Alsea Flow Trails

The Alsea Flow Trails are western Oregon's newest purpose-built mountain biking trails. A flow trail incorporates banked corners, jumps and whoop-de-doos into a gently descending line that, ideally, requires no pedaling and not much braking. These types of trails are ubiquitous at lift serviced bike parks but are still relatively rare in Oregon. The trails at Alsea were built over the last year through a collaborative effort involving the BLM and Corvallis based Team Dirt, a mountain bike advocacy group.

The main loop at Alsea starts out with a paved road climb. At the top of the climb is the upper trailhead for Highballer. Although the whole trail is marked as intermediate on the trail map at the parking lot, the upper section is much more technical than the lower section, with very narrow and rooted sections, steep drops, and tight corners. Once you pass the second trailhead on Highballer, things get smoother, wider, and much more 'flowy.' Highballer ends at the top of Springboard, which retains the flow of Highballer but is smoother and easier overall. Near the bottom of Springboard a more conventional trail cuts right, allowing for additional laps on the upper trails without having to climb all the way back up the road. 

Alsea Falls is near the trailhead, along with a campground. There are plans for more hiking-only trails as well as more mountain bike specific trails in the area. The proximity to Corvallis and Eugene and the modern design of the trails at Alsea make this a great destination for southern Willamette Valley riders.