Umatilla Forest Service Road 53 ‘Willow Creek Road’

Note: Google Maps and the other Navitech based online maps show that at least one routing of Willow Creek Road rolls right into downtown Heppner on Hager Street and the routing software really latches onto that direct route. This is not the case. From what I could see, that road has been on the bottom… Continue reading Umatilla Forest Service Road 53 ‘Willow Creek Road’

Oregon State Route 245 ‘Dooley Mountain Highway’

Way over in the eastern end of Oregon, is one of the most challenging sections of rural highway Oregon has to offer. Called Dooley Mountain Highway, it’s an amazing piece of road that leaves almost no time at all to enjoy, let alone ponder, the fantastic scenery from 4000′ or so feet up. Abandoned Barn… Continue reading Oregon State Route 245 ‘Dooley Mountain Highway’

Wallowa-Whitman Forest Service Road 39

This road is part of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway. It wends its way down from Imnaha Highway near Joseph through the Hells Canyon back-country past a number of peaks in the Blue Mountains range before dropping you out east of Halfway. Obviously, this road isn’t in one of the more populated parts of the… Continue reading Wallowa-Whitman Forest Service Road 39

Oregon State Route 218 ‘Shaniko-Fossil Highway’

Wikipedia has an excellent description of Oregon Route 218. OR 218 is a fairly short rural highway. Its western terminus is in Wasco County, in the “ghost town” of Shaniko at U.S. Route 97. The road is very windy and hilly over its entire 43-mile (69 km) length and is a popular destination for motorcyclists.… Continue reading Oregon State Route 218 ‘Shaniko-Fossil Highway’

Oregon State Route 207 (Ruggs – Mitchell)

Another fantastic Central Oregon route, here we have over 80 miles of nearly unbroken sweepers and hairpins in the Ruggs – Mitchell segment of Oregon Route 207. As this route does one of those strange Oregon multi-plexing things where it forms an ‘X’ across North Central oregon with Route 19, I’ll deal with this in… Continue reading Oregon State Route 207 (Ruggs – Mitchell)