# Dallas/West Salem (Oregon) RideSuggestions?



## mdehner (Sep 1, 2002)

Hi all. I am going to be in the Salem area for the long weekend, Dallas specifically, and I am looking for low-traffic road rides of 20-50 miles in the area. Terrain is not important, I don't mind hills or the flat stuff.

Thanks!


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## h20dog73 (Aug 24, 2007)

I realize this is a few months late but I just saw this thread. I just visited Salem and was provided a great (free!) map by one of the downtown bike shops. It color codes all the roads in the area based on levels of traffic. I did a great 30 miler in the St. Paul area when I was there.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

h20dog73 said:


> I just visited Salem and was provided a great (free!) map by one of the downtown bike shops. It color codes all the roads in the area based on levels of traffic. I did a great 30 miler in the St. Paul area when I was there.


Probably Santiam Bicycles at the corner of Commercial and Center streets. Nice shop with lots of good info about local rides. 

There's great riding pretty much any direction from Salem. I'm most familiar with the roads to the SW of Salem, between Corvallis and Independence. 

One thing to watch out for is that some maps may show a river crossing at Buena Vista Ferry about halfway between Salem and Albany, but I think the state has discontinued that ferry service starting this year. That means the only Willamette River crossing between Salem and Albany is at Independence. It's a nice area though with low traffic.


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## TWD (Feb 9, 2004)

undies said:


> One thing to watch out for is that some maps may show a river crossing at Buena Vista Ferry about halfway between Salem and Albany, but I think the state has discontinued that ferry service starting this year. That means the only Willamette River crossing between Salem and Albany is at Independence. It's a nice area though with low traffic.


Whaaaa?????? NOOOOO!!!!!!!  

Man....I hope you're wrong about that Undies. Crossing the Buena Vista Ferry is one of my favorite rides. Not that the roads to/from are any better than the surrounding area, it's just cool to be able to cross the ferry in summer for free.


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

Man, don't scare me like that. I thought it was just in it's usual winter hibernation... county website seems to indicate it's opening back up in April. That's my fav route between Albany/Corvallis and Salem. Liberty is pretty low traffic and Ankey Refuge is a great spot to bird watch, always a heron or two around.

Going out to Independence necessitates taking South River road which has little/no bike lanes all the way into town. If you head north out of Independence there's a bike path along hwy 22 that puts you in west Salem but I haven't explored it yet.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Good news! Last fall the Albany D-H reported that the ferry would probably be permanently discontinued after 2007. Glad they're wrong!


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

I believe there were funding issues but that was somehow resolved. I know that would have angered a few of the surrounding farmers who use the ferry to move equipment across the river between leased fields, probably a bulk of the seasonal traffic besides the odd biker or Buenta Vista resident.


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## skiph (May 11, 2007)

From the Marion County web site:

http://www.co.marion.or.us/PW/Operations/buenavista.htm

I also heard it was going to close permanently, but gratefully not.

If it closed for good, it would break the SBC Watermelon Rides.


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