The weather this fall on the Oregon coast is amazing! We took advantage of another nice day and rode a gravel loop out on the edge of Clatsop County.
Starting from the fish hatchery in North Fork Nehalem Park, we crossed the highway and started the climb. I love all these gravel logging roads along the coast because they are gated and closed to cars. Of course, we’re always alert in case it’s an active logging area. We downloaded a free annual permit to recreate on all the properties.
This loop was a diverse ride through the lush, working environment of Clatsop State Forest. We cycled through rolling hills, passing second-growth hemlock, Douglas-fir, and western red cedar, alongside various hardwoods and ferns. Like most of the gravel rides we do around here, a river is involved. In this case, it’s riding along the North Fork Nehalem River, offering scenic views and a sense of solitude. Eventually we crossed over another gate and this section of the ride was open to cars so just be aware of your surroundings.
We didn’t come across anyone else which was fine with me. It was just us, the trees, leaves, river, and gravel. Speaking of which..we didn’t know what to expect so we rode mountain bikes but upon return we’ll ride our gravel bikes. There wasn’t anything too steep and the gravel was pretty good. There was even a section of pavement along Hamlet Road which sped the ride up.
There is so much more exploring to do!
