East Sisters loop paved bicycle route, with variations

East Sisters loop paved bicycle route, with variations

Length: 30 miles (with extensions up to 50 miles) Surface: Paved (chip sealed) road with 4’ paved shoulders along Highway 126 and 3’ paved shoulders along Highway 20.

Description: This is a quintessential Sisters ride. The basic 30 mile loop is a great way to ride through hayfields, sagebrush flats, and juniper studded canyons and forests on mostly flat, easy, low volume backroads, with minimal riding on busy highways (3.5 miles on Hwy 126 and 0.5 miles on Hwy 20), and with majestic views of the Cascades Mountains. The loop can be ridden clockwise or counterclockwise, but the recommended direction is clockwise. Leave Sisters on Hwy 126, right (south) on Cloverdale, left (east) on Jordan which becomes George Cyrus Rd heading north, cross Hwy 126 to Goodrich Rd, continue around corner onto Edmundson, right (south) on Holmes, cross Hwy 126 to Fryrear Rd, right (west) on Highway 20, veer left on Plainview Rd, right (north) on Gist Rd, left on Hwy 20, right on Cloverdale Rd, left (west) on Highway126 back into Sisters.

There are several variations to add mileage. (1) Camp Polk Return. Get off the highway for more backroads riding. On the return, turn right (north) off Highway 126 onto Camp Polk Rd (by Aspen Lakes Golf Course, about ½ mile from Cloverdale, towards Sisters), then left at the T staying on Camp Polk Road back into Sisters (adds 3 miles to the loop). (2) Tumalo Loop. A continuation through bucolic farmland framed in great mountain views – for the price of only about 5 additional miles of highway riding. The loop begins and ends at the intersection of Fryrear Rd and Hwy 20. Continue south (left) on Hwy 20 for 2.5 miles, turn right on Tweed Rd, right on Couch Market Rd, left on Collins Rd, left on Walton Rd/Pinehurst Rd, stay on Pinehurst Rd at the T intersection, cross Highway 20, then left (north) on Gerking Market Rd, left (west) on Innes Market Rd, right (north) on Highway 20 for 2 miles, past Fryrear Rd and then left onto Plainview R. Continue along the main route. (Adds 16 miles.) Tumalo Coffee Shop: Very popular with cyclists. When reaching Hwy 20 from Pinehurst Rd, ride right (south) 1.5 miles into Tumalo on Hwy 20 for refreshments, and then backtrack onto the course.

Access: Start at Sisters Village Green – take Hood St. south, right onto Highway 20 (toward Bend) and then left onto Highway 126 (toward Redmond).