A State Park Campground In Portland's Backyard Is One Of Oregon's Best Mountain Biking Destinations

You can often find great trails around Portland. Some places, such as Cedar Mill, offer idyllic hiking trails within easy access from the city. Unfortunately, these places aren't always open to or even suitable for mountain bikers. If you prefer having your feet on pedals instead of inside hiking boots, take a closer look at L.L. Stub Stewart State Park before your next outing. This 1,800-acre wilderness offers year-round camping and over 20 miles of mountain biking trails, less than 35 miles from Portland's city center.

For mountain bikers, L.L. Stub Stewart State Park is a near-limitless playground of forested trails varying in difficulty. Bikers are welcome to ride the shared multi-use trails, which are also used by hikers and horse riders. The paved Banks-Vernonia State Trail comprises most of this 30-mile network, and it's better suited to families wanting a more relaxed ride. But there are some easy half-mile options for novice mountain bikers, too, including Widowmaker Way, Swing Donkey Trail, and Lasso Loop. More experienced riders can tackle the 2.5-mile Bumping Knots Loop or the 1.4-mile Unfit Settlement View.

The state park also has a dedicated area with 15 miles of single tracks created by mountain bikers solely for mountain bikers. This includes contour-based cross-country trails that weave their way through the forest, keeping beginner and experienced riders on their toes. The moderately difficult Shoofly is the longest at 5.4 miles, while the 0.4-mile Crazy Train lives up to its name with a higher level of difficulty. You can also take on over 1 mile of freeride tracks that use gravity and man-made obstacles (think table-top jumps and berms) to create challenges for advanced skill levels. If you're up for the challenge, both Drip-Torch and Rinse and Repeat will test you from start to finish.

L.L. Stub Stewart State Park's camping facilities make it easier for mountain bikers to spend a few days riding the tracks. The Dairy Creek Campground is the main area for pitching a tent or parking up your RV. It has 12 walk-in tent sites, plus over 75 RV sites with power and water hookups. Each site has its own fire ring and picnic table, while the campground has flushable toilets, a playground, a small disc-golf course, and easy access to various mountain biking trails, including Widowmaker Way, Brooke Creek Trail, and Log Flume Trail.

If you want the state park's rustic setting but don't enjoy sleeping in a tent, you could book one of the 15 cabins at the Mountain Dale Cabin Village. These hillside cabins come with many modern conveniences, including heating and electricity, fire pits, front patios, and actual beds. Five of them are even equipped to accommodate pets. You're still roughing it, technically, as they don't have kitchens, bathrooms, or TVs. Fortunately, the village has a hall with a kitchen, tables, restrooms, and charcoal grills. Groups of up to 50 people can even rent out the hall. At the time of writing, a powered RV site costs $39 a night, while a tent site is $24 and a cabin is $59, including one vehicle per site.

You can ride each track at L.L. Stub Stewart individually or combine them for a longer ride. The latter is great when camping for multiple days. AllTrails has a solid list of popular routes here, including the 7.8-mile Shoofly and Hares Canyon Trail Loop. This one's only for mountain bikers and has steep ascents and descents through towering forests. The Shoofly section alone is one of the park's best cross-country tracks.

As the state park is less than an hour's drive from Portland, you don't necessarily have to stay the night. It makes for a great day trip and only costs $10 for Oregon residents or $12 for people living out of state (at the time of writing). If you're staying in Portland and doing the day trip, book a room at the Hotel Zags, a unique downtown hotel where you can rent adventure gear, including mountain bikes. 

If you have booked a campsite, you can only have eight people staying there. Any more and you'll need to book a second one. Get your campsite or cabin booking in early if you're planning to visit during school or public holidays — reservations can be made up to six months ahead of time. If you're more interested in camping and hiking than mountain biking, you could also try Beacon Rock State Park, which offers stunning mountain views and year-round camping about 45 miles east of Portland. Heck, you could even combine both in one visit.