The Tickle Creek ride heads East towards Boring, Oregon then turns South toward Oregon City to make a nice East side loop. Tickle Creek is one of those rides that gives all the whole ride and starts off flat for a nice warm up to get you and your group in the mood.
The ride starts pretty mild and just before the middle it pops with some amazing views of mount hood on a clear day before rolling into some lush green less traveled roads that cut through heading south from the Boring to Barton area.
I cannot count how many times I have ridden this route, but it’s many and from the first time to now it’s an amazing ride with friends or solo for a thinker. An overriding benefit of this route is that it’s not too hilly, there’s 2000ft over 60miles which is really not that much.
Mileage: 60Miles
Elevation 2,500ft
Terrain: Road, 35% car free
Ride Route: here Ridewithgps
Bicycle: Road bike
Services: Multiple stops available inc food
Let’s Start the ride:
Starting at Water Ave coffee for some great pre ride fuel, the route takes you east through the inner east side and up over mt.tabor for some nice views of the city (bit of a cloudy rainy day when I took these) and to get your legs going.
At mile 6.5 you pop onto the bike path, from here you have 14.5miles of pretty flat terrain, At mile 9.2 on the bikepath you will turn LEFT to head East, be careful here sometimes busy. Just before this intersection you will see the mural (photo below) This all bike path until you get to Boring Oregon. Along the way are a few rest rooms.
You arrive in Boring at about 22miles in. Stop by Mc Call Country Store if you need to grab anything. From here the ride will start to get more hilly and a little more remote. Cross the main road and head down Richey Rd, this area can have some traffic so watch out. Take a Left on SE Church Road, on the corner a quaint little church
From here you will wind your way to Tickle Creek Rd, and at mile 24, on a clear day you will have a great view of mt.Hood to the east followed by a quick sprightly descent and a good climb up Tickle Creek Rd, watch out for at least a couple of cool rusted out cars and have a chuckle at the local’s signs on neighbors gates (mile 25.4)
After some brisk climbing and sweet views, at mile 28 you will run into Highway 211, you will be turning right and will notice the road looks like a rollercoaster! be careful here, wait for a good gap in traffic, at the far side, top of the rollercoaster hill you will be turning off, so it’s a short distance (only 0.7miles) but the climb up the hill can be deceptive and is taxing for the last 0.2miles. I have found people to be pretty courteous on this hill when passing you on the way up.
At the top of the rollercoaster- RIGHT TURN ON JUDD
Judd road is quiet and has some great views off to the south Estacada hills and Mile 31 marks the start of a fast descent, if you pedal hard you will hit 50mph easily, but I don’t recommend that unless you have ridden this route a few times and know what to expect. At mile 33.3 there’s a food and water Stop if needed in Barton Market next to the 76 gas station, a nice store but the clerks can be a little feisty.
Just after the store stop, the road crosses the Clackamas river on a fine bridge <pic> from here it weaves down Clackamas river rd towards Oregon City
The route weaves through Oregon City just passing by as it heads back North towards Portland, we will take a couple of interesting back routes to avoid some traffic.
Turning onto S Agnes Ave at mile 46, don’t worry about the Dead End signs, these are not true! Head towards the road closed sign and you will see you can sneak through.
These roads sneak us through to the Park Place Bridge (Clackamas County, Oregon)
Built 1921, Abandoned 1977, Restored for pedestrians in 1986 that goes over the Clackamas river and connects to the abandoned 82nd Ave.
Following the route eventually gets you to River Road, where the shoulders are nice and wide.
