Find the top rated trails in Roseburg, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Surrounded by mountains and resting along the banks of the South Umpqua River, Roseburg is truly a beautiful city. Like a string of green beads on a necklace, a trail system forms a figure-eight loop...
The Row River Trail is part of the Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway. Small-town charm, a lake at the foot of the Cascades, and a mostly flat path escort you past Dorena Dam and historic covered bridges....
The I-5 Trail is available in two disconnected segments that are roughly equivalent in size with each being about 2 miles long. The northern segment begins in Roseburg’s busy shopping area along...
Surrounded by mountains and resting along the banks of the South Umpqua River, Roseburg is truly a beautiful city. Like a string of green beads on a necklace, a trail system forms a figure-eight loop...
The I-5 Trail is available in two disconnected segments that are roughly equivalent in size with each being about 2 miles long. The northern segment begins in Roseburg’s busy shopping area along...
The Row River Trail is part of the Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway. Small-town charm, a lake at the foot of the Cascades, and a mostly flat path escort you past Dorena Dam and historic covered bridges....
Surrounded by mountains and resting along the banks of the South Umpqua River, Roseburg is truly a beautiful city. Like a string of green beads on a necklace, a trail system forms a figure-eight loop...
The I-5 Trail is available in two disconnected segments that are roughly equivalent in size with each being about 2 miles long. The northern segment begins in Roseburg’s busy shopping area along...
The Row River Trail is part of the Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway. Small-town charm, a lake at the foot of the Cascades, and a mostly flat path escort you past Dorena Dam and historic covered bridges....
While I love experiencing the various trails around the country, this is one of the best. You can just really ride (even fast) for a long time, versus having to stop for many street crossings. The scenery is very pretty, especially around the lake. It is well marked and easy to get to. The trail is maintained well, plenty wide for passing, and over-all a total joy! I rode it 2 days in a row before we moved on to our next adventure. Enjoy!
Beautiful and diverse trail. My favorite so far. Loved seeing Dorena Lake about mid way
This trail is not worth your time to go. Parking is limited. Grades are very steep. Grass growing up through cracks. Tree roots lifting trail. Very narrow. Nothing nice about this trail at all
Mid winter, mid week ride on a wonderful trail. Trail hazards are marked so clearly that they are impossible to miss, only a handful are unavoidable and those are easily traversed by slowing down just a little bit. Most are areas of pavement heaved up by the many trees along the trail. The shade along the upper half of the trail makes this a very good summer ride.
Like many shaded Western Oregon trail there is some moss that grows along the edges of the trail, but 95% of the trail surface is clean pavement. Like most converted rail lines the grades are manageable by even small children and the road crossings have clear sight paths to enhance the safety at these crossings. Due to log truck traffic one or two do require some caution at the crossing.
Hats off to the trail managers for the upkeep, the clear hazard warnings, and facilities along the trail.
I felt the narsacistic need to add a second post because I have a huge ego and anthropology background. Ecousin made a great point concerning the concept of "friendship" and how Rails to Trails fosters relationships. Anyone looking to improve relationships with family and friends should consider this trail as an activity that can result in higher quality of relationships.
For me the best part of the trip was communicating with three generations of people. I split my time between talking with the kids, the Gen-x-ers, the Baby-Boomers, and the circus that is my brain when I am not interacting with other people.
Ecousin made that point very clear. As you ride this trail, especially if you go as a large group, watch your pace. You can find out a child's deepest fear by riding along side them and simply asking questions. No need to sit down and have a "serious" talk. The distraction of the forest canopy and cadence of the ride is enough for those kids to release concerns they keep repressed, and for any parent this is a tool of health for the child as well as yourself.
Likewise, the older generation are fun to ride with. They give me the sense that things are going to be OK for my daughter and the other kids on the ride.
Rails to trails provides a venue for communication between generations of people.
Peace and Love, Carmenza
This trail is exemplary of why I love rails to trails. Beautiful grade, paved, no cars and much of the trail is though a tree covered corridor.
