The Barlow Road Ride is an approved high adventure activity of the Cascade Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts of America
The Barlow Road Ride is a two-day out-and-back century (100 mile) bike tour from the end of the Oregon Trail in Oregon City to Government Camp, with an optional trip up the West Leg Trail to Timberline Lodge. If you are a Cycle Oregon rider then the BRR is the perfect training ride.
As you ride this extraordinarily scenic and historic course, you will be following the route of the famous Barlow road once followed by many pioneers around Mt. Hood to reach Oregon City. You will be traveling along the cool Clackamas River, to the gateway city of Sandy and then up the sparkling Sandy River Valley via Marmot Ridge to Zig Zag past open fields and amid vibrant forests, and finally up the Still Creek Road to Trillium Lake (great swimming) and to majestic Mt. Hood all the way to Timberline Lodge if you want. A truly world class route! Join your bicycling buddies in one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier cycling events. Note the maximum number of riders is only 300, so register early to avoid missing out.
All ride routes will be on quiet rural roads with little to no vehicular traffic other than a few miles on Highway 26 where the shoulders are very wide from Zig Zag to the start of the Still Creek road. The main route this year will follow Still Creek Road to Trillium Lake (great swimming and world class view of Mt. Hood) and Government Camp which avoids riding on Highway 26 from the Still Creek Road junction up Laurel Hill to Government Camp. Still Creek Road has about 12 miles that is unpaved so put tires on your bike that can handle both paved and gravel surfaces. Of course if you don’t want to ride on gravel then we will be supporting riders going all the way up Highway 26 to Government Camp, but we highly recommend the Still Creek Road as a better route due to its almost complete lack of motor vehicle traffic and more gradual grade. The entire route will be well marked with BRR signs. Just keep watching for “BRR” and arrows pointing the way. We will also provide maps and a list of turn by turn instructions in your packets at the starting line, and cell phone numbers to call for directions to get back on route. If in doubt stop and call rather than risk going down the wrong road.
This is a fully supported ride with rest stops approximately every 10 miles where you’ll enjoy plenty of food and energy drinks… with massages available in Government Camp. You will experience top-notch volunteers who welcome and help sustain you as you pedal away the miles. The registration fee includes all the necessary ride support (food, energy drinks, food, toilets, more food, sag wagons, massage, mechanics and medical help) finish point will feature not only a great spaghetti dinner and beer garden at the Cascade Ski Lodge, but also live music, our professional massage team, discounted Ski Bowl Adventure Park rides and tours of the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum among other community festival type booths and activities. As the sun sets the bon fire will be lit and everyone can enjoy the summer evening around the fire until time to go to bed. Sunday morning it will be time for the big reward of a quick breakfast and fast ride down the mountain returning to your starting line in Sandy or Oregon City.
Riders ages 14 and over of all abilities can participate. Riders under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult leader. This is a great ride to complete the BSA cycling merit badge. Just select the right route for your skill level from the following options:
The Trail Scout Route is for those relatively few riders who don’t appreciate the virtue of spending a night enjoying a leisurely dinner, live music, museum tours and other community festival events in Government Camp and riding back Sunday. These over achieving riders will have trained for the challenge of 127 miles and 6,818 feet of elevation gain in a single-day century+. This route will start at 6:30 to 7:30 AM at the End of the Oregon Trail Park in Oregon City and end there no later than 5 PM Saturday evening. The entire route will be fully supported. We hope you are sane enough to pass on this self-torture option and party with us in Government Camp, but we will fully support those well trained riders who want to make this a one day round trip ride.
The Trail Boss Route is the main two-day ride starting at 7 AM on Saturday at the End of the Oregon Trail Park in Oregon City and being 57 miles and about 4,500 feet of elevation gain to Government Camp. This uphill leg requires training and riders should be riding regularly including lots of hill climbing. You don’t want those legs to give out and require you to catch a ride in the sag wagon! Sunday morning will be the big reward of mostly downhill riding finishing around noon in Oregon City at the starting line.
The Pioneer Route will start at 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM in the parking lot of the Sandy, Oregon, Historical Museum to reduce the hill climbing to 3,500 feet of elevation gain and distance to 29 miles on Saturday. This route requires up hill training because Pioneers will ride 3000 feet up to Government Camp on Saturday. Pioneers should ride regularly in the weeks prior to the event including up lots of hills. Sunday morning at starting at 7:00 to 8:00 AM will be the big reward of mostly downhill riding finishing around 11 AM in Sandy on Sunday morning for a total ride of 58 miles.
The Downhill Route is for riders who are not up to strenuous hill climbing, and will start on Sunday at 7 AM in Government Camp together with all the other riders for a thrilling and fast downhill ride to either Sandy or Oregon City with only a few short hills along the way. This route requires only moderate hill climbing ability, because there are a few hills along the way, but hey, if you cannot cycle up the hills, just walk your bike up. A better idea is to train on some hills before the event and be ready for those few short hills in between all the downhill coasting and flat cruising. Another option to avoid uphill climbs would be to end your ride at the Marmot Ranch rest stop. Upon advance request, transportation for you and your bike and gear will be provided Saturday morning from either the starting line in Oregon City or Sandy in exchange for your services Saturday as a BRR volunteer at rest stops or in sag wagons.
Saturday Food and Lodging: 
Cascade Ski Lodge is located at 30510 E Blossom Trail, Government Camp, OR. Phone (503) 272-9204, and is the location of the Saturday dinner, live music and lodging in dormitory style sleeping like a hostel with shared restrooms. BSA members can register for lodging at the Nanitch Lodge located on the old Timberline Road. If necessary, additional lodging will be available in the BSA White River Lodge. Riders can register by using the “add to cart” button on the Lodging page of this website. Riders registered to stay in these lodge should bring sleeping bag/bedding, pillow, towel, soap, etc. These lodges have shared bathrooms and shower rooms. If you stay at the Cascade Ski Club lodge and would like to become a member, the lodge will waive the initiation fee (a $50 value). For more information, check the Ski Club lodge website at www.cascadeskiclub.org.
See the lodging page for additional hotel and motel accommodation options in Government Camp if you are not into the economical dormitory sleeping at the ski lodge. Reserve lodging early because there are only 80 ski lodge beds available and this is a prime season weekend when all hotel lodging sells out quickly.
Baggage Transportation and Bike Corral is included for all riders staying overnight in Government Camp free of charge. Baggage will be loaded at each starting line in Oregon City and Sandy and delivered to the bike corral across the street from the finish line at the Cascade Ski Club Lodge in Government Camp. Baggage will be tagged with the rider number and riders will need to show their official rider number to obtain their baggage from the bike corral when parking their bike overnight using the same method of rider number to identify the bike and its owner. Government Camp often cools down on summer evenings so bring a jacket and cap along with your overnight items.
Don’t delay! Register today to make sure you don’t miss out, and don’t forget to order an official BRR Jersey when registering. Jerseys must be ordered in advance.
Thank you for supporting our fundraising effort in behalf of the Mt. Hood Cultural Center and Museum – while promoting Mt. Hood and the state of Oregon!
