Klamath Mountains Loop - Mountains, Rivers and Solitude

As we biked up yet another hill, Nikki turned to me with a look of disapproval.

“You said we were done climbing, Corrine,” she said, half joking. At least I think she was joking. 

It was our second day on the Klamath Mountains Loop, and I had promised our group of four a 5000-foot descent after a brief climb. Well, we had already done our climb and started to descend, but then we started climbing again. I hadn’t been trying to fool anybody. I just hadn’t checked the elevation profile closely enough. There really was a 5000-foot descent coming up. . . soon. But first we had to regain the 1500-feet that we just lost.

Finally starting the long descent

Fortunately, it was a beautiful sunny day, so we could all distract ourselves from the “surprise” climb by taking in the amazing views.

The Klamath Mountains Loop has some big challenges – especially long and steep climbs – but the rewards are big too – far-reaching views and lots of solitude punctuated with charming and quirky rural northern California life. 

Another Bikepacking Adventure

The Klamath Mountains Loop immediately came to mind when my friend Nikki had reached out to me about doing another bikepack adventure. A couple of years ago, she, along with several other friends, had joined us on the Durango to Moab hut-to-hut route. We were ready for another fun bike adventure. 

Adventure Cycling Association had come out with this new, free-to-download route for their 50th anniversary. I had not spent any time in this area and wanted to explore it. I shared the route with Nikki and she was game. As usual, Eric was on board to explore a new area. We invited several friends but only Jay could join us when we planned to go, around fall equinox. 

I had planned for that time of year hoping to catch that sweet spot of not-too-hot and not-too-cold. We couldn’t have timed it better. We had nearly perfect weather with warm sunny days – highs in the low- to mid-80’s Fahrenheit and lows at night around 45-50F. And only a few sprinkles of rain one night.

We were concerned about wildfires and wildfire smoke. The northwest United States had been hot and dry. So, I researched a couple of other bikepacking routes in the general area closer to the coast, but fortunately the area remained free of smoke and big fires. 

The Klamath Mountains Loop

The Klamath Mountains Loop begins and ends in Ashland, Oregon. The loop explores remote parts of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains – the high mountains, but also the river valleys and some of the small towns and communities that populate them. 

Getting to the start proved easy without the need for a rental car. Ashland doesn’t have a big airport, but nearby Medford does. And the two towns are connected by the 18-mile paved Bear Creek Greenway. We flew into Medford from our home in Fairbanks, spent the night, and then biked to Ashland. 

If you love mountains, rivers and solitude, this route is for you. But bring your climbing legs, you will need them. This route is not for beginner bikepackers. We are pretty strong riders with lots of experience bikepacking, but some of the uphill sections kicked our butts. There was nothing technically difficult, but several of the climbs and descents were steep. Or long. Or both! We rode the loop counterclockwise and we finished with 370 miles (including biking from and to Medford) and almost 31,000 feet of climbing of which more than two thirds of that was done in the first half. We took eight days to do the route (starting from Medford). You could do it in less time, but we wanted to enjoy ourselves. (If you go, consider spending at least a day taking in Ashland, a vibrant college town celebrated for its lively arts scene and the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival.)

Since the Klamath Mountains Loop is only 36% unpaved, we brought our gravel bikes. We used 45 mm tires and did fine with even the rougher descents. (I am not good at technical terrain, and even I rode all the descents – albeit a bit slower than everybody else.) At times we wished we had front suspension but overall, a gravel bike was a good choice. 

Even during this dry year, water sources were plentiful, though some required a filter. We opted to carry about four liters of water each although we needed to carry that much only one day. 

Nikki filters water from a hillside spring

Cell service was also minimal most of the time, although most of the small towns such as Somes Bar, Sawyers Bar and Forks of Salmon have some place that has free Wi-Fi. Still, we carried an inReach just in case.

The Klamath Mountains Loop crosses the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in several places, and we saw a few hikers along the route. A German section-hiker showed up at our first campground, and I invited him to share our campsite. He had finished hiking the California portion and plans to come back next year for Oregon and Washington.

Day One Starts with a Huge Climb - 46.6 miles with 7054 feet elevation gain

Having put together our bikes the night before, we were ready to ride in the morning. We took the mostly flat paved greenway trail from Medford to Ashland, where we stopped for breakfast and to pick up needed supplies that we had somehow lost or forgotten (biking gloves for me and a headlamp for Nikki). 

Finally ready, we headed to Lithia Park, the start of the loop. The gentle part of the climb is brief. Then it’s bang! A 4700-foot climb in just 15 miles to Mount Ashland.

Ashland has some awesome mountain bike trails right out of town and mountain bikers were using the same gravel roads to climb to their trailheads. Some rode e-bikes, and we were a bit envious as they sped by us on the climb. 

