West Coast
Avid
Portland, Oregon | Missoula, Montana
Astoria to Fort Stevens and Return
Approximately 30 miles with 800 feet of climbing
Your Trek Travel guides will meet you and your fellow Cross Country riders at the Hotel Lucia (400 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon) at 9:00 AM on the first day of the trip. After a 2- hour shuttle to the town of Astoria, you will enjoy a hearty welcome lunch and brief introductions, and your guides will take time to ensure you a comfortable fit on your bike. Please bring your measurements, as well as your saddle, pedals, personal GPS unit, and any other equipment you would like affixed to your bike to this meeting so your guides can set up your bike to your requirements. Following the bike fit, safety tips and some introductory information, it's time for a short scenic spin from Astoria to Fort Stevens State Park and down to the Pacific Ocean where you can dip your tire into the water to mark the official start of your journey. Use the rest of this ride to warm up your legs and make sure you are comfortable in the saddle. Your warm-up ride will be followed by a social hour and dinner, where your guides will discuss your upcoming adventure in more detail and answer any questions you may have.
Astoria, OR to Portland, OR
Approximately 97 miles with 4,500 feet of climbing
Your adventure begins today as you depart Astoria and head for Portland. It's time to bid farewell to the West Coast and turn east as you ease into your first pedal strokes along Youngs River and through the beautiful and densely forested Clatsop State Forest. As you ride, the enclosed green canopy and winding roads gradually open up to bring you just north of Portland where you will continue southeast on the Scappoose-Vernonia Highway and directly into downtown Portland. Explore one of America's most bike-friendly cities this evening as you relish the feeling of accomplishment from completing your first full day in the saddle.
Portland, OR to Hood River, OR
Approximately 77 miles with 3,800 feet of climbing
You'll depart Portland this morning on a network of popular bike trails and lanes. Once in Troutdale, you will ride on the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway 30 that separates Washington from Oregon. The north side of this 75-mile scenic byway boasts spectacular views of the Columbia River Gorge while the south is blessed with a range of astonishing waterfalls. Take the time to stop at Columbia Point, one of the most scenic outlooks on the journey, and visit the Vista House which was built as a rest stop for early travelers. Don't miss small hikes along the way to view Latourell Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Multnomah Falls, to name just a few. As you finish your ride, don't forget to look out onto the river, as Hood River is renowned as one of the best windsurfing locations in the U.S. Tonight it is yours to explore. Take a stroll down Oak Street tonight and dine in one of the many tasty bistros.
Hood River, OR to Condon, OR
Approximately 101 miles with 8,300 feet of climbing
Depart this wind surfing and mountain biking hotspot to continue following the Lewis and Clark Trail along the water. Cycle the 5-mile Mosier Twin Tunnels Trail that passes through two climate zones and is bordered by numerous types of foliage and plants. In order to avoid considerable time on the highway, we'll cross the bridge at The Dalles and follow the north side of the river before crossing back into Oregon, winding past rolling ranch lands, and tackling the climbs through Cottonwood Canyon State Park and Recreation Area.
Condon, OR to Hermiston, OR
Approximately 93 miles with 4,100 feet of climbing
After a hilly start this morning, we'll reach the small town of Heppner, known as the “Gateway to the Blues.” Pedal a short stretch of the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway before gradually descending back towards the Columbia River. Spend the night in Hermiston, once known as home of Six Mile House, an old west hotel that served a stopover for weary travelers, now famous for watermelon farms.
Hermiston, WA to Walla Walla, WA
Approximately 71 miles with 3,575 feet of climbing
Today is a relatively short ride as we make our way to Washington for the second time. Pedal through high desert sage and the farmland producing the sweet onions, wheat, and wine that give Walla Walla its flavor. Finish your day at the historic Marcus Whitman hotel. Tonight, venture out to find a cozy wine tasting and dinner of your choice.
Walla Walla, WA to Lewiston, ID
Approximately 99 miles with 4,900 feet of climbing
Climb out of Walla Walla on gently rolling hills as you make your way through eastern Washington's beautiful golden fields of wheat. Today you will work hard to get to the third state of your journey, but the effort will be well worth it as you enjoy a long, winding descent into Idaho alongside the gentle Asotin Creek and the powerful Snake River. Shortly after entering Idaho you will find yourself in Lewiston, located at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. Due to a system of locks and dams, Lewiston is accessible by some ocean-going vessels and is the easternmost port on the west coast.
