Best Oregon Roads / East of the Cascades

[zenwhipper]

Planning a trip this summer with some m/c buddies. Would love some help finding the best roads in eastern Oregon. I have been down go ole 97 a few times on the FJR. But I have never ventured further east. I know we are planning on Crater Lake and maybe Hells Canyon. Anyway - any recommendations out there?

Grazi!

 

[twinfan]

Try this:

- Hwy 395 from Burns north to the intersection with Hwy 244 near Ukiah

- Hwy 244 east to Hwy 84 north of La Grande

- Hwy 84 south to the intesection with Hwy 82 in La Grande

- Hwy 82 to Joseph

These roads are light on traffic and light on LEOs.

If you get to Joseph on the second Saturday of August you can attend the annual Bronze, Blues and Brews festival. This is part of my annual trip from Roseville, CA to a buddy's house in Lostine, Or.

 

[cutback]

Try this:- Hwy 395 from Burns north to the intersection with Hwy 244 near Ukiah

- Hwy 244 east to Hwy 84 north of La Grande

- Hwy 84 south to the intesection with Hwy 82 in La Grande

- Hwy 82 to Joseph

These roads are light on traffic and light on LEOs.

If you get to Joseph on the second Saturday of August you can attend the annual Bronze, Blues and Brews festival. This is part of my annual trip from Roseville, CA to a buddy's house in Lostine, Or.

Hwy 82 to Joseph. Beautiful area and great fun! Please be aware of deer!!!! We lost a rider last year (fatality) from bike versus deer versus auto.

August to October, first hours of daylight, first hours of twilight.....People truly are unaware of how many deer are coming out of the surrounding hills to water....

 

[Fontanaman]

NE Oregon from Highway 26 north, from Hwy 197 east to Hell's Canyon is dubbed by moi as Riding in The Box. The Box is an excellent place to go riding. Stay on any two lane road and life will the good. Here is a ride report from Seattle to NE Oregon an back. Don't miss Dooley Mountain road. The Oregon Motorcyclist is a great resource.

Don't go in July and August. It is too damn hot. Go in April, May, June or Zeptember.

Two lane roads in Oregon make liberal use of cheap seal - a surface I despise. In these parts the gravel gets sloshed from the edge of the road to the center making all right hand turns interesting.

 

[BruceWA]

Check out this site, very good info. Fontanaman is correct on the attached linky!!!

https://oregonmotorcyclist.com/index.php

 

[Mount Rainier]

I spent 500 miles in OR yesterday, both west and east, transferring back and forth through the gorge via WA 14. As mentioned here, most any two lane road in OR will give you access to the best in the Pacific Northwest. "Oregon's roads are great!"

Keep Going!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Stick with North central and eastern roads and you can't go wrong. Antelope, Fossil, Spray to Kimberly are all excellent rides. Look around the roads from Heppner, Ukiah and Sumpter...anything in this general area is motorcycling heaven.

Enjoy, we try to make it down every year!

--G

 

[BruceWA]

Stick with North central and eastern roads and you can't go wrong. Antelope, Fossil, Spray to Kimberly are all excellent rides. Look around the roads from Heppner, Ukiah and Sumpter...anything in this general area is motorcycling heaven.
Enjoy, we try to make it down every year!

--G

I really enjoy the 8 mile route between Shaniko and Antelope, only about half of which is really twisty, but it is FUN, and from there as mentioned above there are many rewarding options.

 

[JamesW]

Stick with North central and eastern roads and you can't go wrong. Antelope, Fossil, Spray to Kimberly are all excellent rides. Look around the roads from Heppner, Ukiah and Sumpter...anything in this general area is motorcycling heaven.
Enjoy, we try to make it down every year!

--G

Once in a great while you may encounter a migrating herd of cattle in the foothills.

 

[Fontanaman]

Stick with North central and eastern roads and you can't go wrong. Antelope, Fossil, Spray to Kimberly are all excellent rides. Look around the roads from Heppner, Ukiah and Sumpter...anything in this general area is motorcycling heaven.
Enjoy, we try to make it down every year!

--G

Once in a great while you may encounter a migrating herd of cattle in the foothills.

Yeah I have encountered migrating cattle and sheep on the road. The sheep not to bad the cattle what a mess on the road and the bottom of the bike.