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When we moved up to the Mount Hood National Forest for seasonal work, we had no idea how many great mountain biking places were in the area. Most of these places are within a few hours from Portland, Oregon, offering all different styles of mountain biking.
From full pedal power up a mountain to shuttles, chairlifts, and trails that are mixed with both up and downhill riding, the following areas to mountain bike near Portland are pretty sweet.
In the past two summers in the Mount Hood National Forest, we’ve ridden at most of these trail systems, so we’re here to give our first-hand knowledge of the trails and share all the need-to-know information for each.
44 Trails in Hood River
- Distance from Portland | 83 miles from downtown | 8 mile loop trailhead
- Parking Information | free, shaded parking
- Where to Stay Nearby | dispersed camping off FR 44 is pretty good or in Hood River
- Riding Style | true single track
The 44 Trails area of Hood River is seemingly nowhere near as popular as Post Canyon right in Hood River. This trail system is up off Forest Road 44, offering true cross-country single-track riding.
Part of the trails in the 44 Trails trail system are actually part of the Oregon Timber Trail, a mountain biking trail that goes all the way through Oregon.
One of the more popular rides at 44 Trails is Surveyor’s Ridge, however, it’s a pretty big shuttle system unless you plan to ride out, overnight camp, and then ride back to your car. From what we’ve heard, lots of people do the overnight ride for this one!
We chose to ride some random trails to complete a full lollypop loop from a dispersed site we found with great views of Hood. Riding the lollypop loop allowed us to understand more of the trail system there, and ultimately left us wanting more.
It’s worth noting, these trails are true single track riding. You’ll likely get pretty scratched up due to the overgrowth of the plants into the skinny trails! There’s a good mix of up and down loops within 44 Trails, and rides can be made as short or as long as you wish.
While we rode in 2024, there were more trails being cut, and a lot of the trails were actually not on the different mountain biking apps just yet! Super stoked to go back next season and explore this area more!
Post Canyon in Hood River
- Distance from Portland | 1 hr 15 minutes from Portland | Post Canyon Staging Area
- Parking Information | paid for parking
- Where to Stay Nearby | The Hood River Hotel
- Riding Style | mix of flowy fun and bike park with jumps
Post Canyon is home to a huge trail system with trails for all kinds of riders. At the top of Post Canyon, there’s a bike park perfect for warming up before hitting the trails… The bike park is also a great place to practice your mountain biking skills.
The trails at Post Canyon range from smooth and flowy to trails with huge gap jumps and nearly straight-down riding.
Post Canyon should only be ridden when it’s dry for a while, as the tree coverage keeps the trails pretty wet after rain or freezing temperatures.
If you choose to ride at Post Canyon multiple times throughout the year, it’s well worth getting the annual parking pass for Post Canyon instead of paying for parking each time you ride. There are a few places to park for free along the road before entering the paid for area, but this adds a good amount of pedaling to your ride, and the money goes directly to the trail network.
If you’re looking to do some group riding, consider joining Goodwynns’ Wednesday night group rides to Post Canyon. Learn more here.
Timberline Bike Park
- Distance from Portland | 1.5 hours from Portland | Timberline Bike Park
- Parking Information | free parking in big, open lot
- Where to Stay Nearby | Timberline Lodge
- Riding Style | downhill with chairlift back to top
We have yet to ride at Timberline Bike Park because they’re closed on our days off. However, we’ve been to the bike park and the trails look pretty sweet with a good mix of difficulty levels.
With that said, we’ve talked to people who have ridden at the Timberline Bike Park and they don’t think it’s really worth the money for the shuttle when you can do the Timberline to Town trail for $2 instead. More on the Timberline to Town Trail next.
The Timberline Bike Park opens up after the snow has melted from that section of the mountain and it’s open Wednesday-Sunday. The full day lift ticket costs $50. Alternatively, you can get a Bike Park season ticket for $249, which comes with two free lifts at other mountain biking parks in the area.
If you choose to ride at the Timberline Bike Park, we recommend riding early in the season, as the trails get pretty sandy and soft as the summer sun really dries out the area!
Timberline to Town Trail from Rhododendron
- Distance from Portland | 1 hr 15 minutes from Portland | Rhododendron Shuttle Stop
- Parking Information | free parking in a gravel lot
- Where to Stay Nearby | Government Camp, Cabins, Timberline Lodge
- Riding Style | all downhill, intermediate riding, however speed can make it difficult
If you’re into downhill riding, the Timberline to Town trail is for you! This is an epic 15+ mile ride basically all downhill with a $2 shuttle from the base of the mountain to Timberline!
Honestly, when we rode this we had NO idea what to expect.. we aren’t huge into downhill riding, but we knew we wanted to try it out. And boy, it was hard on the hands, but fun nonetheless!
For the Timberline to Town trail, you catch the Mt. Hood Express Shuttle from Rhododendron for $2 (exact change only) and then enjoy the ride to the Timberline Lodge. This is where the 15+ mile trail starts descending down the mountain. There are two short climbs about ten miles into the trail, but the rest of it is true downhill riding.