Lewiston, ID to Kooskia, ID
Approximately 103 miles with 6,375 feet of climbing
Soon after departing Lewiston you will enter the land of the Nez Perce tribe. Cruise through undulating hills and scattered towns as you discover this magnificent gateway to the west. The Nez Perce have made this area home since before the history of the West was recorded and with many areas to hunt, fish, hike, and harvest berries, it is clear why. Enjoy the striking views from the banks of the Clearwater River into the hills above. Tonight you will stay in a hand-built log cabin on the banks of the free-flowing Middle Fork of the Clearwater. Each cabin has 2 or 3 private bedrooms and shared living spaces, bathrooms, a fireplace, hot tub, and deck to enjoy with your traveling companions turned cabin mates.
Kooskia, ID to Lolo, MT
Approximately 91 miles with 3,900 feet of climbing
Today you get to conquer Lolo Pass, your first Rocky Mountain pass! You'll follow historic Route 12 as it winds alongside the Lochsa River which is lined by the majestic pines of the Clearwater National Forest. This historic route is a very gentle climb until the last few miles, which greet you with steeper terrain and sweeping views. You'll top out at 5,225 feet at the Montana border. All that's left is a short descent to the Lodge at Lolo Hot Springs. It's a great place to rest and soak your legs after the day's climb. Say hello to a state #4 and a new time zone.
Lolo, MT to Missoula, MT
Approximately 39 miles with 675 feet of climbing
Enjoy a lazy morning with your fellow riders as you get used to the time change, because this short day is nearly all downhill! Today you finish descending the gorgeous, winding road from Lolo Pass into the town of Missoula--home of the University of Montana. Take a look around at the peaks dominating the horizon, as this town lies at the convergence of five separate mountain ranges. It's your choice for lunch so enjoy your favorite foods as you soak in the scene in this fun college town. Tonight, we will gather for a farewell social hour and dinner at a favorite local hot spot to celebrate your trip and send your well-wishes along with those riders continuing their cross country journey.
DoubleTree Hotel Missoula - Edgewater
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Breakfast | Social Hour | Dinner
Farewell
A relaxed breakfast and a leisurely morning in Missoula on the banks of the Clark Fork River provide the opportunity to revisit the triumphs and challenges of the past 10 days. Your ride across a portion of the American West has come to a close, but the friendships and memories produced by this epic journey have just begun.
Breakfast
We reward our guests with lower pricing and more dates to choose from the earlier you book. Rest assured, once you book, your price is guaranteed.
What is Single Occupancy?
Sometimes it’s more convenient and comfortable to have your own room while on vacation. We understand and that’s why we offer a Single Occupancy option. The additional price guarantees a private room all to yourself.
First and last day hotels are listed below.
Every moment of a Trek Travel bike trip has more than you could have ever dreamed. More romance. More scenery. More choice. It's the little additions to every Trek Travel cycling vacation that make it truly special. And that’s how we help you create more memories. See more
Gratuities for your Trek Travel guides are not included in your trip price. We recommend tipping 7.5-10% of your trip price for the guide team. Local currency is preferred and unless you want to tip separately, guides will divide tips amongst themselves. Please tip your guides at your discretion, based on their level of professionalism, guest care and service.
Our itineraries are an approximation of our trips. Trek Travel strives to offer each and every guest a vacation of a lifetime on every trip. At times routes, hotels, activities, etc. listed here may change at the discretion of the trip designer or guides to improve the trip experience.
Cross Country USA: Portland to Missoula is best suited for our Type 4 Riders, due to the extreme physical demands of the trip. The terrain is extremely varied, including rolling roads along rivers, long gradual climbs and descents across the plains, as well as long and steep climbing and descending in the Rockies. Roads are primarily two-lane secondary highways with good shoulders, but include some stretches of primary highways with wide shoulders, and smaller local roads and surface streets with little or no shoulder. Some road surfaces may be rough. See Itinerary for specific daily ride distance and elevation options.
This destination is best suited to guests who want to cycle every day. Because of the terrain and/or remoteness of the hotels and riding routes, there are few, if any, non-riding options available. If a non-rider wants to accompany a rider guest on this trip, they would need to spend many hours in the van and/or at the hotels on the trip. Due to this, we strongly discourage non-riders from this destination. As an alternative, call a Trek Travel Trip Consultant at 866.464.8735 for trip suggestions where more non-rider activities are available, such as:
Extremely varied. Expect all conditions including, rain, snow, fog, wind, sun, heat, and cold, in both humid and arid climates. Extreme weather conditions may exist in certain parts of the country. Your guides will monitor the safety of riding in such conditions and will delay or cancel rides if they deem the conditions to be too dangerous. Bring adequate layers and riding gear for riding in any and all conditions.
