Distance: 21 miles out and back
Elevation gain:3860 ft

This is a pure climb—10 miles up, 10 miles down—whose prime virtue is the spectacular view of the Willamette Valley at the top. And let’s pause for a moment to praise the Oregon authorities, who spent the money to cut and pave this lovely road just to give us that vista. The climbing is mostly moderate and steady, and the descent is fast and tons of fun but with easy, sweeping turns, so it’s a great ride if you’re timid about descending at speed but want to give it a try. The first couple of miles are in that gorgeous west Oregon forest I love—then things dry out and are just pretty.

It’s a lot like the McKenzie Pass ride, so how do they compare? In brief, McKenzie is better. McKenzie is longer, the pitch is gentler, the forest is much prettier, and the descent is curvier, better banked, and more thrilling. Marys Peak’s road surface is good; McKenzie’s is great. The views from the top are very different: the view at the top of McKenzie is level moonscape, whereas the view at the top of Marys is valley far beneath you, Both rides are moderately trafficky. McKenzie is one of the best rides in the world, whereas MPR is merely very good.

Since a large part of the appeal here is the vista from the summit, try to do the ride on a day with clear weather or high cloud cover only. This is harder to do that at first appears. Marys Peak seems to be in some sort of pocket of rain, fog, and mist. On days when the rest of western Oregon is under warm sunshine, Marys Peak may be rainy and cold. Both times I’ve ridden it, I’ve taken more clothing than I thought I needed, and both times I was cold, and once I got soaked. Both times I was in sunshine just miles from the ride.

Sometimes this road is favored by sports cars playing race car on weekends. There’s plenty of room, so they won’t endanger you. Riding on a weekday should cut down on the sports cars but may just trade one irritant for another—on my Saturday ride there were no trucks but signs of active logging (in August, 2019). On a Sunday in 2024 I saw neither logging nor sports cars. In any case, there is room.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37941072

There is a serious question about where to start this ride. If you ride from Philomath (fuh LO muth) on Hwy 34, the scenery is excellent and the two miles before the Alsea Mountain Summit, where Marys Peak Rd starts, are fabulous—challenging, steep esses through forest prettier than MPR itself. The only drawback is traffic—Hwy 34 can be very busy, there is no shoulder, there are no sight lines, and there is no room for you at all. Unless you can catch the road at a time of slack traffic, it’s unpleasant and dangerous. Without cars, it’s a dream, especially descending. When I was there, on a summer Saturday, at noon the road was constant cars; at 5:30 it was deserted. It’s your call. Because I can’t guarantee your safety, I’ve mapped the ride from Alsea Mt. Summit. I wouldn’t ride up to Alsea Mt. Summit from the south side—it’s a tedious slog.

Park at the beginning of Marys (no apostrophe) Peak Road. There are nice paved parking areas on both sides of the road. You get a half mile of mild climbing before the work starts, but if you need more warm-up you’ll have to ride back and forth on Hwy 34 around the summit and on the first half mile of Marys, because once the real climbing starts, it’s an effort.

The road stays fairly steep for the next 2.5 miles—around 8%, with moments of 10-12%. It’s just across the line between fun and work, and it’s the steepest leg of the ride. When you reach an unexpected mile of quick descending, the hard work is over and it’s moderate to the summit. The pitch both before the descent and after is unvaried.

As you ascend, appreciate how the microclimate keeps changing. Things get drier and rockier as you move up and through belts of madrone, alder, fireweed, and foxglove.

Around 8 miles in you pass through a small saddle and get a stunning view of the land to the south (on your R—see photo below). Savor it, because this is the only view to the south you will get on the ride. The view from the end of the road looks east.

Continue to the top, which is a parking lot with picnic tables, outhouses, and hiking trailheads. The view to the east is one of the grandest in my experience. You can see 50 miles or more. It’s on a par with the grandest vistas in Bestrides. To the south of the parking lot is a small hill blocking your view, so to see the southern panorama you’ll have to do a little hike, easy if you’ve brought walking shoes and a bike lock.

The descent is fast, bendy, and fun without ever being scary or technical. You’ll do little braking, even though you’ll be doing 30+ mph much of the time, because the curves are big and gentle, and the road is roomy enough that traffic is never a concern.

Shortening the route: Since the goal here is the vista from the summit, start as far up the road as will allow you to get to the top.

Adding miles: Hwy 34, which goes by the foot of Marys Peak Road, is a long, dull ascent/descent on the south side and a marvelous but dangerously trafficky serpentine on the north side. A few miles to the south via 34 is the turn-around point of our Alpine to Alsea ride. The Corvallis area offers endless PPO riding (Perfectly Pleasant Oregon) among the farms and ranches along the edge of the Willamette Valley.