Keep in mind, while riding this trail, you’re actually riding an active volcano.. and with that, it’s super rocky and sandy/soft in the later part of summer.
LEARN MORE | Our complete guide to Timberline to Town including top tips + trail conditions.
Sandy Ridge Trails Near Sandy
- Distance from Portland | 1 hr 10 minutes from Portland | Sandy Ridge Trails
- Parking Information | paid for parking, unless you have a National Park Pass
- Where to Stay Nearby | Sandy Lodge with Hot Tub + Game Room
- Riding Style | ride up paved road, all flowy downhill from there
Sandy Ridge Trails is a dream come true for trail riding for us. While there are some super technical trails, there are also perfect downhill flowy trails that we just loved!
Sandy Ridge is the closest mountain biking near Portland with quick and easy access to the trails. It’s huge parking lot and extensive trail system set up for all kind of riders, it’s the perfect place to get on the bike not too far from Portland without the big crowds.
The super interesting thing about Sandy Ridge Trails is the paved climb from the parking lot. All trails are accessed from an old forest service road that is now paved. It can be steep and exposed to the heat in some areas, but for the most part it’s not too bad.
The paved road makes it easy to do quick laps with some easy non-technical climbing and epic downhill riding.
Our first season at Timothy Lake, we didn’t get to ride at Sandy Ridge due to a massive fire in the area. Season two, Jay was able to sneak in a couple rides, though I only was able to get on the trails once.
The parking area is actually the perfect place to set up in the shade for a day and get some work in or take a lunch break between laps on the trails. It’s big, flat, and has a bathroom and lots of shade!
Frog Lake to Timothy Lake Loop
- Distance from Portland | 1.5 hours from Portland to Frog Lake | Frog Lake, Oregon
- Parking Information | paid for parking at Frog Lake, free with NW Forest Pass or National Park Pass
- Where to Stay Nearby | Government Camp Cabins or camp at Frog Lake or Timothy Lake
- Riding Style | gravel riding
While working in the Mount Hood National Forest, we met a lot of people that were riding from Frog Lake to Timothy Lake, and most the time back to Frog Lake creating a 45 mile loop. This trip is mostly done on gravel roads, with the exception of riding around Timothy Lake itself.
To do this ride, you would either need to have someone shuttle cars (if you just ride from Frog Lake to Timothy Lake) or complete it as a big loop and camp along the way. Lots of people choose to pack bike touring gear and disperse camp at Timothy Lake for this ride.
We have yet to ride from Frog Lake to Timothy Lake because we often heard that the trails aren’t actually cleared and there are loads of down trees along the way. With that said, if you head out later in the season, the trails will likely be cleared, making the ride more manageable!
If you choose to do this ride, we suggest bringing a water filter so you can get water from any of the four lakes you pass. Keep in mind, that you can also fill up at the campgrounds when the water is on for the season.
Circumnavigate Timothy Lake
- Distance from Portland | 2 hours from Portland | Timothy Lake
- Parking Information | paid for parking, free with NW Forest Pass or National Park Pass
- Where to Stay Nearby | Timothy Lake Campgrounds
- Riding Style | easy wide trail riding, with one section of single track and one gravel road
With quick and easy access to this ride, we’ve ridden this mountain biking trail or sections of it more times than we can count. In fact, this is the area for mountain biking near Portland that we know the best.
Circumnavigating Timothy Lake is a great 15(ish) mile loop around the lake that’s actually a pretty quick ride.
The trail around Timothy Lake is great for less experienced riders, as there are no technical areas and not too much elevation — except for one major climb on the PCT side of the lake.
Different mountain biking apps say to ride the trail clockwise, however, we suggest the opposite.
Riding around Timothy Lake counterclockwise allows the bigger climb to be on a decommissioned forest service road making the biggest downhill section flowy, single-track riding.
I’m not sure why the mountain biking apps say to ride it the opposite way, but trust us — the best singletrack is downhill while circumnavigating Timothy Lake counterclockwise.
When starting this ride, you can park at any of the day use areas on the lake. Stone Creek Day Use is the least popular one and also has the best views of Mount Hood. Be sure to leave time to jump in the lake on this ride, Timothy Lake is super clear and a refreshing dip after the trip!
Other Things To Do Around Hood
Mount Hood Summer Activities
Living under Mount Hood in the summer means we get to enjoy all the summer activities that Hood has to offer. While the mountain itself is well known for the skiing that’s offered year-round, there are many other great things to do on the mountain once the snow starts to melt.
Timberline To Town Trail Guide
This is our complete guide to riding the Timberline to Town trail mentioned above. This post has links to the different shuttle information you’ll need, and includes FAQs about the mountain bike trail and a more in-depth look at our experience riding there.
Oregon Travel Guide
All our Oregon content in one place. This page is a list of all the posts we’ve done while living in and traveling in Oregon for the majority of our lives. Find things like waterfalls to see, things to do in different areas, swimming holes, and even the cutest Oregon coast towns to visit.
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