Five Bike Routes Around Sunset for Casual Cyclists

By Camden Maggard

Summer is approaching quickly, and the warm weather we’ve had throughout late spring is returning. Below are five short bike routes around Sunset that are great for casual or amateur cyclists looking to have fun, exercise, and take advantage of Portland’s summer weather. All of the routes listed utilize safe and low traffic roads that are easily navigable for new cyclists.

The first route on this list makes use of the extensive trail networks in Bethany, taking the Waterhouse Trail north and the Westside Regional Trail south. To get to these trails, a cyclist travels through low traffic roads in the nearby neighborhoods of Terra Linda and Oak Hills. Many Sunset students live to the north of the school, and can make use of these trails without having to connect to Cedar Mill.

Both the shortest and hilliest route on this list, the Oak Hills / The Bluffs route takes you north of Sunset through Terra Linda and Oak Hills (by using the same roads as you would in the Bethany route) and then east towards Bonny Slope. The highlight of the route is The Bluffs Park, a small, hilly nature park in Bonny Slope with paved trails and scenic views. All roads on this route are along neighborhood roads or greenways, with the exception of short connections along Burton and Saltzman.

Again making use of Bethany and Rock Creek trail systems, this bike route takes a cyclist through Cedar Mill and Bethany to Rock Creek. The route is similar to the Bethany route, except, at 11 miles, it extends further west. Bikers can easily extend this ride by crossing Highway 26 at the Rock Creek Trail, gaining easy access to Orenco, Tanasbourne, and the Hillsboro Library.

Located directly south of Sunset, Cedar Hills is full of moderately hilly and low traffic streets that are great for biking. The Cedar Hills route, at only 7.7 miles, takes a cyclist by Commonwealth Lake Park, Cedar Hills Park, and Cedar Park Middle School.

At 12.3 miles, this route is the longest on the list, taking a cyclist through multiple Beaverton neighborhoods. While I would not recommend taking this route on your first ride, the Cedar Hills / West Beaverton route is still manageable for a newer biker, as it follows well established and low-traffic bike routes around the city. The route makes use of neighborhood streets, newer protected biking infrastructure along Lombard street in Beaverton, low-traffic roads with bike lanes, and the Westside Regional Trail. Bikers taking this route may enjoy stopping at the Beaverton Library or the Tualatin Hills Nature Park along the way.

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