Year-Round Mountain Biking On The Sandy Ridge Trail

Mountain Biking, Sandy Ridge Trail

The Sandy Ridge Trail System is a mountain biker's paradise with nearly 20 miles of flowing single-track trails of all difficulty levels on the lower slopes of Mt. Hood. They range in length from 3/4 of a mile to 5 miles and the courses wind through glorious forest and along sparkling streams, so you can take in a bit of scenery while enjoying the ride.

Riders have fallen in love with the system since its opened and those feelings have grown stronger with each improvement. Reviews on the mtbproject.com website sing such praises like "Sandy Ridge is a world class trail system 45 minutes from a metropolitan city." Another rider simply called it "One of the best in the nation."

It was designed with great attention to detail in order to provide mountain bikers with a high quality, year-round experience. Ensuring adequate drainage and trail compaction was a key point of focus, so the trails could withstand the rains of the Pacific Northwest and give riders access to year-round riding that they crave.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to invest in numerous upgrades and expansions. They have increased the parking situation dramatically, moving from 36 standard parking spaces to 151 large standard spaces plus 6 large vehicle spaces for RV, trucks with trailers or converted vans. They have added four designated event locations, two designed for bike demos and two that have power and water which can accommodate food trucks. Additionally, a new vault restroom, new changing rooms, a bike wash station, a host site, new security system with cameras over the parking area, a bike hub/bus stop, 10 tailgate bump-outs/picnic sites and an interior trail that will be designated for families and children have all been added in recent years.

Sandy Ridge Trails Drawing

BLM also added an additional 2.5-mile long ex-fill trail to the system that is aimed specifically for the seasoned riders. This would help prevent high level enthusiasts from running into less experienced riders on the existing trails.

*Be sure to check weather conditions before heading out on a trip. Use caution and best judgement based on your skill level when there is heavy snow, ice or rain to determine whether you should ride that day.