Pedaling in the Shadows of Volcanoes: MTB Hood River, OR

The town of Hood River occupies a unique geographical location. On one side of town, the mighty Columbia River flows through a deep gorge on its way to the Pacific Ocean. On almost any given day, windsurfers flock to the river thanks to the vertical walls that funnel ripping winds down the canyon, creating one of the best windsurfing destinations in the country. Beyond the river, Mount Adams forms an imposing backdrop, and on a clear day, you may even see Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier in the distance.

On the other side of town, the massive volcano of Mount Hood soars straight into the sky, its upper slopes covered in the bright white of glaciers. In between Hood River and Mount Hood, verdant valleys are home to countless vineyards, and rolling hills lead to foothill mountains covered in the massive pine forests that Oregon is known for.

All throughout this varied landscape, you’ll find trails: rocky tracks clinging to the canyon walls above the Columbia River, bermed-up jump lines flowing down the mellow foothills, classic backcountry singletrack stretching for miles and miles, and almost every other trail variant you can think of.

This incredibly varied network of singletrack draws a constant stream of mountain bikers from the nearby metropolis of Portland. Yet, somehow Hood River manages to fly a bit under the national mountain biking radar. While you won’t find any massive high alpine classics here or brutally-technical test pieces, the scale of the trail system, the high quality of the trail building, and the incredible backdrop of the region all mean Hood River should definitely be on your hit list!