The nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has the enviable task of converting former rail lines into trails. The first conservancy project in Oregon, the 8-foot-wide, 21-mile Banks–Vernonia Trail extends from the town of Banks, in Washington County, to the town of Vernonia in the Coast Range. The multiuse trail is open to bicyclists, walkers, and runners and is paralleled by a 4-foot-wide horse path. The ride cuts through canopied second-growth forest and open meadows and visits a pair of 80-foot-high railroad trestles. There are six separate trailheads spread out along the length of the trail. All the trailheads can be reached by car, and most provide restrooms, picnic tables, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access.
Start: Banks Trailhead
Distance: 42 miles out and back (21-mile shuttle). Multiple trailheads along the route make it extremely customizable.
Riding time: 2 to 5 hours
Best bike: Road bike
Terrain and trail surface: Paved bike path
Traffic and hazards: Occasional road crossings, pedestrians, potential for horses
Fees and permits: None
Restrooms: At the trailheads
Maps: Oregon Road & Recreation Atlas: Page 35 E8
Getting there: From Portland, take US 26 West to NW Banks Road. Make a right and then a quick left onto NW Banks and a right onto NW Sellers Road into the trailhead parking area. GPS: N45° 37.343' / W123° 6.859'
The Ride
From the Banks Trailhead, the first 5 miles of the trail are flat, with much of the ride paralleling US 26, which admittedly isn’t much fun for anybody. After that the trail pulls away into the woods and begins a steady but manageable climb just before the Buxton Trestle at the 6.5-mile mark. The restored 80-foot-high, 700-foot-long railroad trestle now serves as one of the highlights of the ride. It’s certainly worth pulling over for a couple of photos here.
Continuing past another trailhead, the path reenters the forest and stays that way as the ascent continues. The scenery continues unblemished until just before the 10-mile mark. Things open up at another trailhead at Stub Stewart State Park. Just after you cross NW Nowakowski Road, the climbing ends after 11 total miles of riding.
Enjoy a gentle descent to the next trailhead at OR 47. The mellow loss of elevation continues as things stay primarily forested before spitting you out at a meadow at 13.5 miles. The path levels off and visits a series of clustered woods followed by open meadows. The trail eventually meets back up with OR 47 and parallels it for the rest of the journey, finally arriving at the Vernonia Trailhead. Return the way you came.
Miles and Directions
0.0 Start at the Banks Trailhead.
21.0 Arrive at the Vernonia Trailhead. Connect with your shuttle, or return the way you came.
42.0 Arrive back at the Banks Trailhead.
Local Information
Things to see: Buxton and Horseshoe Trestles, Stub Stewart State Park
Restaurants along the ride: Main Street Pizza Company, 680 S Main St., Banks; Blue House Cafe, 919 Bridge St., Vernonia