After turning left on Umatilla (Mile 55) follow the bike signs to get you to the Springwater trails which leads back into Portland, where you can also get a glimpse of the new Tillacum bridge at around the 59mile mark
The route will put you where you started and what better way to end the ride by grabbing a fine sandwich from Bunk Bar (just next door to Water Ave Coffee)
Check out the downloadable gps route here
| Start at Water Ave Coffee Turn right onto SE 3rd Ave |
0.1 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Salmon St | 0.2 mi |
| At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on SE Salmon St | 0.7 mi |
| At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on SE Salmon St | 0.8 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Taylor St | 2.0 mi |
| Turn right onto SE 41st Ave | 2.3 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Salmon St | 2.4 mi |
| Continue onto SE Salmon Ct | 2.6 mi |
| Turn left onto SE 46th Ave | 2.6 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Salmon St | 2.6 mi |
| Turn left onto SE 49th Ave | 2.8 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Taylor St | 2.8 mi |
| Turn right onto SE 55th Ave | 3.1 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Salmon St | 3.2 mi |
| Turn left to stay on SE Salmon St | 3.3 mi |
| Continue onto SE Reservoir Loop Dr | 3.5 mi |
| Slight left to stay on SE Reservoir Loop Dr | 3.8 mi |
| Turn left at SE Tabor Summit Dr | 4.5 mi |
| Turn right onto SE North Tabor Dr | 4.5 mi |
| Slight right onto SE East Tabor Dr | 4.7 mi |
| Sharp left onto SE Harrison St | 5.1 mi |
| Turn left onto SE 76th Ave | 5.5 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Stephens St | 5.6 mi |
| Turn left onto SE 80th Ave | 5.8 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Mill St | 5.8 mi |
| Turn left at SE 94th Ave | 6.5 mi |
| Turn right onto I-205 Multi Use Path | 6.5 mi |
| Turn left to stay on I-205 Multi Use Path | 6.8 mi |
| Turn right to stay on I-205 Multi Use Path | 7.0 mi |
| Turn left to stay on I-205 Multi Use Path | 7.0 mi |
| Keep left to stay on I-205 Multi Use Path | 8.5 mi |
| Keep left to stay on I-205 Multi Use Path | 8.6 mi |
| Slight left to stay on I-205 Multi Use Path | 8.7 mi |
| Continue straight to stay on I-205 Multi Use Path | 8.9 mi |
| Turn left onto Springwater Corridor Trail | 9.2 mi |
| Keep right to stay on Springwater Corridor Trail | 15.8 mi |
| Slight left to stay on Springwater Corridor Trail | 17.6 mi |
| Turn left onto B St/SE Wally Rd | 21.8 mi |
| Turn left onto Springwater Corridor Trail | 21.9 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Richey Rd | 22.0 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Church Rd | 22.2 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Frank Ave | 22.8 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Kelso Rd | 23.3 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Tickle Creek Rd | 23.5 mi |
| Turn left to stay on SE Tickle Creek Rd | 25.5 mi |
| Turn right to stay on SE Tickle Creek Rd | 26.0 mi |
| Turn left to stay on SE Tickle Creek Rd | 27.0 mi |
| Turn right to stay on SE Tickle Creek Rd | 27.4 mi |
| Turn left to stay on SE Tickle Creek Rd | 28.0 mi |
| Turn right onto OR-211 S | 28.1 mi |
| Turn right onto SE Judd Rd | 28.8 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Amisigger Rd | 32.4 mi |
| Turn right onto OR-224 W | 32.7 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Bakers Ferry Rd | 33.3 mi |
| Slight right onto SE Bakers Ferry Rd/Harding Mill Rd | 33.5 mi |
| Slight right onto S Springwater Rd | 37.3 mi |
| Slight left onto S Clackamas River Dr | 38.8 mi |
| At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto Washington St | 44.3 mi |
| Turn right onto 15th St | 45.4 mi |
| Turn right onto Main St | 45.5 mi |
| Turn right onto S Agnes Ave (Dead End) | 46.1 mi |
| Turn left onto Washington Dr | 46.8 mi |
| Continue onto Old 82nd St Dr | 46.9 mi |
| Slight left onto 82nd Dr | 47.0 mi |
| Turn left onto Columbia Ave | 47.1 mi |
| Slight right onto Harvard Ave | 47.4 mi |
| Turn left onto E Arlington St | 47.5 mi |
| Slight right onto River Rd | 48.1 mi |
| Continue onto SE Glen Echo Ave | 48.8 mi |
| Turn left onto SE River Rd | 48.9 mi |
| Turn left onto SE McLoughlin Blvd | 53.4 mi |
| Turn left onto SE 17th Ave | 53.9 mi |
| Turn left onto SE Umatilla St | 55.2 mi |
| Turn right onto Springwater on the Willamette | 55.9 mi |
| Slight right to stay on Springwater on the Willamette | 56.4 mi |
| Continue onto SE 4th Ave | 59.0 mi |
| Continue onto SE Water Ave End at Water Ave Coffee / Bunk Bar |
59.1 mi |