Explore the best rated trails in Salem, OR. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the I-205 Multi-Use Path and Westside Trail. With more than 43 trails covering 195 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Really nice trail that connects three parks. Decent enough tree cover on some to keep rain at bay.
Stayed at cabins at mid trail…cabins are small and clean…showers/bathrooms close… though went at mid-day, the trees make the trail eerily dark, headed to Veronia first (~12 miles). Short distance to hilltop (switchbacks and short), then pretty flat. In Veronia, loop around lake. After back to mid-point from Veronia, all downhill, then flat. Huge open field is highlight here. Tressle was goal and cool, but overrated. From Banks (the return way) chunk is all uphill. At trailhead (downhill and fast from cabins), you then must make it back up to cabins which is ~half mile and pretty steep.. drained my battery…battery drained just short of coasting down into cabins. downhill into cabins.
Large numbers of homeless people live along this trail. The amount of used needles, human feces, and trash is incredible. It is not safe, and definitely not a family-friendly environment.
I read a lot of the reviews and some said the road was not paved well, pot holes etc…overall I felt the road was fine. All issues are clearly marked so you are aware of them. People are all respectful of others on the trail. We liked it so much we are doing it again tomorrow. It is fun, beautiful and we appreciated all the spots to stop along the way.
I rode the trail from Banks to Vernonia (21 miles one way) and back with some extra explorations for a total of 49 miles on a Trek Dual Sport. The trail is a beautiful trail migrating through the woods. It does have a long 7-mile uphill that starts about 5 miles into the ride, but it is not a serious grade. That said, my lady will tell you that it is uphill for a long time. There is one very serious switchback trek that is about a 10 percent grade. It can be done, and it is fairly short. Overall, getting to Vernonia was a good ride, but anticlimactic once I arrived. The best part of this ride is going through the woods. However, where I would probably give the ride a 4/5 rating, the condition of the path destroys much of the beauty. If you are not paying attention, you just might go down. The condition is dangerous especially on the 7-mile downhill. Why? Because a large portion of the path was done with chip seal. If you do not know what it is, see: https://www.bicycling.com/rides/a21074245/why-chip-seal-is-absolute-worst-surface-for-road-riding/
Beyond the horrible chip seal surface is the degradation of sections that have morphed into craters and potholes. If that is not bad enough, every bridge is between 2" and 6" higher that the path surface. If you do not brace yourself, good luck.
Bottom line, I am sad that the trail is listed as a must and one of the best in Oregon, but it does not warrant that billing in the present day condition.
One of our favorite trails! Some challenges (hairpin curves, occasional tree root cracks), mostly shady, wide cement path & goes into a park/lake/campground @ Vernonia, close to a grocery store for ice cream & rest before heading back!
We live just a few blocks from this trail in Monmouth. The community uses the trail especially in the early morning & evening in the summers for jogging & cycling. It’s wide, flat & traffic-free (even tho it runs along the Highway). There is a convenient bike repair station along the trail in front of the Monmouth Police Station. Just across the highway via a well-marked crosswalk is Gentle Woods Park (named after the Gentle family) with shade, grassy fields, a small playground & footbridge across the middle fork of Ash Creek.
Basically i went on the part of the trail near Beaverton/Nike area. Very well maintained but not very continuous. Not a lot of awesome views, lots of elevation change.
Pretty smooth for the trails I've been on here. A good mix of parks, neighborhood, and through some foresty bits. Fun hills to slalom or speed down, only slightly less fun on the way back up. Not worth skating south of Tigard, as the trail conditions quickly degrade with narrow, steep hills behind backyards, and it ends in a neighborhood, so not even worth all the effort.
I lived in Vernonia for over 6 years. I ran almost daily and biked quite a few times, on the BV trail. It’s absolutely beautiful and well maintained. I never ran the whole way but I did bike it. Down near Banks there are some great blackberry bushes if you feel like picking some berries. The only complaint I had is it’s mostly flat (it was a rail line) except for some obscene hills right in the middle. Somewhat ample parking available in Banks & Vernonia. I moved, and am enjoying the rail trails in Massachusetts.
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