept porta potty, bike tools, solar phone charger, and air for your tires. North Plains is located at the hub of at least ten cycling routes.
Riding on Tualatin Valley bike routes in the spring takes you past vineyards, neat rows of blueberry bushes just waiting for more sun to share their fruit, and vibrant crimson fields of clover in bloom (cue Joan Jett). Farmers are tilling and planting alongside grassy fields that roll along the hillsides up to the vineyards, with forested hills as you climb out of the valley. It offers spectacular scenery with few cars, giving you the opportunity to enjoy the freedom and flow-state of the best cycling.
Adjacent to the cycling hub is a wine tasting room and a brew pub (something to please every cyclist), plus a collection of food trucks just a short walk away. Add in the large, colorful murals covering the building walls around town and it’s an ideal place to start and finish a ride.
Routes
From North Plains you can choose from a variety of cycling routes, from beginner to expert, from 20 to 100 miles long. The routes intersect with the Tualatin Valley Scenic Bikeway (one of Oregon’s 18 cherished Scenic Bikeways) and with the Banks Vernonia Trail. Whether you want a slow, flat-ish roll through the countryside or a hilly hammer fest, this is the place.
Many of the rides from North Plains have route directions available on Ride with GPS through Tualatin Valley Visitors. Combine them, cut them short or discover your own.
We’ve ridden many of these routes, on both road and gravel. One accessible route is a 35 mile loop that passes through the city of Forest Grove and the town of Gaston. Around 15 miles into the ride, you reach another Community Bike Hub at Lake Stop Grocery, just before Gaston. You’ll find snacks and drinks, a porta potty, plus bike tools and air. The grocery store also has some parking available, which makes it possible to start a ride from this location as well.
If you don’t want to buy food en route, you can always bring your own PB&J.
The return loop after Gaston offers a chance to stop at the Fernhill Wetlands for a bathroom break and wildlife viewing at around 25 miles.
After rolling through farm fields and crossing back over busy Highway 26, you’ll be greeted by the murals of North Plains as you roll back into town. Time for a celebratory beverage!
Mural Slideshow
Planning Resources
| Location | North Plains, Oregon, 30 minutes west of Portland, Oregon |
| Visitor Resources | Cycle North Plains: Link Visit: Fernhill Wetlands https://fernhillnts.org/trails |
| Bike Routes | Oregon Scenic Bikeways: Link Ride with GPS: Link |
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