Mount Shasta as seen from Mount Ashland

We got separated on the climb. Eric especially fell behind, suffering a few bad leg cramps. (He later realized he hadn’t kept hydrated enough.) But we regrouped at Mount Ashland Ski Area with another 8 miles (and more uphill) to get to Wrangle Campground, our destination for the night. 

Beyond the ski area, we saw a few hunters – deer season had just opened that weekend – but there was very little traffic. A bikepacker from Eugene caught up to me (he was the only bikepacker we saw all week) and in typical “it’s a small world” fashion, he ended up being good friends with a woman who had been friends with our daughter growing up in Fairbanks, and we know the family well. I love when these kinds of things happen.

Eric was pretty spent after that first day. He was a pitiful sight at dinner, resting with eyes closed between spoonfuls of his dinner. He wasn’t sure he would be able to do the entire loop. (He had less bike miles this summer than the rest of us and does less well with heat.) He was willing to bail out so as not to hold us back. But after rehydrating and getting a good night’s sleep, he felt fine the next day.  Fortunately, he was able to complete the entire bike trip with us, some days even leading the way! 

Day Two - A Little Drama - 70 miles with 4957 feet elevation gain

The second morning started with a little climbing, but when we got to the top I shouted, “It’s all downhill from here, baby!” 

Oops! I hadn’t checked the elevation profile close enough. We dropped 1500 feet only to have to regain all of it before the real descent began. During that second climb Nikki and the others teased me with their whines. But wonderful views of Mount Shasta and the surrounding mountains made the unexpected climb easier to handle. But I did learn a lesson. After that, I made sure to qualify all downhills with the adjective “trending,” a word that soon caused the others to roll their eyes at me.

As we continued “trending downhill”, the temperature kept climbing until it was close to 100F when we finally reached the valley floor and small community of Seiad Valley. There I realized another miscalculation on my part. I had told the group we only had 53 miles to bike that day. We were at that distance but weren’t at our destination. I had made reservations at Bigfoot RV and Cabins in Happy Camp, another 18 miles away. Oops! After cold drinks and ice cream at Seiad Store, I was forgiven again. . . I think. 

Fortunately, the route to Happy Camp was all on pavement and “trending downhill” following the Klamath River. And the temperature started dropping, too. 

But the day’s drama wasn’t over. First, unbeknownst to Nikki and me, Jay got a sidewall puncture soon after leaving Seiad Valley. Eric stayed with him for a while and lent him a tire boot patch, but after a quick discussion they decided that Eric should get to Happy Camp to let Nikki and I know what had happened. We had no cell service in the valley. Jay pointed out that in a worst-case scenario he could hitch a ride with someone. 

Jay trying to fix his tire

Meanwhile, Nikki and I were having our own drama. She got a bit ahead of me on the final miles but found there was no cell service in Happy Camp. She ended up biking back on the road to look for me. But I followed the route’s GPX track, which for some reason takes you on a side road (with extra climbing!) just as you are entering Happy Camp. So, Nikki missed me as I came into town! After wandering around for a while, we finally found each other and headed over to Bigfoot RV and Cabins only to find out they had given our room to another group and had put us in a room too small for our group of four. The manager was a bit short with us, she was obviously stressed, but we got it all figured out in the end.

Trending downhill along the wild and scenic Klamath River to Happy Camp

While we were getting settled, Eric showed up and told us about Jay. We kept our fingers crossed and ordered some pizza. Finally, Jay arrived just as it was getting dark, but his tire was still slowly losing air. He had put in a tube, but it had a slow leak. We got our pizza and ate, but Jay still had work to do. Eric offered his spare tube, but Jay wanted to try to patch the one he had. After some frustrations, Jay finally got the tube patched and enjoyed a nice shower. 

Whew! Luckily this was the day with the biggest drama, and it really wasn’t all that much. After pizza, cold drinks, showers, and a patched tube, we were all happy again.

Day Three – So Much Fun - 62.8 miles with 4324 feet elevation gain

Everyone except Eric thought day three was the best. It was all on pavement. (Eric is not a fan of pavement.) Traffic was almost non-existent, and the grades were easily bikeable, even on tired legs. And it was beautiful. We started by “trending downhill” along the Klamath Wild and Scenic River. (The dams were all removed in 2024 and salmon are already coming back again.) After lunch at the Salmon River Outfitters in Somes Bar, we turned left and had a wonderful ride trending uphill high above the Salmon River. The views were outstanding, and we stopped often to take photos. After a brief stop at the closed school at Forks of Salmon for water and free Wi-Fi, we made another left turn and continued our uphill trend to Red Bank Campground along the North Fork of the Salmon River. It was still early and we were hot, so we all took a dip in the river before making dinner.

