The Long Weekend: Mountain Biking Ashland, Oregon

Thanks to nearly 6,000 vertical feet of trails out its back door, and a location halfway between Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C., the southern Oregon wine-country city of Ashland has cultivated a cult following among Whistler-bound Californians and mud-weary Oregonians.

Season

In the Mediterranean climate of the Rogue River Valley, Ashland’s riding season is the inverse of most of its Pacific Northwest neighbors. The decomposed granite of Mount Ashland drains quickly and packs down with moisture, meaning it rides even better in the wetter months. Riders can chase the snowline on Mount Ashland, where all but the highest-elevation trails are rideable all winter.

But Ashland rides well year-round, with those highest-elevation trails providing an escape from summer heat.

“Almost every day here, there’s a window to go riding,” says Gilad Gozlan, co-owner of the Handlebar Ashland.

Ride

In addition to supplying drinking water to the city, the 15,000-acre Ashland Municipal Watershed supplies its dirt fix as well. In a bit of ingenious planning between the Rogue River - Siskiyou National Forest—the primary land manager of the watershed—and the City of Ashland Public Works, the Ashland Watershed trails have been built with a "parallel play" philosophy, which keeps foot and fat tire traffic on separate, often directional, tracks. Translation: let 'er rip.

On the western side of the trail system, Hitt Road shows that the through-line from old dirt road bombing to bike parks is pretty direct, with a wide, high-speed track and endless rollers and side hitsI On the eastern side of the trail system, the Ashland Loop Road--a lung-busting log haul road—accesses the descents. Pedal up to Marty’s and launch into log drops and doubles, then blast into the berms of Vegan Chili. Lizard tees up two handfuls of tabletops and step-ups before the two-mile descent of Jabberwocky tests riders' top gears on high-speed sidehill straights and big gully G-outs.

From near the summit of Mt. Ashland Ski Area, Time Warp lives up to its name: a historic route turned high-speed track that races over raw volcanic rock, alpine meadows and fast forested sections flanked by shaggy firs. Most riders shuttle the 4-mile, 2500 vertical foot descent via the road to Mount Ashland Ski Area and then pedal the Ashland Loop Road back to the main trail network.

Drinks and Dining

With the Ashland Municipal Watershed trails accessible out the back door of downtown, rides frequently began at coffee shops and eat at restaurants. And thanks in large part to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which brings some half a million theatre-goers to Ashland each year, the city of 21,000 has an outsize dining scene, with a restaurant density rivaling that of New York and Paris. Options range from black-tie to straight-from-the-bike—and as the outdoors scene grows, those scenes increasingly merge.

Start the day at Greenleaf Restaurant. Located in a historic building with creekside seating on the edge of Lithia Park downtown, Greenleaf features rich, hearty breakfasts with high-quality, locally grown ingredients; the eggs Benedict and savory scone chicken sandwiches provide ample fuel for an Ashland Loop Road climb. Group rides often end at Gil's, where visitors can lean their bikes against the wall and order from two-dozen taps of local beer and cider and pair it with upscale pub fare. Although outside the historic downtown core, Caldera Brewery & Restaurant is well worth the short drive. Caldera uses 100% whole-flower hops in the brewing process (rather than the far-more-common pelletized hops) which yield a cleaner taste. In addition to ales and lagers, the brewery makes its own sodas and hard seltzers.

Lodging

Ashland’s history as a waystation for Interstate 5-traveling motor tourists and host of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival means there's ample accommodations. For a nearly car-free experience, riders can pedal from Plaza Inn & Suites, on oak-shaded Ashland Creek, to the dining and shops of historic Main Street and the Ashland Municipal Watershed trails.

Bike Shops

Ashland boasts six bike shops for a city of 21,000—ten times more per capita than Portland. It’s a testament to the community’s strong cycling scene and its prime location on the between California and Vancouver. (Oregon’s lack of sales tax doesn't hurt as a draw for Golden State bike shoppers either.) With a prime downtown location and bar stools abutting its service counter, the Handlebar Ashland is a great place to hangout and talk shop with the owners and employees, most of whom have elite-level racing experience.

Support

The Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association (RVMBA) advocates for and builds trails from Ashland to Grants Pass . Their work has been instrumental for maintaining access to the Ashland Watershed trails.

Related: Read More - Bike Destination: Ashland, Oregon