Haystacks & Skulls

Training Route / by Captain ‘O’ & Gravel Girl

Leading out from Terrebonne. The paved path at the Crooked River gorge. The railway bridge and gorge. On the Culver highway. The first sector of gravel in the National Grassland. The beginning of the second gravel sector - smooth and fast! Big views! Nearing the high point for the day, steep! Grizzly Mountain in the distance. Descending Skull Hollow. Morning Glory wall at Smith Rock.

This ride is the blend of two 5 Star routes: Haystack and Skull Hollow. It “most definitely” meets 5 Star ride criteria for beauty and history, but not for original content, thus the Training Route designation. Of the 3 routes (Haystack, Skull Hollow, and Haystacks & Skulls) this is Captain O’s favorite!

Ride Details

Start in Terrebonne and follow the Skull Hollow route to mile 7.4, the right turn to McPheeters Turf farm. Instead, continue straight along the Culver highway tracking the Haystack route. Ride the dirt road segment through the Crooked River National Grassland, past Haystack reservoir, and then back on gravel and south towards Grey Butte. Begin climbing. Part way up the climb, just after the incredible views of the Cascade mountains, make a 90 degree left. You are now back onto the Skull Hollow route. Follow this to the summit, descend Skull Hollow, and then roll back on pavement towards Smith Rock and the start / finish. **Read More

Adventure / Gravel Route

– Loop with dogleg: 36 miles / 2300 ft gain
– Surface: ~ 35% gravel, 65% paved
– eBike Friendly: Yes
– Location: ~ 30 minutes north of Bend, OR
– Date Posted: April 2020

Difficulty

Moderate. Due to the primitive Forest Service roads with steep grades of up to 15%.

When we like to ride this …

Spring when the Cascade mountains are snow capped. Fall when the colors are changing. The route is rideable almost anytime of the year, but the area can be very busy in the summer. Avoid when wet.

The Start

Oliver Lemmon’s market of Terrebonne. Be sure to go inside and give them a “heads up” on your plan for the day.
Lat / Long: 44.352989, -121.178053

Food / Water

None.

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Downloads

Wahoo / Garmin Direct Download
Cue Sheet / GPX File / TCX File

Legend

Red = paved road
Brown = gravel / dirt road
Purple = paved bike path / roubaix

For help with GPS files, the RideWithGPs mapping app and to learn how to download our routes for free, see the “Using Our Rides” page.