Sam Huffman

There are lots of great routes to the coast, but Hwy 26 is definitely not
one of them. I've ridden it with a trailer and won't ever do it again. If
you're open to areas other than Cannon Beach, here are a few alternatives
that get you to the same general area. I can't take credit for most of these
-- I discovered them through the Oregon Randonneurs.

* Highway 6 to Tillamook. IMO this is more scenic than 26, there's much less
traffic, and a better shoulder most of the way.

* Nestucca River Road. Finding this on a map is tricky, but it's a gorgeous
ride, so long as it's not closed for construction (as a later post implies).
There are several campgrounds along the way:
*http://tinyurl.com/chwzvc*

* Alternately, cut off on Bible Creek, and go via Willamina/Grand Ronde/Hwy
22. A longer ride, hilly and rugged. You can also turn left on Little
Nestucca River Rd.
*http://tinyurl.com/dec5th
*
* Highway 202 to Astoria:
*http://tinyurl.com/cxezqk*

* Highway 202 to 26, then 53 to Nehalem (you're on 26 for about 10 miles,
but it's one of the better sections):
*http://tinyurl.com/d6xqnm*

* Highway 229/180
*http://tinyurl.com/cvqc63*

Anyone of these will offer less traffic than Highway 26, with opportunities
to camp along the way.

Sam

On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 2:23 PM, Chris Streight wrote:

> Will,
>
> There is also a very nice route to the coast on Meadow Lake Road starting
> from Carlton, OR. This road winds up to a Haskins Creek reservoir and then
> descends along the Neskowin River to the small town of Hebo. The last time I
> did it, it had a short stretch of gravel, but easy to do on normal road
> tires.
>
> Hebo is a little South of Tillamook, so not exactly near Canon Beach, but
> it is a beautifully serene route with very little traffic. Hope that helps.
>
> Chris
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:14:29 -0700
> From: will
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] Safe bike route to coast
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Message-ID:
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> I was planning on riding towards Cannon Beach during Spring Break and
> doing some camping...even in the rain.
>
> I'll be towing a Burley kids trailer with my gear in it.
>
> All I can think of is taking Hwy 26 the whole way. How dangerous is
> this for those of you who have done it before?
>
> Any alternate routes worth mentioning?
>
> Any alternate destinations that might be better?
>
> Thanks.
>
> -will
> View
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>