Portland is known for being a bike-friendly city, and there’s no better way to experience it. If you are a cycling enthusiast and want to explore Portland by bike, here are the best self-guided Portland bike tours.
Explore the Portland Neighborhoods
Explore Portland like the locals, on two wheels. The city is divided north and south by Burnside Street and east and west by the Willamette River. Generally, it takes a while to see everything in all of the 90 formally recognized neighborhoods. So, we have gathered three popular Portland bike rides to give you a preview of what Portland has to offer.
Springwater on the Willamette
This section of the Springwater Corridor lies between the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and the Sellwood Bridge. This path accommodates walkers, joggers, hikers, bicycles, wheelchairs, and even horseback riders. Not far from the corridor, you can bike to some favorite local attractions, such as Oaks Amusement Park, Oaks Wildlife Refuge, and Sellwood Riverfront Park.
Hawthorne Bridge to Mt. Tabor Park
For this route, take the Hawthorne Bridge to Southeast Portland. You can explore the Division/Clinton neighborhood before heading towards Mt. Tabor Park. You will climb 650 feet (198m) to the summit where you can enjoy a stunning view of the terrain and city skyline. While there are currently no existing bike paths in Hawthorne, the Portland Bureau of Transportation Bicycle Advisory Committee (POBOT) has plans to improve and add new greenways in the Hawthorne neighborhood. In the meantime, be careful sharing the roads with others.
Northeast Neighborhood Greenways
Greenways are low-traffic road routes located in the iconic Northeast neighborhoods of Portland. You’ll know you’re on a Greenway if you see green and white bicycle markings on the asphalt. Take some time to explore these routes and see what the city has to offer. Don’t forget to enjoy the view from Alameda Ridge. See a map of all the neighborhood greenways.
Essential Portland Bike Tours
Despite being a city with more than half a million people, picturesque forests and stunning hilltop views are just a short bike ride away. Don’t miss out on these essential Portland Bike Tours.
The Classic Waterfront Loop Ride
Enjoy a scenic ride along the Willamette River. This is a popular loop for locals and tourists, so be sure to yield for walkers and slow down when needed.
Ride Distance: 11 Miles
The Art of Foster Ride
This ride will take you by more than a dozen vibrant murals and street paintings around the Foster-Powell area. The map below shows where every art piece is on the ride.
Ride Distance: 5.6 Miles
Four Parks of East Portland Ride
This ride takes you on a tour of four east Portland parks: Gateway Discovery Park, East Holladay Park, John Luby City Park, and Knott City Park.
Ride Distance: 5.9 Miles
4 Best Parks for Cycling
Explore these Portland parks on two wheels like the locals.
Laurelhurst Park
This park surrounds a scenic lake and was the first city park named to the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, it offers picnic areas, a horseshoe pit, an off-leash area for dogs, and basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts.
Mt. Tabor Park
This prominent park features a large forested park with 360-degree views, a reservoir, a performance stage, and tennis courts.
Rocky Butte
This park is an extinct volcanic cinder cone butte. It provides an excellent relaxing option for sweeping views of the city, airport, and river. On a clear day, you can view both Mt. Hood & Mt. Saint Helen.
Council Crest
Council crest is the highest point in Portland at 1,073 feet above sea level. At the top of this hill, visitors can see five mountains in the Cascade Range: Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Rainier.
Bike Safety Tips: Know Before You Go
Most importantly, know before you go! Get familiar with Portland’s laws and regulations regarding cycling and sharing the road.
Knowing the Law
The Portland Bureau of Transportation provides a page with all state and city laws pertaining to cycling. Also, they provide an easy-to-read Bike and Walk Map of Portland.
Sharing the Road
Even though most Portland drivers expect to encounter cyclists, it’s still a good idea to brush up on rider tips such as using hand signals, dressing in more visible clothing, and biking slowly on sidewalks. In addition, there are even some unique markings on the road, such as bike boxes, to watch out for.
Explore more of Oregon – Ride with Cycle Oregon!
Do you love Oregon AND Cycling? Sign up for one of our long-distance cycling events this year! Rides are open to everyone and all skill levels.
CLASSIC – Ride the Painted Hills
- Month: September
- Duration: 7 Days
- Cumulative Distance: 272-443 Miles
- Month: May
- Duration: 2 Days
- Cumulative Distance: 91-109 Miles
JOYRIDE – Independence, Oregon
- Month: June
- Duration: 1 Day
- Cumulative Distance: 18-64 Miles
WEEKENDER – Oregon State University
- Month: July
- Duration: 2 Days
- Cumulative Distance: 23-138 Miles
2 senior couples, mid-70′, interested in say a 5-6 day self-guided cycling trip in Oregon with maybe a visit to Portland before or after. Our preference is for easy to moderate AS OPPOSED TO moderate to challenging and we prefer NOT to have to use e-bikes (until we are older!!)
Anything that you can suggest/offer where our lugage would be moved from Inn to Inn and we cycle, hopefully routes that would NOT be too hilly or more than say 35 miles/day, maybe a bit less, with things to see and places to stop en route? LOOKING at first 2 weeks of September, 2023?