Gravel Camps

21 riders showed up for the first CSGC and enjoyed great weather, challenging riding, majestic views, and fun camping at Riverside Campground near Camp Sherman. 

Routes

Friday evening ride along the Metolious River. Out and back to the lemonade stand.

Saturday ride -  Green Ridge

Sunday ride - Round Lake and/or the Metolious Preserve

About this gravel camp

This event consists of 2 nights of camping at Big Elk Campground and up to 3 days of riding. All rides will start and return to the campground each day. Below is more information about the event, including camping, parking, routes, and how to register.

Registration

This event is open to MVBC members and requires registration. There is no fee.

Participation will be capped at 12 due to limited campsites and parking. We will maintain a waitlist in the event of cancellations. Bring cash or check to pay for camping at the campground (see details below).

Follow this link to register.

Big Elk Campground

This campground is located halfway between Corvallis and the Coast, two miles to the west of Harlan, and at Mile Marker 19 on Harlan Road (see location). It is operated by a local community under special use permit from the Siuslaw National Forest. Potable water and vault toilets are available. All campsites are non-reservable and are "first-come first-served." There are two types of campsites:

• Hiker/biker tent-only. These sites are reserved for people who are arriving by foot or by bicycle, and do not include space for vehicle parking. The sites are $5 per night.

• Sites that include vehicle parking. These sites cost $10 per night, and $5 per night for an additional vehicle. They are open to tent or RV camping. There are no hookups.

Participants in this gravel camp are encouraged to stay in the hiker/biker area and follow the parking instructions below. If you would like to stay in a vehicle site, it is recommended that you arrive earlier on Friday and be prepared to stay in a hiker/biker site in the event all vehicle sites are occupied.

Parking

Participants staying in a hiker/biker campsite are encouraged to park at the Harlan Community Center,  which is 1.7 miles east of the campground (see route) and then bike to the campground. There is no cost to park there. This is the preferred parking location.

An alternative parking location is located about 0.7 miles west of the campground on Harlan Road at the base of a rock cut (see location). There is no cost to park there. 

Try to park in a way that maximizes the number of vehicles that can park at any parking area without blocking other vehicles.

Schedule

Friday, August 25

Participants are encouraged to arrive early enough to secure a desirable campsite and get in a ride. There are no pre-determined routes for Friday. See route options described below.

Saturday, August 26

The ride will start at 9am. The route is tentatively set to be the "Big Elk to Burnt Woods Loop" (see details below). This could be changed depending on the interests of the participants. 

Sunday, August 27

The ride will start at 9am. The route is "Baber Ridge" and there is an option to do a shorter and longer version of the route (see details below).

Route descriptions

A collection of all of these routes can be found on MVBC's RWGPS account.

Big Elk to Burnt Woods Loop

GW161 - Big Elk to Burnt Woods Loop (23 miles; 1900'; 94% unpaved). 

This route is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 26th. It heads east past the hamlet of Harlan. It then takes the Sugarbowl Creek Trail segment of the C2C Trail to Shotpouch Road. The return journey climbs Strom Boulder Ridge before descending back to Harlan Road. 

Baber Ridge

There are shorter and longer versions of this route, which is scheduled for Sunday. 

Short: GW157 - Baber Ridge (from Big Elk) (28 miles; +2200; 100% unpaved)

Long: GW159 - Baber Ridge + Elk City (from Big Elk) (38 miles; +2565; 100% unpaved)

The route heads west and climbs Baber Ridge before descending to Harlan Road. The shorter version returns to Big Elk via Harlan Road. The longer version adds a 9.5 mile "out-and-back" to Elk City. Harlan Road has minimal climbing.

Optional routes

GW150 - Harlan Road - From Big Elk (38 miles; +930; 100% unpaved): This is an out-and-back route from Big Elk Campground to Elk City. Route distances can be anything up to 38 miles.

GW156 - Backroads of Harlan (up to 30 miles; +1370'; 100% unpaved): This route explores the roads in the area, avoiding any major climbs. Because it consists of several "out-and-backs" it can be modified to your preferences. The starting point for this route can be Harlan or Big Elk.

GW155 - C2C Trail Hike & Bike (Hiking: 4 miles; +1470'; Biking: 7 miles: +230', -1600'; 66% unpaved): This route uses a car and bike shuttle to hike a 4 mile segment of the C2C Trail just west of Big Elk Campground. The route is a 11.7 mile loop, with 4 miles of hiking (+1470') and 7.7 miles of bicycling (+230'; -1600').This route might be a good one to do on Friday.

GW162 - Big Elk to Toledo Loop (51 miles; +3150'; 60% unpaved). This clockwise loop travels from Big Elk Campground to Toledo via Hilltop and 1000 Line Road and returns via Elk City Road and Harlan Road.