8-22-2015 we had planned to start the ride at Culp Creek believing we had 17 miles in front of us (The reality is the trail is 15.5). Our plan was to ride to Cottage Grove have a nice lunch and those who were inclined to ride back to the trial head of Culp Creek, with others staying in Cottage Grove or riding back to Campground.
There is automobile access all along the trail, which is nice because when you are on a trail without access for great distances (Say over 10 miles) I start getting nervous.
The ride west is slightly downhill, and very enjoyable. Our ride was with friends who are more interested in the experience than the ride. I joked we would stop and explore anything shiny. This pace doesn't get you from A to B the fastest, but provides a chance to get to know each other better.
This trail is in excellent shape and improvements would be hard to imagine until I came to a "Detour sign." Having been a former Locomotive Engineer one thing I loathe is "at grade" RR crossings. We were detouring around an underpass currently under construction for the path to pass peacefully under the road. It is beautiful!
What a great Trail 15.5 miles of pure Bliss
It has been more than 20 years since I last visited the drainage that carries a water supply to the small city of Cottage Grove. When I was in college the Row River was my motorcycle stomping ground. Wildwood Falls was my swimming hole and and a little known spot on a tributary creek to the Row was a great place to go skinny dipping.
Then you get a job, a wife, money, moves to other cities, etc, and you find it has been too long since you connected with the beauty of a Cascade foothills paradise.
Ecousins sister decided it had been too long since she spent time in the saddle, and organized a trip for her family, my family, and another to ride the Row river trail. She booked us at a large campground (Shwarz CG)just below Dorena lake Dam, and we were on board.
It should be known that this campground has a lot of rules. And a lot of patrolling. Alcohol is not allowed, so put your beverage of choice in a different container when out of sight of the ranger and you are good to go. Also, there are no electrical hook-ups for RV's and generator shut off hours are 10-6.
This was important to us because a couple of folks in our mix use CPAP machines and needed overnight power. They were approached by the ranger the first night, and explained their circumstance. They were allowed to stay, but the host called the police the next day, and they were forced to leave. For as nice as the park was, one would think they could go the extra mile and power up a few RV pads. I don't mind sleeping in a tent, but I am only 43. Older folks and folks with health concerns who RV camp should consider the RV park down the road. The bathrooms were immaculate, but closed from 5:30 to 6:15 am for cleaning so if you are an early riser keep this in mind.
The ride...
We somehow got the first 9 people in our group out of the park by 8:30 am after a night of party and reunion and a hearty breakfast. We drove the bikes up to Culp Creek Trailhead where the pavement begins at the east end of this liquid smooth trail. The gentle, consistent railroad grade was perfect for 3 generations of riders to effortlessly roll the 15.7 miles down to Cottage Grove. As you pedal along past old timber industry relics and the worker housing that helped build our nation, a deep sense of how incredibly different the world is today than it was 100 years ago.
I wont get too descriptive of the visuals...you'll just have to ride it for yourself and decide for yourself how you feel about it. I personally love disintegration and dilapidation--watching nature take over the neglect of humanity.
My wife and kid had agreed to meet us down the trail, and a new friend, and his wife and kid had agreed to meet Ecousin down the trail a bit too. We managed to meet all of them. Amazing. Now we were 12 riders, and two support crew. We made it to Cottage Grove for a great lunch at Busters Main Street Cafe.
With full bellies we split up our group. Some stayed to shop in the beautiful downtown historic district, some of rode back up the trip to a famous covered bridge and then back to the camp. Ecousin, Dan and I kept rolling back to The upper trailhead. I felt a little bad about my contribution in this section because I started going a bit fast. I am a cadence guy, and my newly remodeled road bike was outperforming Dan's city bike and Ecousins mountain bike I did stop and wait a couple of times, but it just felt so good to be moving up the grade at the pace I was going.
Back at the car we loaded up and drove back to camp, but not without checking out another fascinating covered bridge. These things are marvels. If you ride this trail I highly recommend taking the time to investigate their construction.