Climbing up the North Fork of the Salmon River

Eric cools off in the North Fork of the Salmon River at camp

Day Four - Another Huge Day of Climbing – 34 miles with 6362 feet elevation gain

We started the day with a fairly easy climb to Sawyers Bar, where we stopped to see an old Catholic Church and cemetery. This area used to be a mining community but now is mostly a ghost town with just a few residents. We ended up herding a few cattle ahead of us until they found a place to get off the road. 

The old Catholic church in Sawyers Bar

Herding cattle

After that, the climbing got steeper. We had known this was going to be another climby day and it was. Up and up and up some more. And with heat. Eric and I fell behind the other two, and we got off several times for some hike-a-bike. We finally topped out on Blue Ridge with more great views. After a lunch break at a small spring, we had another long, steep, gravel descent (“trending downhill”) before our final climb for the day. 

We had planned to stop at Carters Meadow Summit, but we decided to stop early at Trail Creek Campground. We were tired and it was still a steep climb to Carters. Plus, there was a long downhill shortly after Carters, so we decided it would be better to have a climb in the cool of the morning rather than a long chilly downhill. This also gave us time to wash up in another creek, and I even had time to go for a little walkabout after dinner.

Our Trail Creek Campground campsite

Day Five - Almost a Rest Day – 32 miles with 1873 feet elevation gain

It was chillier when we woke up the next morning, so we were glad we had saved some climbing to help warm us up. 

Unfortunately, Jay woke to another flat tire. A bit frustrated he finally accepted Eric’s spare tube. But first he, Eric, and Nikki all inspected the tire to make sure it didn’t have anything that would put a hole in the tube. 

Jay works to fix his once again flat tire

Once the flat was repaired, we started off and were pleasantly surprised that the climb to the summit had bikeable grades and we made quick work of it. Then it was a 3000-foot, fun, swoopy descent all the way down to the almost-ghost town of Callahan. We stopped at the Callahan Emporium for snacks and then finished the final miles to Etna where we had a reservation at a hotel for the night. 

The Callahan Emporium is definitely worth a stop!

Etna is a cute mountain town with quite a few services. Jay got some Slime and a floor pump at a hardware store. He patched the tube, filled it with Slime, and then pumped it up with the floor pump, which made seating the bead much easier. After that, we still had time to walk around town, restock our food supplies and then get dinner at a distillery, which was hopping. Apparently, the businesses at Etna draw patrons from all around the greater area. We enjoyed being off our bikes for half a day.

Days Six through Eight – 126 miles with 6090 feet elevation gain

We had finished most of the climbing by now. We were back down in ranch country, and we biked on lightly traveled paved roads just off from the main highway, passing cattle and sheep and pigs before heading back into the forest and onto gravel roads after passing through Fort Jones. 

We stopped by a great swimming hole but, alas, it was still early and too chilly for swimming, so we continued, meeting up again with the Klamath River but this time heading upstream. The road following the Klamath was paved and Eric dropped behind as the day heated up. But he caught up after we stopped for a long rest at Quigley Station. This ended up being our favorite resupply on the route. It had a great deck that we hung out on while drinking cold drinks and eating homemade sandwiches and Oreo Cream Pie. 

Nice swimming hole on the with a beach but not quite warm enough for us to swim.

Quigley Station - a great place to rest and relax

We only had five more uphill miles to go to our final campsite, so Nikki and Eric bought a cold beer each to have in camp. We got the last campsite at Beaver Creek Campground; the rest being occupied by hunters that showed back up after dark. Fortunately, they were very quiet. 

The next morning, we had one final bigger climb to get over the Siskiyou Crest. Eric, a trails geek, liked this part of the ride the best, as the road became more trail-like with pine cones and needles and narrow dirt roads. And then it was one more fun, curvy, fast, paved descent all the way back down to Ashland to finish our route. 

Eric loved this part of the route the best

A Bit of Culture

At the finish!

While we had finished the loop, we still had a bit left on our trip. I had gotten us tickets to the musical, Come Away Home. We got into Ashland early, so we had plenty of time to clean up, eat out, and head to the show. We even got to hear some live music in the park just outside the theater. The music and show were fantastic. We highly recommend spending time exploring Ashland, a vibrant college town celebrated for its lively arts scene and the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival. And if you want a recommendation for breakfast, check out the Morning Glory Café.

Listening to live music before the musical - photo courtesy of Nikki

After a relaxing afternoon, evening, and morning in Ashland, we slowly made our way back on the Bear Creek Greenway to our hotel in Medford where we packed up our bikes and gear to fly back home.

Final Thoughts

We had an amazing week on the Klamath Mountains Loop. We were glad we did the route counter clockwise to get most of the steep climbing done on fresher legs and to be able to enjoy the fast descents on pavement. We had nearly perfect weather and our group of four had a great time together. We were alone most of the time, seeing just a few hunters in the backcountry. If you are ready for steep climbs and descents, wild and scenic rivers with plenty of places to jump in, and love solitude, this route is for you!