Date Reviewed: 10/27/08

Length: 7.6 miles.

Technical Difficulty: Medium to difficult, for some very tricky corners and lots of residential driveways.

Location: This report goes West to East and begins at the intersection with Hwy 126, at the west end of Hendricks Bridge, at N44° 03' 18" and W122° 49' 44" and ends at the junction with Holden Creek Ln, at 44° 05' 32"" and W122° 43' 44".

Connects With: Hwy 126 on the west end and Holden Creek Ln (adjacent to Hwy 126) on the east end.

Amenities: None.

Places of Interest: The McKenzie River, McKenzie River Golf Course and Deerhorn Park.

Review: Deerhorn Rd is delightful. This short 7.6 mile ride is packed with fun corners, lush forest scenery and lots of beautiful homes overlooking the spectacular McKenzie River.

The road is best enjoyed at a casual pace. It's not meant for anyone looking for an adrenaline rush. The route is packed with homes, and so there are a lot of gravel driveways. Look out for locals going back and forth on their daily routines and gravel on the road surface where the driveways intersect.

Despite those restrictions, this is a must do ride if you're in the area. The scenery is spectacular! Tunnel-like stretches of undeveloped riverside and sections of developed home sites sporting immaculate gardens and lawns, combine for a beautiful ride through an idyllic rural residential area. I imagine that everyone living along this road consider themselves fortunate.

The road is narrow in places but the pavement is good. There are some very tricky corners on McKenzie View Drive, as the road doesn't seem as engineered as it seems it's just kind of carved through, and around, natural obstacles. As of the summer of 2008, the east 2/3 of the road is new asphalt.

At 7.1 miles into the route, take a left onto Bridge street and follow it to the end of the route at Holden Creek Ln, on the north side of the bridge. If going back towards Springfield, take a left at this intersection and travel a couple hundred yards to Hwy 126, or if you're going east up the McKenzie River Valley, take a right and travel two miles on Holden Creek Ln to Hwy 126.

Deerhorn Rd is a gem and makes a great alternative to Hwy 126 when traveling through the lower McKenzie River Valley. Also, combining Deerhorn Rd with McKenzie View Dr and Camp Creek Rd makes for an especially great route for riders from the Eugene/Springfield area.