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An out-and-back on a dirt and gravel road with a side loop and optional exit down to Hwy 30 on Saltzman Road.


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Map Key

25.6

Miles

41.2

KM

0%

Singletrack

1,065' 325 m

High

347' 106 m

Low

1,566' 477 m

Up

1,566' 477 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

22%

Max Grade (12°)

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Overview

Ride through Forest Park on roads that largely follows the contours. This out-and-back features a loop up Saltzman Road and down Firelane 5, with access to an optional exit down Saltzman Road to Hwy 30.

Description

Leif Erikson roughly follows the contour along the length of the park, making for a nice, long dirt-road ride. On nice weekends, it’s a bit crowded with pedestrians near the Thurman trailhead but gets open a mile or two out. It’s somewhat muddy during wet periods.

This ride has a loop up Saltzman Road and down Firelane 5 (the only very short bit of singletrack) thrown in. I think it's more fun to ride up Firelane 5, then turn back down where it crosses the Wildwood trail than going up Saltzman Road or riding Firelane 5 above Wildwood. Either way, this loop is easy to adapt for your preferences.

Overall, this is not a prime NW mountain bike experience, but can still be a nice gravel/road ride to escape from cars into a forest. It's also a popular workout for training cyclocross and gravel riders.

The fire lanes this ride intersects can be fun diversions - they are steep, short roads generally going uphill from Leif Erikson Drive.

The park was nearly all logged, so it’s second-growth successional forest with a few large (by NW standards) old trees.

History & Background

Although Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, opponents of cycling (mostly park neighbors) shut bikes out in the 1980's and 90's, and have prevented bikes from getting trail access. So this route is not mountain biking but has dirt/gravel road riding. The only short trail segments are on Firelane 5 (about 1/3 of a mile) and northerly parts of Newton Road, which are trail-like for less than a mile. Northwest Trail Alliance and others have worked for many years to get singletrack open to biking.

Contacts

Shared By:

Frank Selker

Trail Ratings

  2.3 from 21 votes

#1

in Forest Park

#3384

Overall
  2.3 from 21 votes
5 Star
0%
4 Star
15%
3 Star
20%
2 Star
50%
1 Star
15%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Forest Park

#104

in Oregon

#3,384

Overall
54 Views Last Month
21,374 Since Feb 2, 2018
Easy/Intermediate Easy/Intermediate

56%
6%
38%
0%
0%
0%

Photos

The bottom of firelane 3 at Lief Erickson rd. It is a great fast downhill in the dry summer months.
Jan 9, 2021 near West Haven, OR
The start of Firelane 5.
Apr 30, 2017 near West Haven, OR
Pretty day on Leif Erikson Drive.
Aug 31, 2016 near West Haven, OR
A bicyclist stops to check out the site remains of the former homestead on the Erikson Trail. Bill Cunningham Photo,
Feb 28, 2018 near West Haven, OR
About the hardest thing you'll come across!
Sep 5, 2017 near West Haven, OR
View of St. Johns Bridge
Jul 19, 2013 near West Haven, OR
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Current Trail Conditions

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