Despite its location adjacent to Multnomah and Washington counties, Columbia County is a relatively underexplored destination full of small towns (St. Helens is the biggest) known for their forested landscapes and historic connections to the timber industry.
The Columbia County Challenge starts and ends in Vernonia (pop.: 2,151), with a 95-mile stroll in between that takes you from the Coast Range to the Columbia River. OK, we’re kidding about the “stroll” part—this one’s rated as Challenging because you’ll climb a thigh-burning 5,086 feet overall.
Start the ride by heading out of Vernonia for four miles along Highway 47. It’s not the most pleasant of beginnings, frankly, as there’s no wide shoulder and large trucks are common. The good news is that it’s just a few miles and things get much, much better from here.
It starts when your attention shifts from the traffic to your surroundings. Even with the occasional clearcut drawing your eye, you can’t help but get a sense of the boundless wonder of the Northwest forests that early settlers marveled at. “Timber Town” is an honorific in these parts, a proud connection to the industry that launched Oregon and kept going strong for a century and a half. This is where the tall trees grow.
At about mile 15, you’ll enter Camp Wilkerson, the largest park in Columbia County, and a pretty place to camp (there’s a lodge and a few cabins, if tent-camping isn’t your thing).
Continue north for about 12 miles until you pass near Rainier, the small town that was the former home to the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant and offers the only bridge crossing of the Columbia River between Portland and Astoria. Following a gradual descent to the Columbia, you’ll end up in St. Helens, the county seat that is now most famous as the setting for part of the Twilight movie. Check out the old riverfront courthouse, or grab a beer or lunch at Running Dogs Brewery.
From here, you’ll head south until you meet up with the Crown-Zellerbach Trail, which follows an abandoned logging road and railway line that roughly paralleled the highway between Vernonia and Scappoose (yep, another small town). The trail will take you through Douglas-fir forests, from the Multnomah Channel to the Coast Range. Be ready for a variety of terrain: paved asphalt, grass and dirt, gravel roads, and muddy singletrack as you climb back to Vernonia, where dinner awaits at The Black Iron Grill or the Blue House Mediterranean café.
Riding Season
Take the challenge during dry months of the year, to avoid damaging the dirt trails.
