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Mt. Bachelor Bike Park, reviewed by Mike Treiber Review Date: 9/25/2016 |
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The popularity of bike parks has been growing over the years yet the number of bike parks around the country has not really seemed to be growing. It's most likely because most bike parks are also ski resorts that take you up the lifts during the summer when there is no snow and make trails that you can ride down. It would cost a lot of money to create a bike specific park with lifts. So for now we have to go where the skiers go to have our fun. One of these places is in Bend Oregon and is located at Mt. Bachelor about 30 minutes outside of town.
The Mt. Bachelor bike park uses the same formula as most other bike parks with chair lifts that take you and your bike to the top and then you have your choice of multiple trails to take down. The trails are rated for difficulty such as green for beginner, blue for intermediate and black (or black diamond) for advanced. You will also see a trail or 2 listed as double black diamond which is a step above single black diamond when it comes to difficulty.
Once you buy your lift ticket you can go up the mountain as many times as you like and that way you can experience different trails and find the ones you like the best and then master them. Most bike parks including Mt. Bachelor will give you a map so you can figure out what trails you want to ride. And if you need a bike or helmet you can rent them there.
Mt. Bachelor Bike Park Videos
Mt. Bachelor Bike Park Review
When it comes to bike parks, Mt. Bachelor is pretty fun but it lacks some of the features that other bike parks have. For example if you like to go big on jumps then it's not really going to happen here. Their main jump line is called Lava Flow and it has a bunch of table top style jumps but they are a little rounded on the face and you have to pedal into them to get any air or distance since the trail is not that steep. And if you are looking for technical black diamond fun it's there but it's not anything that will challenge a really good rider. Rattlesnake is one of those trails and it's definitely a good time but won't scare the hardcore riders.
Most of the trails fall in the intermediate (blue) category and are designed well and have a nice flow to them with some small jumps and wood features. Lava Flow is the main route to start on and then you can branch off to other trails there such as Cone, Rattlesnake and DSM. And as the name suggests, Lava flow consists of a bunch of lava rock so it can be bumpy at times but it's not too bad. And for a warm up there is a small skills park with varying levels of jumps and drops that you can practice on before hitting the trails. They even offer beginner downhill classes and summer gravity camps if you want to improve on your skills.
At $37 for a full day lift ticket it's a good deal and you will be able to spend a whole day there without getting bored. There are limited food choices such as sandwiches and pizza or you can bring your own or even a small BBQ and eat in the parking lot since it's really close to the lift.
Directions to the Mt. Bachelor Bike Park
The Mt. Bachelor bike park is located at 13000 SW Century Drive in Bend, Oregon and is pretty easy to find. Just make your way to Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway and look for the turnoff on your left if coming from Bend. It's not super obvious but shouldn't be too hard to see. Also keep in mind that there are miles and miles of mountain bike trails along the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway between Mt. Bachelor and Bend.
