Oakridge isn’t an insider secret anymore; its trails, resources and events are well-known and revered. But maybe you’d like to do a little casual exploration, off the beaten trail – a poke-around ride you can start by simply pedaling from wherever you are in town. This quick foray into the forest will take you into a world of deep green.
Think about grabbing some picnic supplies in town; find your way onto 1st Street and then head east; it will become Salmon Creek Road. Roughly 2 miles from downtown, turn right at Flat Creek Work Center to access the trail.
As soon as you roll into the woods, look for a small, old dam that creates a perfect (and popular) swimming hole in the shadow of an overhead railroad trestle. To continue on to Salmon Creek Falls, keep moving along the riverbank, staying on the north bank (the south bank trail is more technical and difficult).
Hopefully you have time to explore along the way; stop to watch dippers frolic in the whitewater eddies, try to spy deer grazing on the opposite shore, and see if you can find (and eat your fill of) wild salmonberries. Keep your eyes peeled; you might just come across a staircase to nowhere out here.
The terrain is generally gentle overall; you’ll gain a couple hundred feet in 3 miles or so once you start on the trail. Before long you’ll emerge into the shady campground; a scramble down to the water brings you to the brisk aquamarine pools above Salmon Creek Falls. If you’ve got the gumption, take a well-earned and (literally) breathtaking swim in the bracing water. If it’s a hot day, you can regulate that core temperature pretty quickly. Enjoy a snack or a relaxing picnic on the rocky shore, then reverse course and wind your way back down to town.
