Larison Rock Loop

Larison Rock Trail is one of the classic downhills in the Oakridge area. This narrow singletrack trail drops over 2,000 feet in under 4 miles, mostly following a forested ridge just south of town. If you use a shuttle on this ride, count on getting to the bottom well before your driver does. If you want to ride Larison Rock as a loop, the climb to the top is long but not particularly punishing since it is on a paved forest road.

Although there are no expansive views on this trail, the scenery is gorgeous if you bother to take a break from the nonstop descent. The ride starts in open forest, with plenty of Oregon grape as ground cover and the occasional madrone standing by. Keep an eye out for the elusive pileated woodpecker, which is present in the area. Once you drop off the northern slope of the ridge for the final precipitous approach to the bottom trailhead, the canopy closes in and the trail cuts a brown ribbon through a dense carpet of moss.