North Umpqua trail
There is more than enough information available out there about this trail, but read on for my 2¢.
Driving directions:
The lowest part of the trail begins 22 miles east of Roseburg on highway 138 near the town of Glide (all services) at Swiftwater Park. The trail is 79 miles long, so top off the tank if you plan on driving to the upper end.
The rides:
The trail is broken up into 11 segments. From west to east they are:
- Tioga
- Mott
- Panther
- Calf
- Marsters
- Jessie Wright
- Deer Leap
- Hot Springs
- Dread and Terror
- Lemolo
- Maidu
Big trees provide shade on nearly all of the trail, but drinking water is scarce. Many of the pay campgrounds don't even have water - two I remember that do are Susan Creek and Canton Creek. Knife-like rocks have been known to slice tires. Mosquitoes can be fierce in spring and early summer.
I rode the following eight segments out-and-back and highly recommend it. None of these trails have a lot of elevation change, and it's like getting two for the price of one!
Tioga
The longest at 15.7 miles, the part west of Bob Butte was the best - fast and furious.
Mott
5.5 miles, flat, big trees, right on the river.
Panther
5 miles, super high-speed, only 210 feet of elevation change so it would be silly to ride it one way. This was my favorite segment and seems to be for a lot of others too, the trail is well ridden and smooth. The only time I've seen another bike was on this section.
Calf
I have never ridden this section as it was closed due to numerous trees down and landslides, but learned that it is now open again. Going to make certain I check it out on my next visit.
Marsters
3.6 miles, nice, easy section with big trees.
Jesse Wright
4.1 miles, approx. half is on a gravel road. Not my favorite section.
Deer Leap
9.6 miles, some climbing involved both ways, views from high above the river on the north (sunny) side. A quality trail but can get hot given the southern exposure.
Hot Springs
3.5 miles, not much elevation change, slightly technical in spots, a zippy part near the bottom made me grin.
Dread and Terror
13 miles, the most technical section, wet in the early summer - very rocky so it's not muddy. Most scenic section as well, and the springs, creeks, and waterfalls are a big part of the scenery so go in the early summer and plan on getting wet!
All these segments are well worth doing - they wouldn't be in this guide if they weren't. I've read, without too much arguement, that the two uppermost segments weren't all that great, but that remains to be seen.
