OSBT Day 22-Time For Another Scenic Bikeway

Riding the Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway was my plan for the day. This is the second of five Scenic Bikeways I am doing on this tour. Originally, I planned to just do the loop part, and not the out and back to Bend where the Bikeway actually starts. I wasn’t going to do it, because I thought I would be riding it to get to the park. However, that was not the case, so I decided to do the whole thing...36 miles vs 22. 

Tumalo State Park is not right on the route, but very close...like 1/4 mile close. I left the park about 8:45. Before too long, I was on the out and back part. Interestingly, the route is not signed back into town. That made it a bit tricky for me when there were roundabouts. Which way do I go? I had to stop periodically and check the route on Ride with GPS. Even so, (OMG, two buck deer just ran through the H/B site!!!) there was a short section that was different for coming into town that I never saw a sign for. Not a big deal, but still...

Anyway, I made it to Drake Park, the official start of the Scenic Bikeway. 

Ah...there’s a sign!

After a break, I headed back the way I came. Of course it was much easier because I had already come that way, and there were signs. 

Once I made the turn onto the loop part, it was pretty much view after view of the same mountains I’ve been seeing the last couple of days. 

Pano of the whole line of them. 

I have to say, this route was quite hilly. I’m really glad I didn’t have to carry all my gear! I saw tons of cyclists (helps that it’s Saturday) all on road bikes, of course. One thing that was interesting was that the website for the route says to do the route clockwise, but I saw many going the other way. The route is also not signed in the other direction, but I suspect they are all locals. The reason the route is supposed to be done clockwise has to do with two highway crossings. However, I don’t see how that really made any kind of difference. I still had to cross them. 

The route is called Twin Bridges, however, the Bridges were not that distinctive. In fact, Twin Bridges Road only had one bridge!

Crossing the Deschutes on bridge #1. 

Crossing again on bridge #2. 

In the little town of Tumalo, I stopped for some lunch. There was a “deli” in the Shell station. I had a crappy burger. If only I’d ridden a bit further, there were some food trucks. Probably would have been a much better lunch. Oh well, that’s what happens when you don’t know what’s ahead. 

I just had a few more miles to get back to the Campground. Now I can check off Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway.