This is one of the greatest things about Cottage Grove. Quite a lengthy walking/biking trail. We plan to go back with our Bikes and ride it. It goes halfway around one of the lakes and is far away from traffic for the most part. Very Cool! And great views of the covered bridges.
The Dude and I biked this trail last week, and I biked it alone at the beginning of the month. Very navigable path for most bodies and capabilities. I had a little bike trouble and was so pleasantly surprised when other folks stopped to check to see if they could help out.Great scenery, beautiful lake/reservoir, easy to locate. Yup, this was a fun thing to do!
It was worth the 20 mile round trip. Dorena covered bridge is the nicest, in my opinion..Others are very similar...with little parking space. Not very user friendly for a featured tour.
On a clear fall day this trail is a visual delight. It is well maintained for the most part & is a pleasant ride up to Dorena Lake for a picnic. The covered bridges along the route provide for great photos.
Rode our bikes along 5 miles of path. Mellow, smooth, scenic, well maintained asphalt path. Great for road bikes.
The Row (pronounced like wow) River Trail is a paved rails to trail that goes some 15 miles from cottage Grove to Dorena Or. There are several access points. The trail is well maintained and generally level with a slight grade up to Dorena Lake. It is very scenic and parallels Dorena Lake for several miles. When you get to Dorena reward yourself with an ice cream at the mercantile. You are then ready to ride back.
The full 35 mile route includes a very pleasant rails-to-trails paved path along Dorena Lake after which there is an optional short four-mile spur (out and back = 8 miles), ending up with the return leg along relatively low-traffic paved roads on the developed side of the lake, with pretty good shoulders. There is one longish steep hill near the end of the route which would be a bit tough for kids. The bridges are interesting - at least for the first few - and the signage is adequate. Once out of the park areas, there is no support infrastructure, so make sure you have sufficient water, especially on warm summer days. A good choice for lodging near the trailhead is the Best Western.
The weather cooperated and we had a nice drive, hike to start our morning.sampling the local wild berries makes a delicious snack while walking
This is a nice town and they give you detailed information on how to get around the area. This was much different from the coast we had just visited but very nice.
We started right in downtown Cottage Grove, on the designated bike path. It is well marked, paved, and a nice width to meet oncoming bikes. We rode approx. 14 miles one way - as the last few miles didn't seem that scenic. Along the Dorena Lake was really pretty. You go in and out of nice, tall fir trees. There are several trail heads along the trail, with parking lots, where you can start your ride. It is a very slow, gradual incline up to the dam, from town. It is an 'out and back' ride - not a loop. Very nice.