A tour exploring the NW corner of California (Del Norte County) and the SW corner of Oregon (Curry, Josephine, and Jackson Counties). Coastal scenery on Stage 1, deep forest wilderness and farm meadows on the inland stages. The routes and camps keep company with several wild rivers: the Pistol, Rogue, Applegate, Illinois, Smith, and Chetco.  The routes share some roads with our Southern Oregon Tours, the Wild Rivers Tours, and even the long-ago Crater-to-Coast Tour. But mostly new roads or old roads done so long ago, no one will remember them. Includes a ride to the Oregon Caves National Monument and an optional tour of the caves.

Begins at a state park near the town of Brookings (a 6-hour drive from Santa Rosa). Car pool fleet to be left at a school in Brookings, a little over a mile from the state park…drop off passengers and luggage at camp, drive to the school and leave the car, then ride back to camp.

All overnights in camps (no lodgings = no added costs). All camps have showers (usually free) and access to electric hook-ups.

Six of the eight stages offer long and short options. The basic stages are often short, averaging 48 miles (not counting the final stage of only 37 miles). Even doing the longer stages, wherever available, only ends up with an average of 54 miles, with the two longest stages at 63 miles. But don’t let the modest miles fool you. While some of the stages are easy, others offer up substantial challenge in the form of big climbs through the Coast Range mountains. Big descents as well.

Friday: prep day at the club warehouse.

Saturday, July 25

Drive to Harris Beach State Park on the northern edge of Brookings. Leave cars at Kalmiopsis Elementary School.

Sunday, July 26

Stage 1: Harris Beach State Park to Agness RV Park

57 miles 4150’ up and down

63 miles 5150’ up and  down

North along the scenic Southern Oregon coast to Gold Beach. Long route tackles hilly Carpenterville Road out of Brookings. At Gold Beach, we turn inland along the beautiful Rogue River—a dream ride—ending up at the very nice Agness RV Park on the river, where they will set aside an area for our tents. Showers and power. Dinner on the deck of their restaurant overlooking the river.

Monday, July 27

Stage 2: Agness RV Park to Indian Mary Park

42 miles 5450’ up, 4850’ down

The biggest challenge of the tour: the 16-mile, 4600’ climb on Bear Camp Road between miles 1 and 17, up and over the Coast Range in the extremely remote Siskyou National Forest. However, the gradient for the climb averages under 5%. And almost all the climbing is over by that 17-mile summit. Most of the remaining 25 miles are either downhill or lazy roll-out. Overnight at Indian Mary County Park on the Rogue River. Showers and power.

Tuesday, July 28

Stage 3: Indian Mary Park to Cantrall-Buckley County Park

50 miles 2950’ up, 2250’ down

61 miles 3650’ up, 2950’ down

A relatively easy day with only a few minor climbs. Longer route pads the miles along easy, rolling roads. Somewhere around mile 20, we roll over into the Applegate River Valley and stay there, amidst lovely meadows and woods, all the way to the finish. Cantrall-Buckley is a nice Jackson County park on the shore of the Applegate River. Power outlets in the group site. Free showers and new restrooms nearby.

Wednesday, July 29

Stage 4: Jacksonville Loop

45 miles  3650’ up and down

54 miles  4700’ up and down

Staying a second night at Cantrall-Buckley County Park and doing a loop ride through the rolling and occasionally steep hills around the Applegate Valley. Skirts the western fringe of the larger city of Medford but manages to avoid any urban clutter. Visits the charming town of Jacksonville, a National Historic Landmark. Do the ride or take a day off and hang out in camp…although with the routes fairly short, it’s possible to do the ride and still have time to hang out in camp, perhaps with a swim in the Applegate River.

Thursday, July 30

Stage 5: Cantrall-Buckley to Lake Selmac

46 miles  3950’ up, 4050’ down

Back up and over the Coast Range today: a mostly easy stage with one big climb in the middle. 46 miles may not seem like much but that may be all most people want when it includes that one big ascent: seven miles at 7%. The descent off the far side offers some nice payback: nine or ten miles at over 5%, followed by fast roll-out down to the shore of pretty Lake Selmac. Stay the next two nights at the Resort at Lake Selmac, a private campground primarily for RVs but with a nice flat lawn for tents. Showers and power.

Friday, July 31

Stage 5: A Visit to Oregon Caves National Monument

46.5 miles  4800’ up and down

An out-&-back to the Oregon Caves National Monument, with the possibility of a tour of the caves between the two halves of the ride. But it is a layover day: you can stay in camp and play around at the lake. You can do the ride but skip the tour of the caverns. We’ll have the sag at the caves with a tub full of walking shoes for the tour…and warm vests or jackets: it’s a constant 45° in the caves. Also the usual rest stop munchies. Getting up to the monument means another big climb: 7.5 miles at 5%. But of course that becomes a too-much-fun descent on the way back. $20 admission for the tour (with the usual senior discounts). The head ranger promises to work with us on our tour arrangements.

Saturday, August 1

Stage 7: Lake Selmac to Panther Flat

52 miles  2800’ up, 3700’ down

63 miles  3450’ up, 4350’ down

Heading south from the lake on an almost flat meander up the Illinois River Valley on a tangle of quiet, pleasant back roads. Adding a few extra roads produces the long option—but still not too difficult. Eventually we pick up the Hwy 199 section of the Wild Rivers Tour as we return to California. This includes the only big climb of the day on a detour off 199: Oregon Mountain Road over Hazel View summit…three miles at a little under 5%. Over the top of that ridge, it’s almost all downhill for the final 18 miles to Panther Flat campground on the Smith River, a camp used many times on Wild Rivers Tours. Showers and good river access. Electrical outlets in the restrooms.

Sunday, August 2

Stage 8: Panther Flat to Brookings

37 miles  1700’ up, 2000’ down

Short, easy run back to Brookings to retrieve the cars. Similar to our last day on the Wildflower Tour: ride to the school, sort out the luggage, drive home. In this case, fewer bike miles but a longer drive. Almost exactly like the final day on our two Southern Oregon Tours. That was also a 37-mile ride (to Ashland) and a 6-hour drive home.

Monday, August 3

Clean-up day at the warehouse. (Helping out with clean-up after the tour or prep work before the tour is not required, but we can’t stage the tour without some people pitching in.)