Back at camp we regrouped and used three dutch ovens to make an interesting meal for everyone called "Milk Can Supper" Brats, potatoes, green beans, peppers, corn, onions, beer, garlic, salt...good. Finish with a slice of watermelon.
Responsible adults went to bed, but a few of us stayed up to party a while longer. Nothing like the glow of new friendships and euphoria of a fun ride complete. Ecousin and I struck out to the top of the dam around midnight and walked another 4 mile loop from there back to camp along the berm and Row River road. I woke up at 6 and got My families' bikes up on the racks.
In good time several sleepy children and spouses surfaced. We left the camp immaculate and descended to Cottage Grove for breakfast. I was tearing up a bit for the thought that another summer reunion has come and gone. Next year the kids will be bigger, the grandparents less agile, and I'll be...let's just hope I'll still be. Mid 40's are bittersweet.
After breakfast we parted ways. Ecousin to the north, and my family lit out for Gold Beach. We decided it was best to see the ocean and escape the smoke of a fiery Oregon summer for a couple of days.
I had considered taking my ten year old daughter up to Wildwood falls, but perhaps that can wait for another year. I don't want to give my wife a heart attack. My fearless daughter would want to cliff jump and swim under the waterfalls, and maybe she is still a little young for that.
A mellow walk on the beautiful driftwood littered beach was a sound choice, and nice cap to a fun weekend of riding with friends. We returned through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods, and made it back to Klamath Falls in time to get the car unpacked, before the sun went down.
Although it was a bit foggy and chilly , the scenery and trail condition were excellent. The reservoir was almost dry but the river was high and muddy. Spent the night at the boat ramp parking area in my RV and had it all to myself. I will definitely return when the weather is better next summer!
The TrailBear has been meaning to ride this trail for years. He surveyed trails in Roseburg for RTC some seasons back, but never this one. So... this time on the fall migration we stopped and TB headed off on his trike.
Nice trail: wide, good blacktop. Scenic views of the river going up the hill. Scenic views of the freeway can be had both going and coming. Face it. It's a commuter trail. Riding along a freeway is said to have it's joys - but limited ones.
The trail head for this one is the parking area at the fairgrounds, close to the museum. Restrooms and water are in the RR building across from the campground there (Yes, on trail camping with hookups.).
Head south and you have the river on the left and the freeway on the right. Then you get to climb Mistletoe Hill. This worked better on the trike - you don't fall over at low speed and you can pause to Admire the Scenery as needed.
Mistletoe Lane is the top of the grade and about the half way. From here the trail heads down the back of the hill and dives under the freeway bridge in the distance.
It has it's own bridge below the freeway and comes to an end on the far bank at the end of Cairns Road at 43.167383° x -123.368066°. This puts you in a delightful industrial area in a little community called Green.
Now you can turn around and climb Mistletoe Hill. TB was doing 23.8 mph coasting down. Enjoy.
Trike on!
TrailBear
Pausing to Admire the Scenery
This trail also continues South from Douglas Fair grounds between I-5 and the Umpqua River, on very good surface, to end after crossing the River on a suspended Bridge under South bound I-5. Noel Keller Jul 7,2014
Started at Trail Head in Cottage Grove, after asking directions at Visitors Center. The person there didn't mention that very soon we would see a "Trail closed" sign. The trail beyond looked passable if we avoided the trench down the center and the debris scattered on the remaining "lanes." We ventured on, sometimes walking through heavy debris or soft areas. A worker told us that they're installing new electric and fiber optic lines from the dam. It looks like this work will take a few more weeks to complete (the sign gives completion date of April 30).
Just past the Currin Bridge, the trail is in excellent condition. Thank you, volunteers who clearly painted all areas raised by roots!
I recommend parking in one of the access lots past this bridge, and start your bike ride along the lake. We thought that lakeside was the prettiest part of the trail.
On our return trip, we caught Row Rd. before the Currin Bridge to bike into Cottage Grove.
This BLM page gives more info. and a good map.
http://www.americantrails.org/nationalrecreationtrails/blm/rowriver-or.html
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