Reddit reviews Benchmark Oregon Road & Recreation Atlas

I just came across this post. What you want is this map: http://www.amazon.com/Benchmark-Oregon-Road-Recreation-Atlas/dp/092959150X

This has all the forest service roads in Oregon reliably marked. These are mostly gravel, and they're much more extensive than velodirt and oregonbikepacking. You can pick your own route too, which is a plus. I've spent a few months total on gravel roads, between Patagonia and winding down gravel roads on the stretch of the Cascades between Seattle and Eugene, on my Surly LHT. It's great fun. Even single track can be fun. If you're worried about it, maybe fit some knobby tires and lower the tire pressure. It is a chore sometimes, and I've now bought a Pugsley because I want to make it a bit easier on myself, but some of the most fun I've had while touring is hauling my bike over stretches of nasty gravel roads/singletrack that I didn't anticipate being as difficult as they were.

Just go look for the forest service/gravel roads in that atlas. They go everywhere, and they're often a great compromise between single track stuff and pavement.

My journeys in the NW are here. I didn't do much in Oregon because I'd been on the road for a long time and just wanted to be home, but I did a lot in Washington with a similar atlas and it was awesome.

Well, like I say, the first thing would be to be flexible. Try not to make definite plans. You really could get here and the weather will be fine. Or it could be a complete shitstorm throughout the state. It could be soaking wet at the coast and snowing in the Cascades. So all I can do is tell you my favorite spots in the state, and you'll have to check when you get here and see

One thing to do is get an Oregon atlas.

http://www.amazon.com/Benchmark-Oregon-Road-Recreation-Atlas/dp/092959150X

This is not just a detailed map (which you will need if you go into the back countrty), but also lists a lot of campgrounds. Unfortunately, you have a government shutdown that might continue, so you might not be able to get Forest Service maps at the BLM offices around the state. If they're open by the time you get here, you should do that too.

With that, here are my favorites:

• Newberry Crater, which consists of Eastlake and Paulina lake, about 30 mi SE of Bend, in west central Oregon. High elevation.
  
• Cape Lookout S.P., south of Tilamook on the coast
  
• Beverly Beach S.P., near Newport, on the coast
  
• Lost Lake, near Mt. Hood. High elevation.
  
• Priest Hole primitive BLM campground, on the John Day River in Wheeler County in north central Oregon, 7 miles W of Twickenham
  
• South Junction BLM campground, on the Deschutes River, north of Madras near near junction of U.S. Hwys. 97 and 197, in north central Oregon
  
• Cottonwood Canyon S.P., at the intersection of OR Hwy 207 and the John Day River, in north central Oregon
  
• Slocum Creek primitive BLM campground in Leslie Gulch, between Ontario and Jordan Valley, in eastern Oregon
  
• Wallowa Lake S.P., near Hell's Canyon, in NE Oregon. High elevation.
  
• Steens Mtn., in SE Oregon near Frenchglen, has BLM primitive campgrounds. High elevation.
  
  "It's a terrible time of year to go camping, but you never know," said my other half, when I mentioned this thread. Note that a "primitive campground" has no facilities of any kind. Pack it in, pack it out. Bury your poop.
  
  Once again, Google the campgrounds with yurts and cabins. The state of Oregon has a good website that lists state parks and campgrounds. Finally, don't be the sort of dummy who goes out to these places without equipment, supplies, or common sense. Sorry to keep saying that, but it happens all the time out here and people get sick of it.