motorcycle tour portland oregon

Portland Oregon Motorcycle Tour

Freeways. Bridges. Forests. Even elevators. Portland, Oregon isn’t called Bridgetown for nothing. In actuality, this ride is only the first part of a larger Urban Loop that passes through the cities of Portland, Oregon City, and Sandy. This particular motorcycle ride goes as far as Oregon City before stopping at McLoughlin Promenade and Willamette Falls (it’s pronounced will-AM-it dammit!).

Motorcycle Ride to Downtown Portland Oregon

The motorcycle ride begins near my home in Gresham, Oregon, and takes I-84 west into Portland. Sure, there are other routes you could take, but this is the “urban” part of the Urban Loop. It also gets you downtown in less than thirty minutes.

GPS will tell you a different way to go, but I like to go north when reaching I-5 and take the Fremont Bridge into downtown Portland. This bridge has the longest span of any bridge in Oregon at 1,255 feet and soars 381 feet above the Willamette River. From here, you have a great view of the downtown district nestled along the river.

Continuing along I-405 takes you through the downtown area. It’s pretty spectacular! And, depending on the time of day, very busy. During the middle of the week and the middle of the day usually provides the best traffic conditions.

Riding Through Forest Park

You exit the freeway at 6th Ave and wind up into the hills just west of the city. If you have time or want to spend it in the area there are several options. Forest Park, a nature reserve of over 5,000 acres and old and second-growth forest, is not too far away. It has a large network of hiking trails and is close to the Portland Zoo, Pittock Mansion, the Rose Test Garden, and the amazing Japanese Gardens. And there’s always the sights in downtown proper with opportunities for shopping, dining, and other activities. Check out Powell’s City of Books bookstore, an entire city block of new and used books, and Voodoo Doughnuts on 3rd Ave. Always busy, always good.

When you’re finished playing downtown and the surrounding area, the motorcycle ride heads south on Terwilliger Blvd. This road winds around the east side of the Tualatin Mountains, close to Oregon Health and Science University and Tryon Creek Nature Area. Eventually, meeting Highway 43 near Lake Oswego.

Arriving in Oregon City

South on Highway 43 takes you to Oregon City via the Arch Bridge across the Willamette River. A population of just under 40,000 people makes Oregon City a respectable sized town in the area. The downtown area, nestled on the banks of the river, claims to be the first main street in the west. Founded in 1829, and the first incorporated city west of the Rockies in 1844, that claim has merit.

McLoughlin Promenade and Willamette Falls

The midtown area of the city overlooks downtown from a ninety-foot bluff southeast of downtown. If you don’t want to take the stairs, the Oregon City Municipal Elevator connects downtown and midtown. At the top of the elevator is the McLoughlin Promenade. A narrow strip of a park following the edge of the bluff overlooking the city. It offers spectacular views of the Willamette and surrounding hills while passing restored homes from the early days of the city.

You can follow the paved path, crossing over the highway on a footbridge, to the overlook of Willamette Falls, adjacent to Highway 99E. There is a lot of history there with plaques to read and statues to see.

The motorcycle ride I call the Urban Loop continues from here, out to Sandy, and winding back to the starting point. But for now, this will suffice. There is a lot to do on this particular ride if you want to play tourist for a day. Or call it a scenic route to dinner in Oregon City. However you want to do it, this ride is one of my favorites.