Gravel Riding on FS 2610 and Coyote Creek Road

If you enjoy mountain views, green meadows, and wildflowers consider riding Coyote Creek and Forest Service (FS) Road 2610 in the Ochocos.

The starting point is the same as the Big Summit Prairie ride, but the terrain is much more lush.

Driving Directions

Travel to the town of Prineville, then proceed East on Highway 26 for 20 additional miles. Turn right on Ochoco Creek Road (the sign will indicate this is also the route to Big Summit Prairie).

Go past Forest Service (FS) Road 100. On your left, you’ll soon come upon a parking lot, picnic tables, and Ochoco Forest signs. Park here. We discovered pretty wildflowers right in the lot, so be sure to look around – especially down by the creek.

The Ride

Just past the entry to the parking lot is Coyote Creek Road. Take the bridge across the creek. Proceed straight ahead past the campground on your right. The paved road will become a gravel road as you bike past some forest service buildings on your left. You are now on FS 2610. This well-maintained road winds through the meadows and views pictured above, eventually connecting to Highway 26 on the other end. Explore offshoots as desired, including the short ride in to the old ranger house back at the start.

Elevation Gain

You will gain about 1,000 feet in elevation during this ride. However, it is by far the easiest climb we’ve ever done. It’s very gradual and the road is hard packed. Riding my converted mountain bike, I used pedal assist 1 in low gear and enjoyed pedaling away with very moderate effort at about 9 mph during the uphill portion. This ride is so beautiful you won’t want to speed by in any case.

Road Conditions are … Spectacular

After you complete the initial elevation gain, there will be sections of the road with a bit more gravel, but you’ll be able to handle it easily. No potholes, no ruts, no washouts, no washboards.

Travel Distances

FS 2610 is 20 or so miles long, measured from the old ranger station parking lot to where it connects with Highway 26. Along the way there are offshoots to take, which will affect your mileage. Do as much or as little of the road as you like. Remember, since you climbed 1,000 feet on the ride out, you will be going down 1,000 feet on the way back. No pedal assist needed!

Camping

As you’ll see, FS 2610 is a beautiful place to camp and dispersed campers take advantage. You can too. We noticed several available places to pull off while riding.

Parting Thoughts

Have fun! This is what eBiking is all about. We took this ride in early July, and as you can see there is still plenty of green to enjoy.