Review Date
February 22, 2009

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Spanky59 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
O.K. I've been living here for almost 9 years and thought I had ridden every trail and route in Forest Park and this loop was probably not the smartest way to go. I parked at the Germantown P/L @ Lief Erikson gate. Rode back up to Skyline Blvd. took a right turn and went to the Firelane 15 trailhead. It was a nice road-ride warm-up. Hit 15, it's a nice ride with a little up and down, Connected to FL-12, it was pretty much nothing but downhill, FUN!,semi-intense downhill! When I got to the bottom there were 3 guys starting up the opposite way, all I could think was "they got their work cut out for them", only did I know, I had mine cut out for me. Rode hwy 30 to Newton gate UP,UP to FL 10, UP,UP back to Germantown. I'm sure I walked 1/3 to 1/2 of it, still getting quite a work out. I know I will never do that again. I've been the other direction on FL 10 and Newton rd, riding hwy 30 to Thurman gate over Lief Erikson, that's a great ride.

Recommended Route:
Next time I'll park @ Germantown gate, road ride to FL-15 gate, 15 to 12, road ride Hwy 30, staying right to NW St. Helens rd and zig zaging over to NW.Thurman St. to Thurman gate across Lief Erikson back to Germantown parking lot. It's a little more road riding than I like to do but at least it will be all in the saddle.

Review Date
October 12, 2007

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by: willymcd ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Brutal uphills! semi rewarding downhills, overall not a bad ride if you are looking for a good work out and don't mind hiking for a good mile, 30-45 minutes up the BPA road.

Recommended Route:
You can make this into a loop!!

Start off on firelane #10, it is the second gate on the other side of german town road after you park.
fallow that down then back up Newton road, make sure to keep an eye for obstacles or cranking turns, because you can get going pretty fast. towards the bottom of newton the trail turns into a tight single track.
once you see the highway you have to go up the dreaded BPA road, you are a hero if you can make it up this!
If you are not be prepared to hike your bike for a good 30-45 min. at the top continue on the BPA road to Fireroad #12, go on fireroad #12 and then take a left on fireroad #15. There are some fun downhills on these fireroads #12 and #15! so I don't recommend skipping them. Fallow Fire #15 to Skyline BLVD, take a left on the road and continue to springville road (the one that takes you to fireroad #7, which goes to leif erikson). alternatively you could go down firelane #10, but then you have another gruelling climb back up firelane #10! So i would go the Springville way, even though you have to do some road biking. take springville road down to leif erikson, take a left there and fallow leif erikson back to the parking lot.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
powell butte, larch mt. molalla cooridor, scapoose.....

Review Date
August 29, 2005

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: ricomundy ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
While visiting the area I rode on these trails north of Germantowne after exploring the other parts of Forest Park. I went down Newton road which got more technical and challenging the closer it got to the bottom. There was one creek crossing with basketball size rocks that I was unable to ride and after that it was overgrown with blackberries. I knew by how steep it goes down that there would be a long climb back up and I found it out as I hike-a-biked up the Fireroad 10 that the reviewer below describes. It was so steep my calves were burning by the top. I should have turned around and ridden back up Newton instead. Either way, it's too short of a downhill to make it worth the effort of climbing back up except for a serious fitness person. I wouldn't recommend a visitor to the area going out of their way to ride this trail.

Review Date
April 25, 2004

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: XCpro900 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Firelane 10 to Newton Rd. is thee best and only two trails worth riding, if your an advanced rider, in Forest Park. The only problem is there's no loop to it. You can go up, BUT... it's a walk all the way to the top, and if anyone says they rode up any of it is full of BS. With the steepness and gravel of the BPA road maybe 1/20th of it MIGHT be ridden. You can go all the way to the bottom, to the highway (30@ Linton) and ride back into the park at 3 locations,(there might be others, these are the ones I've taken) back up Germantown Rd., Saltzman Rd. or Thurman Rd. and come across Leif Erikson Dr. back to Germantown Rd. parking lot. My favorite being the latter which makes for the larger loop.

Recommended Route:
See Above

Other recommended trails in the same area:
None

Review Date
October 21, 2003

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week