If jogging in Track Town USA is not your forte, and long hours of cramming plus the ceaseless intake of junk food has left you feeling lethargic, it may be time to hop on a bike.
The City of Eugene credits itself as “A Great City for the Arts and Outdoors,” in part for its complex and intertwined network of bike trails, suitable for peddlers ranging from pleasure-cruisers to gnarly downhill mountain bikers to BMX dirt jumpers.
Much of the city’s 28 miles of snaking, off-street bike routes have gentle slopes and are accessible from main roads, with strategically located bathroom and drinking water facilities throughout.
Of the paths closest to campus, here are three scenic trail systems perfect for the leisurely student cyclist looking for an expeditious study break.
Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail System
Named in honor of Eugene’s first female mayor, this elaborate concrete and cement path abutting both banks of the Willamette River winds through several patches of woodland including Island Park in west Springfield and both Alton Baker and Skinner Butte Parks in Eugene.
The scenic 12-mile loop is composed of the North Bank (4.6 miles), East Bank (2.8 miles), West Bank (2.1 miles) and South Bank (2.6 miles).
The four connected trails are indicated on color-coded mile markers, and navigating the meandering loop is made even easier by road signs’ directional arrows that preempt forks in the path.
Renowned Eugene landmarks such as the Cuthbert Amphitheater, Valley River Center, the Delta Ponds and Autzen Stadium are all located along the route.
In the evening, some segments of the route are lit with street lamps for the occasional biking night-owl.
Five footbridges, including the Knickerbocker, Autzen, DeFazio, Greenway and Owosso Pedestrian and Bike Bridges punctuate the trail system from east to west, offering convenient exits and shortcuts for those not wanting to ride the full dozen miles.
Fern Ridge Bike Path
This 6.9-mile, unidirectional pedestrian path is flat as a pancake and begins at its easternmost point at Jefferson City Park west of the University.
Well-maintained pavement and a generous width make it a hot spot for roller-bladers, skateboarders and biking groups looking for a scenic cruise that will remove them from the bustle of downtown.
The path runs northwest and ends right before the intersection of Royal Avenue and Green Hill Road at the western outskirts of town.
Overpasses, footbridges and busy intersections interrupt the otherwise smooth gradient, and the final third of the route’s far west portion spirals through wetlands and farm pastures.
Amazon Park
South Eugene’s most expansive recreation park offers bikers several rough-asphalt trails to explore, the largest segment running parallel to Amazon Parkway and Amazon Creek, and beginning near the intersection of Pearl Street and 19th Avenue.
The park’s sports fields offer bikers an opportunity to briefly drop their kickstands and throw frisbees or walk into a pick-up game of volleyball.
For the enterprising mountain and all-terrain bikers who are left craving more rugged terrain after completing Amazon’s circuit, the park’s bike path continues into the 3.5-mile, bark-mulch Rexius Trail loop shortly after 32nd Avenue.
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