JOURNEY
THROUGH
TIME
SCENIC BYWAYS
INTO THE PAST
Biking
GET OUT & GO
IN GRANT COUNTY
If a scenic road trip by bicycle is what you’re looking for, Grant County has a lot to offer.
Throughout the milder seasons, visitors and residents alike take to the roads and trails on two wheels.
Here are five top routes to try out:
73؏MILE STRAWBERRY
MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS LOOP
This is a beautiful yet challenging route, taking riders through varied
terrain, looping from John Day to Prairie City.
More information: www.prairiecityoregon.com
80؏MILE MURDERERS CREEK
ROUTE
Begins at Strawberry Ridge, 15 miles south of John Day. The tour
provides a mainly remote ride through ponderosa forestland, along
a beautiful creek valley and unique rock outcroppings as well as high
desert meadows. The paved ride passes through wild horse range.
More information: www.rideoregonride.com
14؏MILE PRAIRIE VALLEY LOOP
A pleasant, easy ride, which includes 10 miles of paved road and
4 miles of very smooth-packed gravel. The Riverside School House
Bed & Breakfast is located about halfway through the ride.
More information: www.prairiecityoregon.com
11؏MILE MARYSVILLE LOOP
Riders see breathtaking views of Canyon Mountain and the John
Day Valley. Starting in John Day, cyclists head east on Highway 26
for 3 miles, turning right onto Dog Creek Road. After a little over a
mile, the paved road takes a 90-degree right turn onto Marysville
Road/County Road 52. Riders descend into Canyon City and take a
right turn, heading north on Highway 395 back into John Day.
192؏MILE OLD WEST ROUTE
Previously known as Wild Rivers, this route received the distinction
in 2011 as one of Oregon’s nine Scenic Bikeways. The trip takes
cyclists through various scenic vistas, following three rivers. It also
features varied wildlife and points of interest along the way, including
nationally recognized sites such as Kam Wah Chung Chinese
Heritage Museum, 125 NW Canton St., in John Day, and the John
Day Fossil Beds and Thomas Condon Paleontology Center,
northwest of Dayville. A challenging loop, the ride begins in John
Day at the corner of Highway 26/Main Street and Canton Street near
the Grant County Chamber of Commerce, 301 W. Main St. The route
follows Highway 26 west to County Road 20, Highway 395,
Highway 402 and back to Highway 26.
More information: www.oregon.gov
DRIVER TIPS
• When you pass cyclists, give them a wide berth, and make
sure you have a good clearance to pull back into your lane
without endangering other riders who may be farther ahead.
• If you pull off and stop your vehicle anywhere on the riding
route, always look behind you before opening the car door and
getting out. A cyclist who gets “doored” can be seriously
injured.
• Be alert to changes in rider activity or position. Riders have
the same rules and rights on the road as drivers. They will be
directed to ride to the right, but could be jolted by various
surprises – such as a blown tire or a jackrabbit darting into their
path.
• Slow down in riding areas.
14 | OFFICIAL GRANT COUNTY VISITOR GUIDE 2016 | MyEagleNews.com
History comes to life in Oregon’s
Journey Through Time, an auto
route
that
loops
through
Northeastern Oregon. The scenic
byway runs from Biggs at the
Columbia River through the John
Day River country to Baker City.
Along the way, visitors are
treated to stunning scenery and
intriguing glimpses of the past,
recent and ancient. It’s a modern-
day tour that links the land’s
prehistoric past, the influx of white
settlers on the Oregon Trail and the
fabled allure of gold and cattle
country.
If you take the journey, don’t
miss these stops:
• John Day Fossil Beds National
Monument, with picnic areas, hiking
trails and a visitor center. Get a short
course on the 40 million years
between the extinction of the
dinosaurs and the start of the Ice
Age.
• Kimberly, a former stage stop
on a fertile river delta that still boasts
orchards producing a bounty of
cherries, peaches, apricots, apples
and pears.
• Dayville, a former stage stop on
the historic The Dalles Military Road.
• Mt. Vernon, a quiet community
once noted for lively horse races and
a hot springs.
• John Day, where the Kam Wah
Chung Museum recalls the Chinese
workers who settled there during
the railroad and gold mining days of
the late 1800s. The Ranch and
Rodeo Museum paints another
picture of the region’s agricultural
roots.
• Canyon City – the county seat,
once the largest city in Oregon
during the gold rush of 1862.
• Prairie City, nestled below
Strawberry Mountain, was a bustling
shipping point for the old Sumpter
Valley Railroad during the logging
heyday in the 1900s.
• The Covered Wagon Overlook
on Highway 26, east of Prairie City,
commemorating the arduous
journey of the pioneers.
For more information, go to
www.traveloregon.com or contact
the Grant County Chamber of
Commerce, 541-575-0457.