Deschutes River State Recreation Area
A recreation area 100 miles east of Portland, Oregon with over 25 miles of relatively level trails. Hike, backpack, or bikepack next to the Deschutes River on the Atiyeh Trail or above it on the Old Railbed Trail. Enjoy views of the eastern side of the Columbia River Gorge.
Getting there
Take Exit 97 off of I-84 and drive east on OR-206 (Biggs-Rufus Hwy, Fulton Canyon Rd) for 3 miles. Turn right into the Deschutes River State Recreation Area (200 ft).
on the trail
Atiyeh Deschutes River trail
This trail is at river level and starts near the campground. It is labelled Backberry Trail on most maps. The route has multiple narrow sections, steep sections, and high grasses are prevalent. This trail merges into the Old Railbed Trail in 3.2 miles.
Old Railbed Trail
This trail travels an old rail line and rises a few hundred feet above the river providing broad views of the river valley. It is labelled Deschutes River Trail on most maps. This trail is 20+ miles one-way, is relatively wide and flat, and serves hikers, backpackers, bikers, and horses.
other options
There is a "middle" trail between the Atiyeh and Old Railbed Trails, named Riverview Trail on most maps, and the Ferry Spring Trail that travels toward the canyon rim and over Ferry Springs Creek. All four of the trails can be combined to make a nice loop hike. The combination of the Ferry Springs and Riverview Trails is called the "Upper River Ferry Springs Loop" by the recreation area.
Suggested Bikepacking Route
39 miles round trip with 1,000 feet of elevation gain
Start at Deschutes River State Recreation Area. There is a fee for overnight parking, and you can camp there the night before—be sure to make reservation with the land manager. The railroad bed trail is in great condition from the beginning at Deschutes River State Recreation Area to Mile 19. It is mostly on smooth double track trail with only a couple of wet crossings and a few rough sections of coarse gravel which are easy to ride by experienced riders or, if not, hike-a-bike. At Mile 19 by the Snake in the Box river campsite, the trail first turns into a narrow single-track surrounded by big boulders then into an exposed single-track section with steep drop offs.
While it is possible to travel all the way to the Mack Canyon BLM campground at Mile 24 on foot, the converted rail bed ends at Mile 19. This is where a former collapsed train trestle turns the double track first to single and then dead-ends in a 80 feet deep drop. It is passable by foot on a boot path/Class 2 scramble but is not recommended with loaded bikes that must be carried. Turn around where the hike-a-bike section begins and camp at one of the primitive sites encountered on the way upriver. Best campsites for a group are at Mile 6 and 8 but a short hike-a-bike provides access to many boat
campsites by the river
- The Mack Canyon Campground is also accessible via the Lower Deschutes Access Road from OR-216, so it may be more crowded, another good reason to turn around at Mile 19.
- The BLM Lower Deschutes Wild and Scenic River Maps 8, 9, and 10 cover this ride.
land manager
- Oregon State Parks (Deschutes River State Recreation Area)
- Oregon-Washington BLM (Lower Deschutes River)
notes
- Watch for rattlesnakes and check for ticks.
Information for Leaders
Scheduling & Permits
- If you are scheduling this as a non-course related activity, please limit your group size to the recommended party size. The maximum party size is for use by course field trips only, and includes both students and instructors. Group size maximums do not reflect how course field trips are run (in smaller groups of students and instructors), but allow for course leaders to register the course in our system.
- Suitable Activities: Backpacking, Bikepacking, Day Hiking
- Seasons: Year-round
- Weather: View weather forecast
- Difficulty: *Varies*, Bikepacking Gravel I, Bikepacking Gravel II, Bikepacking Gravel III
- Length: 7.5 mi
- Land Manager: Land Manager Varies
- Parking Permit Required: None
- Recommended Party Size: 12
- Maximum Party Size: 36
- Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 36
- Green Trails Columbia River Gorge East No. 432S
- BLM Prineville District: Lower Deschutes and John Day Rivers
- see Land Manager
This is a list of titles that represent the variations of trips you can take at this route/place. This includes side trips, extensions and peak combinations. Not seeing a title that fits your trip? Log in and send us updates, images, or resources.
- Deschutes River Trail
- Atiyeh Deschutes River Trail
- Old Railbed Trail
- Deschutes River Loop
- Atiyeh-Old Railbed Loop
- Upper River Ferry Springs Loop
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| Deschutes River State Recreation Area GPS Bikepacking Route A GPX file of the bikepacking route in the Deschutes River State Recreation Area created in Gaia GPS by Brian Starlin, May 2021. |