My wife and I and another couple (all in our 60's or 70's, capable, but not nuts) will be launching southwards from Milwaukie in early June. We're looking at options for getting out of the urbanized area of Portland. What is your favorite route from Milwaukie to Oregon City and why?

Go to Google Maps and turn on the bicycle layer and you will see that almost every arterial road in the Portland metro area has bike lanes. At a glance, the SE River road bike lane seems like it would be a good route because it has a couple views of the Willamette river. SE McLoughlin (OR 99E) also has bike lanes but it surely has more traffic and more traffic signals.

Rachael and ride this often when we’re in town as part of an out and back ride from downtown Portland.  We just rode it yesterday in fact.  Attached is the route we take from Milwaukee south.  Just south of the Milwaukee waterfront we follow the Trolley Trail to Gladstone, cross the Clackamas River over the old, pedestrianized 82nd Drive Bridge, and then follow the Clackamas River Greeenway Trail to downtown Milwaukee.  Quiet, safe, minimal traffic the whole way.  The only negative is crossing busy McLoughlin, but it’s just a matter of waiting for the green.

There’s an alternate that we used to take before the Trolley Trail was completed that takes a higher route that climbs south from Milwaukee up the bluff and then drops south down River Road.  Definitely inferior though in my opinion - hillier, busier, and it’s not particularly fun crossing the Clackamas on the bridge on McLoughlin - too busy to ride in the road, but the narrow sidewalk isn’t so great either.

I’ve ended the mapped route at the base of the municipal elevator, just in case you’re planning on continuing further south.  Our favorite route south from here is to ride the elevator to upper OC, enjoy the view down to Willamette Falls from the bluff, and then make your way to Central Point Road.  Central Point has some rollers and a steepish drop just outside Oregon City, but otherwise it’s a lovely ride all the way to Canby after you take a right on Township Road right before the Mollala River.

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I normally avoid the big city but that route makes me want to take the train to Portland and pedal home. Thanks!

Thanks Scott. That's one of the possibilities I'd identified. Now that it has your endorsement, I can't see how any other route is possible. Let me ask where you cross the Mollala River. I was contemplating turning right at Central Point and connecting with Territorial Road and Knight's Bridge Road to get through Canby and across the river, then south through Barlow and on to Silverton via Meridian Road

Also, just out of curiosity at this point, have you ever taken Oatfield Road between Milwaukie and OC? It seems to line up better with the 82d Road Bridge. It's got decent shoulders, but it's a regular road and looks a bit trafficky.

-Jim

Thanks Wayne. I'm aware that there are a lot of cycling possibilities around Portland. I'm sure some are better than others. I was just looking for some local knowledge/opinions. And I was hoping for a response from Scott Anderson.

-Jim

I think I’ve only ridden Oatfield Road once.  My aunt, uncle and our four cousins lived there when I was growing up, and my sister and I spent a memorable two weeks there.  I wanted to to see if I could recognize their old home, but without success.  It was an OK ride, but I wasn’t tempted enough to repeat it.

Continuing south (to Salem, where we lived for years) the route we favored was to cross the Molalla on the Canby-Marquam Highway.  Once across, we’d turn right on Lone Elder to get off the highway and work our way south on paved side roads, primarily Needy Road.  Since it’s for you anyway, I updated the map above to show the route I’d take into Silverton.

Meridian’s fine if I’m remembering correctly, but if you’ve got time to add another mile or two at the end I recommend turning right on Downs Road and then south on Gallon House.  It’s worth the detour just for the fun of biking over the Gallon House Bridge, an old covered bridge with a great story to tell.

And if you’re in Silverton you might let the Grumbys know you’re coming through their town.

You bet, and thanks for the feedback.  If you ever do come up this way, the ride south from Portland to Milwaukee is nearly as good.  Portland’s going through some hard times of course, but the ride south along the Willamette is still a good one.

Thanks again. We were already planning on diverting to the Gallon House Bridge.

That speaks well for your research. It took us a long time to stumble across the Gallon House Bridge.