Aufderheide - Oregon's newest bike magnet

Efforts to promote “spectacular views of mountains, lakes, waterfalls, creeks, and rivers” along Forest Service Road 19 paid off last Wednesday when the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission approved designating the route as the Aufderheide Scenic Bikeway.

Starting in 2009, Oregon was the first state to develop a statewide Scenic Bikeway Program. The new route now includes 18 designated bicycle travel zones that have been picked to showcase areas of the state’s “breathtaking landscapes, cultural treasures, and western hospitality.”

Aufderheide Drive is the second ride in the area to earn the designation. The 35-mile McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway, established in 2011, follows an 1860s wagon route over the Old McKenzie Pass. Due to some steep, winding sections through lava fields, the bikeway is rated “extreme” by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Previously known as Forest Road 19 and sometimes called “Box Canyon Road,” the route was named in honor of Robert Aufderheide, a Willamette National Forest Supervisor from 1954 until his death in 1959. During that time, he was recognized for helping the Forest Service transition from custodial to multiple-use forest management.

Numerous spots along the route are suitable for picnicking, sightseeing, and fishing. Other attractions include a log cabin replica of the old Box Canyon guard station near the summit of the drive, the Constitution Grove of old-growth trees, Terwilliger Hots Springs, Cougar Reservoir, and the Chucksney Mountain, Grasshopper, and Crossing Way trails.

Last Wednesday’s scenic bikeway designation was the first since 2017 when Oregon added the 27-mile Crooked River Canyon route in central Oregon to the list.