Trek Travel recommends all guests work with a coach to develop a training plan for this undertaking. We work with Vision Quest Training to give you that little boost before your Trek Travel bike trip. Vision Quest offers custom training plans that will get you ready to tackle your trip with confidence. The coaches consider the amount of hours you can train per week, what you need to focus on based on your goals and milestones you need to hit in order to achieve them. They develop a detailed write up and training plan just for you!
For an additional fee you may request to upgrade to the Trek Emonda SLR with Shimano Di2 electronic shifting or Bontrager Aeolus carbon wheels for the ultimate riding experience. Contact our trip consultants for more details.
When a trip is booked, a guest confirmation letter is immediately sent out. One week prior to the trip start you will receive an email containing a trip start meeting location reminder and any last minute information that you will need to know before your trip. Once you arrive at your destination Trek Travel staff will brief you on the day-to-day plan for the trip and provide you with daily route guides and Garmin tracks allowing you to ride with complete confidence and independence.
We understand things happen in life and sometimes you have to cancel or change your bike tour. We want to make it as easy as possible to do so and below you will find our timeline. If you ever have a question, just give us a call, 866 464 8735. Read our cancellation policy.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Check out our General FAQs section. You will find answers to all the most common questions that don't necessarily pertain to a specific trip.
We suggest that you arrive at least one day prior to the trip start, which will enable you to adjust to the time zone and minimize the risk of missing the trip start due to flight-related delays. We recommend that you fly into Portland International Airport (PDX), which is approximately 12 miles from downtown Portland.
All major airlines serve this airport and there are numerous options for getting downtown. The least expensive option is the MAX Light Rail Service. The Red Line picks passengers up in the baggage claim area and costs about $2.50 per person for a ride downtown, which takes about 40 minutes. If you are staying at the pickup hotel, Hotel Lucia, get off at the Pioneer Courthouse Square stop and the hotel is a three block walk up Broadway. Alternatively, contact Blue Star Transportation (www.bluestarbus.com, 503 249 1837) to book a seat on a regularly scheduled shuttle from PDX to downtown for $14 per person. This will take between 40 minutes to an hour, depending upon traffic. Or, you can simply hail a taxi outside baggage claim, which will cost approximately $35 plus gratuity and should take about 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
Hotel Lucia | Portland, Oregon
Your Trek Travel guides will meet you at the Hotel Lucia (400 SW Broadway, Portland, Oregon) at 9:00 AM on the first day of the trip. You will then shuttle approximately 2 hours to the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria, Oregon. If you prefer to drive to the first hotel to meet the group, you may use Enterprise to rent a car at PDX and drop it off at the Enterprise office just across the street from the Cannery Pier. Please let your Trek Travel Trip Consultant know if you will be meeting the group here instead of Hotel Lucia. After a welcome lunch at the hotel, your guides will do a thorough bike fit to ensure your comfort and answer any questions you have about your trip. Please come prepared with pedals, shoes, saddle, bike fit measurements, and anything else you would like affixed to your bike. Have these items and your riding clothes packed in a small, easily accessible bag. The hotel can store your larger pieces of luggage until check-in time.
If you will be late for the pick-up or are going to miss it altogether, please inform your guides. You will receive an email a week before the trip start with their names and contact details. If you cannot reach them, please call our first hotel, Cannery Pier Hotel (503 325 4996), and leave a message with your expected arrival time and contact details. Your guides will be aware that you are late and will be in contact with the hotel. If you need to book transportation on your own from downtown Portland to Astoria we suggest contacting Northern Lights Towncar (www.northernlightstowncar.com, 503 760 2478). You can arrange a private shuttle for up to 3 people for around $210.
DoubleTree Hotel Missoula - Edgewater | Missoula, Montana
You will say farewell to your guides at 10:00 AM at the DoubleTree Hotel Missoula - Edgewater, Missoula, Montana. We recommend that you fly out of the Missoula International Airport (MSO), which is located about 7 miles from the DoubleTree Hotel Missoula-Edgewater. The hotel has a courtesy car that runs frees shuttles to the airport upon request. If you need transportation to the airport and the courtesy car is already booked, the front desk staff can assist you with calling a taxi, which will cost approximately $15.
