ExplOregon Ride 1: The Row River Trail

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ExplOregon by Bike began on a blustery and wet Easter Sunday with a 50 mile ride from Creswell to the end of the Row River Trail southeast of Cottage Grove.

I left Creswell at about 10am and rode the eight miles down Highway 99 and Davisson Road to Cottage Grove. The entire way down, I fought a brutal headwind that nearly blew me off the bike several times. This had the unfortunate consequence of draining my energy in the initial warm-up down to the start of the trail.

The Row River Trail begins in the charming town of Cottage Grove. Located about twenty miles south of Eugene, Cottage Grove features a cute and compact downtown area that has many small cafes and shops. Concentrated on Main Street, many of the buildings have murals that are reminiscent of 1950's Americana.

Downtown Cottage Grove

The trailhead is just across the street from where this picture was taken. The Row ("Row" as in "Cow") is a rails-to-trails route. It traverses the same route as the old Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railroad. This railroad, which was abandoned in the early 1990's, primarily hauled lumber, ore and, at one time, passengers behind a steam powered locomotive aptly called the "Goose." The route has many reminders of it's railroad heyday as old boxcars and cabooses line the first couple miles of the trail within Cottage Grove.

Start of the Row River Trail in Cottage Grove

The City of Cottage Grove owns the first three miles of the 15.5 mile trail. These first miles weave through some of the neighborhoods in Cottage Grove and out past the southeastern edge of the city. It parallels Mosby Creek Road before turning sharply to the north where it becomes a BLM-sanctioned trail. This turn also shows one of the many railroad bridges that have been paved over for bikers and pedestrians.

Mosby Creek Bridge

After climbing up some hills and weaving through some forests, the trail emerges along the banks of Dorena Reservoir. This lake, which was drawn down considerably when I rode by, is a popular recreation lake during the summer. I, myself, have driven the short distance from Creswell to Dorena many times during hot summer days for some swimming, boating and barbecuing. On this wet and windy day, recreation on a lake was pretty much the last thing on my mind, but it did make for some good scenery.

Vista of Dorena Lake

After leveling off for a bit, the trail meandered past the marshy south end of the lake before retreating back into the forests of the Cascade foothills. It was at this time that the trail began to directly parallel the Row River itself for a considerable distance.

Southeast of Dorena

After weaving in and out of the forest, the trail re-emerged to greet the tiny communities of Dorena and Culp Creek before ending abruptly at the town of Disston.

Trails End

After stopping for about 25 minutes for lunch and break, I made my way back down the hill to Cottage Grove and then Creswell.

This being my first extended bike ride, I was pretty tired, but pleased at the pace and accomplishment. This was a beautiful ride that went through some incredible scenery. The mountains, forests, lakes, streams and rock formations made for some wonderful snapshots.

The next ExplOregon ride will be tomorrow as I do a 17-miler around Spencer's Butte in Eugene.

ExplOregon by Bike Ride 1: Row River Trail Summary:
Total Miles for Ride 1- 53.2
Total Time on Bike- 4.5 hours
Miles Traveled Overall in ExplOregon- 53.2
Time Spent on Bike Overall- 4.5 hours