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Alpine Trail
This is a classic Western Mountain Bike ride with great vistas, deep forests, fun downhills, and remote back country exposure. Alpine is a great way to see what Oregon's Cascade Mountains are all about.
Getting There
 Alpine can be completely pedaled from the town of Oakridge which sits in the heart of the Western slopes of the Cascades off Highway 58 about an hour East of the twin cities of Eugene and Springfield. Highway 58 (a.k.a. Willamette Highway) is a scenic two lane mountain road which follows the Middle Fork of the Willamette River up the Western side of the Cascades. Oakridge is a small town with a few hotels, a bike shop and a couple of restaurants but not much else. What they do have is more than sufficient, and you'll enjoy the elbow room so close to all the great trails there.
The Ride
Altogether, this is about 20 miles of Forest Road and Single Track (with an additional 8-10 miles of paved road if you choose to ride from the town of Oakridge and back). Most of the Single Track is downhill after your initial climb on the Forest Road. From the Oakridge Motel, take the back roads through town (a few blocks North of Highway 58) and up onto West Oak Road as you climb over the big ridge on the North side of town. Once upon the ridge, you'll drop down West Oak Road on its backside towards the enclave of Westfir,  which will be marked by the large red covered bridge crossing the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Turn right onto the scenic highway before the bridge for 2 or 3 miles until you come to a bridge for Forest Road 1910 on your left. Here is where your ride begins. Jump onto 1910 for the 8-mile, 2 hour climb up a steady gravel incline with peaceful, lush forested terrain and a couple of nice overlooks and open meadows. At the top, you will reach a three way intersection where you will go left onto Forest Road 1911. Just a short 700 feet or so and you will notice a wooden sign for the Alpine Trail to the left, and this is where the single track begins. The first mile or two is underneath a very thick canopy on the West side of a ridge which seems to hold moisture pretty well. Thus the trail was a bit of a black muddy slog with a couple of steep but short climbs near the beginning. Halfway thru this section you will cross through two very large fallen fir trees through which a path has been cleared. These provide a nice perspective for your bike up against the huge trees. The trail winds around this ridge for another mile or so  and pops out to a very popular overlook where snowcapped mountains to the East can be spotted far away across the heavily forested, fir covered peaks and valleys. This section winds along some open hillsides covered in wildflowers and then takes you to the backside (west side) of another group of ridges as you begin to drop thru large firs and huge ferns on some of the finest single track descents around. These are fast, narrow runs that are broken up every 500 feet or so with tight switchbacks, and they seem to go on forever, until you remember the two-hour climb on the Forest Road 1910 which you worked so hard for. Eventually, you'll come to another open overlook (but this time to the West) with a nice panoramic valley view. Just after the overlook is the only precarious section of the trail with some loose, gritty material and a small 50-70 foot ledge to the right. Soon after, you will come upon Buckhead shelter while continuing along many fun and swooping drops and switchbacks. The trail eventually feels as if it is flattening out as you reach a very luscious area of forest where the ferns are almost neck-high. A few jogs along and across unknown Forest Roads eventually take you to more bench cut trail where the town of Oakridge can be seen far below and to your left. You drop down this for another couple of miles until the trail ends at a paved road. Here, you go left toward Westfir and the red covered bridge, crossing a single set of railroad tracks before you get there. Climb out of Westfir on the road you came in on (Westfir-Oak or West Oak Road) and head back to Oakridge.
Where to Stay and Eat
You will find the best hospitality at the Oakridge Motel (541-782-2432), where you can park your car right in front of your room and work on your bike and gear under the little covered porch area. After the ride, try the Sausage Pasta dish along with a great choice of beers at the Trailhead Coffehouse (541-782-2223) located near the entrance to town off Highway 58. The Trailhead Coffeehouse serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has good wireless access and friendly service. Ray's Food place has groceries, and the bike shop in town is Willamette Mountain Mercantile (541-782-1800). The local staff are very helpful, had good maps, and provided very accurate descriptions of the trail.
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Bridge over Middle Fork of Willamette River to Forest Road 1910
Intersection of FR 1910 and FR 1911
Alpine Trailhead Sign
Muddy Single Track at Beginning of Alpine Trail
Fallen Trees on Alpine Trail
Benchcut Thru Ferns
Buckhead Shelter on the Alpine Trail
Overlook to the West from Alpine Trail
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