Review Date
August 24, 2009

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: fselker ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I rode 7 miles of the mid-section (Panther to Marsters trailheads - "calf" and "marsters" segments). The trail is very beautiful and well-maintained. It is mostly easy/intermediate technically but has occassional rocky/loose/steep sections that some may want to walk. The reason I don't give it a high rating is that even though although it's not hard, it is dangerous because of frequent steep drop-offs down to the river. On our ride one person went over the edge maybe 30 feet. She was unhurt, but it was scary getting the bike and it could have been bad. I would not take beginners nor anyone who doesn't like exposure and potentially bad consequences for minor goofs.

If you do want to go, get the great Forest Service map of the trail.

Review Date
June 25, 2009

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: JP Nuts ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
6/25/09
Presently a section of Dread and Terror is flooded by a hydro project. Call Diamond Lake Ranger station @ 541 498-2531 to learn when it will open. Also downstream a bridge has been smashed by a fallen tree. I do not know if you can hike a bike over the creek. Mosquitoes @ Diamond Lake are called 747s for a reason.

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Review Date
August 3, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Nighthawks ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
There has not been many times in my life, that by the shear beauty and moment, a smile simply overcame myself and I was left with a feeling of pure amazement and awe.
Well, except my first Dead show in 81, but I digress…
The North Umpqua trail is nothing less than incredible. Armed with a brochure from the local ranger and some information from Trails.com I set off for my epic ride.
Being that I only had two days and limited time, I choose to do the Tioga segment on day one and Hot Springs to Mott on day two. Nothing can really prepare you for the incredible trails and spectacular beauty, it’s as if this entire trail was designed with the mountain biker in mind.
One would expect that a place like this would be over flowing with people, but to my amazement, I did not run into but one other person. The Tioga segment starts off at a parking lot with an outhouse and ample parking, and from the beginning you are enveloped in old growth Douglas fir and large lush Oregonian ferns. The trail was in excellent condition and due to the abundance of pine needles it had just enough give to lend a very pleasing texture to the ride. This part of the trail is roughly 16 miles long and is rated difficult due to a couple of accents, one being Bob’s Butte, which in my opinion, is a real challenge. In fact I have to say I walked a good part of it and took a few breaks in between. That being said it should not deter you from this trail.
Following Bob’s you encounter a few switchbacks and end up riding along the Umpqua River. This remains status quo except for a few times where it seems you have headed so far out of civilization that you must be a million miles away, but somehow you gradually begin to hear the roar of the river and you are again centered and focused. About one third of the way up you encounter a fork in the path, go left, this is not marked and if you go right I think you may end up in Oz. Other than that, the trail is well marked and easy to follow. The next portion is a rolling double track through a dense forest, which is overgrown with moss and ferns and then encounters the river once again.
Be prepared for a few sections that have a very narrow path and a steep drop down to the river. In fact, if you are not very sure of yourself or scared of heights, this could be a bit nerve racking.
You end up at Wright Creek Trailhead and one could choose to continue or bow out.
There is no drinking water and cell phones do not work most of the time, so come prepared, and unless you have another car waiting, you will need to take Hwy. 138 back down to the beginning like I did. No big deal but the logging trucks go really fast and there is no bike lane, so be aware.
Day two I took on a larger chunk of the trail, starting with Hot Springs and ending with Mott, 34 miles in total.
OK…. From Hot Springs to Soda Springs it is AWSOME!!!!
A roller coaster of a ride that dreams are made of……I do not have words other than I can not wait to go back!
The remainder of the trail down to Mott Bridge was just OK…. Oh Yea, Calf is closed so you do a little Hwy. 138 riding to the next segment. Don’t get me wrong, but, it lacks the awe and inspiration the beginning has to offer.
By the way, at Soda Springs there is a great swimming hole and I saw at least 200 Salmon. Please feel free to contact me for any more detailed info…

Review Date
July 31, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: riverrat ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
We rode the "Dread and Terror", "Hot Springs" and "Deer Leap" sections of the North Umpqua Trail third week of July 2005. Cooler weather would have been nice, but we still had a great time.

Easily compares with the McKenzie River Trail, but more varied, less crowded and not as close to the highway. Dread and Terror (named for what it would be like to fight a wildfire here) section was not as technical as the upper part of the MRT, but was consistently more technical overall. I'm an experienced intermediate to lower advanced rider, and I was able to ride just about all of the trail. I was very glad to have an FS bike though, I think it would have sucked on a hardtail.

I'm not as fit as I would like to be, but the many short steep hills that others have commented on didn't really bug me much. There are a lot of them to be sure, but the tread is just about always in great shape, not loose, and the hills themselves not very long. Just about the time I would run out of steam, we would top out and cruise for awhile.

There is some serious exposure in a lot of places (as others have commented), but the trail is generally wide enough and in good enough condition that there isn't really any reason to be falling off the side. Also lots of wet spots, but not much bad mud. The short "Hot Springs" section actually had some of the worst exposure, but not as sustained as D & T section.

Poison oak: Didn't see any on Dread and Terror or Hot Springs sections (although there might have been some in a few spots), did see quite a bit on Deer Leap, but it was pretty easy to avoid unless you fell down in the wrong spot.

We saw only two other riders in two days of riding, K & C from Portland who we thank once again for shuttling me back to our truck at Lemolo Lake and saving me from what would have probably been some tedious hitchhiking.

The comments on this trail in the "Trails" section were helpful, as were the directions for finding the highway east out of Roseburg from I-5, which is not signed at all as you drive through town. The great USFS map is essential- the trail is overall well marked, but the map helped us make our way between trailheads, some of which are a bit obscure.

We will definitely be back to the North Umpqua. Highly recommended!

Review Date
October 12, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: dontomas ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
I stayed at the Steamboat Inn, which is at the start of the Mott Section, and rode the Panther through the Tioga Sections over two days (Oct 7 & 8, '04). The trail was in excellent condition. All logs had been removed, and traction was optimal. Day one consisted of Panther through Mott, with a return trip on the Riverview Trail (a 15 mile round trip), which is reached after a quick road jaunt back upriver (watch out for the scary logging trucks!)to the Bogus Creek Campground. This trail climbs to way above the river on mostly doubletrack, then barrels back down to river level, then climbs and barrels back down, until you end up at the Mott Bridge, which is the driveway for the Steamboat Inn. The proprietors there have been host to enough bikers that they know how to accomodate us folk. They offer shuttles to the upper parts of the trail, and serve a great "Fisherman's Dinner (it is, after all, a fishing lodge) that is served family-style around a huge log table an hour after sundown. A good wine list and fun company makes a relaxing ending to a strenuous day. They have "cabins" that sleep 4 or so people, that have soaking tubs and a small kitchen. They also have a nice porch with a hose to clean off the bike at day's end. Day two was spent riding the Tioga Section. The climbs are as taxing as other posters (Thanks to Tom Vial for the nice overview)have described, and the downhill sections are as grin-inducing as you are led to belive. In the fall, an added bonus is looking at the endless varieties of mushrooms that line the trail.

Recommended Route:
I recommend riding the whole dam thing! Just be in shape!

Other recommended trails in the same area:
The Jedi Trail near Galice