If you have time before your trip begins, we recommend spending a few days in the vibrant, bustling city of Portland, Oregon. An excellent public transit system makes it easy to get around the City of Roses (so named because its climate is very conducive to growing rose bushes). Portlanders are widely known for their enthusiasm for local food, microbrews, coffee, art, and bikes. The city is divided into five sections: Southwest, Southeast, Northwest, North, and Northeast. The Willamette River flows through downtown and constitutes the boundary between east and west sections; Burnside Street divides north and south; and the North section is defined by the river to the west and Williams Avenue to the east. Locals use these sections to give directions, so it's good to be familiar with the general idea! Farm to table restaurants, food carts, bike shops, fun and funky architecture, book stores (don't miss Powell's City of Books in the heart of downtown!), parks, and museums are abundant in this quintessential city of the Pacific Northwest. Be warned though—after a few days here you may find it hard to leave! We recommend the following accommodations for your pre-trip hotel.
Located just 3 blocks from Pioneer Square in the heart of downtown, Hotel Lucia offers an ideal home base from which to explore Portland's many attractions. Chef Vitaly Paley (former Iron Chef winner) has two restaurants at the hotel, one inspired by the food cart movement and the other by innovative farm to table concepts. For a relaxing retreat and exceptional service, the boutique experience at Hotel Lucia is second to none.
400 SW Broadway | 503 225 1717 | www.HotelLucia.com | ~$350
Another Provenance Hotel (like Hotel Lucia), Hotel deLuxe offers a desirable location in the Southwest District, close to the exclusive Pearl District and Nob Hill, and only a few blocks from the MAX Light Rail System. This luxurious property is centered around a cinema theme and features a beautiful collection of historic film stills that capture the magic of Hollywood from the the 1930's, '40s, and '50s.
729 SW 15th Avenue | 503 219 2094 | www.HoteldeLuxePortland.com | ~$375
The exotic and alluring Hotel Monaco prides itself on stirring the imagination of its guests. It's 221 rooms are all carefully designed and the hotel offers a fresh, eccentric experience right in the center of town. With a yoga mat in each room, 24-hour yoga channel, on-site fitness facility and complimentary bikes for exploring town, Hotel Monaco is an ideal location to relax for a few days before starting your long journey. You can also take advantage of the hosted wine hour in the lobby from 5:00 until 6:00 PM each day or have a goldfish delivered to your room for a little extra companionship.
506 S.W. Washington Street | 503 222 0001 | www.Monaco-Portland.com | ~$350
The college town of Missoula, Montana is an excellent place to spend a few extra days unwinding after your long ride from Portland. This mountain town is located at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers and is known as the "Hub of Five Valleys" because five mountain ranges converge here as well. Here you will find world-class fly fishing; opportunities to go whitewater rafting or kayaking; and 60,000 acres of wilderness in which to hike and play. Or kick back downtown if you prefer, with a cup of coffee from a local coffeehouse or a beer from a local brewery to toast your trip across the West! We recommend the following accommodations for your post-trip hotel.
Extend your stay with some time at the well-known Resort at Paws Up to enjoy a wealth of activities at this luxury Montana ranch. Located about 35 minutes north of Missoula, the Resort is on 37,000 acres in the heart of the Blackfoot Valley. There are various options for lodging (all of which are stand-alone cabins, houses, or glamping tents) and an extensive array of guided activities available from horseback riding to fly-fishing. You can even participate in a cattle drive if you want! All rates include 3 meals a day and round-trip transportation from the Missoula International Airport.
40060 Paws Up Road | 877 588 6764 | www.PawsUp.com | ~$750
Goldsmith’s Bed & Breakfast, located in a historic home, offers some of the closest lodging to the University of Montana. The inn is located on the banks of the Clark Fork River and it is within walking distance of the unique shops, restaurants and breweries in downtown Missoula. Choose from one of 7 cozy rooms and take advantage of the river trail, located just outside your door.
803 East Front Street | 406 728 1585 | www.MissoulaBedandBreakfast.com | ~$150
This modern hotel is located close to the airport and close to downtown. It features an indoor pool, complimentary wireless internet, business center and complimentary airport shuttle.
3720 North Reserve Street | 406 532 5300 | www.HiltonGardenInn.com | ~$150
