Date Reviewed: 08/19/06

Length: About 47 miles.

Technical Difficulty: Easy.

Location: Begin at intersection with Hwy 395 at N45° 8' 15" and W118° 57' 23". End at intersection with I-84 at N45° 20' 34" and W118° 13' 59".

Connects With: Hwy 244 connects Hwy 395 one mile west of Ukiah and I-84 North of La Grande. This ride report runs west to east.

Amenities: Full ameneties in Ukiah and La Grande; gas and groceries at Starkey.

Places of Interest: Lehman Hot Springs; Red Bridge State Park; Hilgard Junction State Park; Grande Ronde River; several campgounds along the route.

Review: While sitting at an outdoor dining table at a Ukiah eating establishment, I was pondering whether to take Hwy 244 to La Grande or ride FR 52 and FR 73 to North Powder. My destination was Enterprise. I'd been on the latter route and found it to be beautiful, fun and real curvy in places. I could go that route with little arm twisting. But being one to seek out new adventures, I really wanted to ride Hwy 244. It didn't look that great on the state road map but it was a considerably shorter route. As I gulped down my milkshake, a sport bike rider stopped for a break. We got to talking and he revealed he was from Pendleton and on a day ride around the area. Figuring he knew these roads better than most, I asked about Hwy 244. He indicated it was mostly straight and not all that exciting. Well then, maybe my day would be longer than I wanted. We talked a while longer and I asked him about Hwy 204 since that was on my radar for the trip, having been a suggested road by someone else. He said Hwy 204 was outstanding. That was encouraging because I had wanted to explore that neck of the woods. I was getting the itch to get on the road and it wasn't getting any earlier so I decided to try my luck with the allegedly boring Hwy 244.

For the first few miles the road definitely lived up to it's less than stellar reputation. It was very pretty but, yes, the road was straight. At this point it was tempting to turn around and take the better, but longer, route. However, about the five mile mark, things began looking up as there were actually a few corners, albeit of the lazy high-speed variety. This went on for another four miles or so before the canyon walls began closing in a little, a creek appeared, running parallel with the road and the landscape changed from prairie to beautiful pine forest.

The road was now more than tolerable, and the gentle, but frequent corners were a pleasure. Not only that but this is just an absolutely beautiful ride. In retrospect, I think it's one of the prettiest rides in Eastern Oregon. I began to change my tune about this road. I was now glad I came this way. I was having fun and making good time to boot.

This nice curvy, up and down, but fairly tame section of the road lasted for about six miles before straightening and leveling out a little onto a plateau with the land opening up again to a beautiful mix of prairie, pasture and forest. Lots of "Kodak moments." Just georgeous! At 18 miles into the ride, begins a seven mile climb with some more nice turns. The four mile descent is a lot of fun as the road gets twistier with several combinations of 35-45 mph corners. As the road bottoms out, it also gets considerably straighter, for just a mile or so, when another climb begins to another small summit at about the 32 mile point.

After a couple mediocre miles you get into some really nice 40 mph corners for a good mile to the intersection of FR 51, which goes south to Granite. Starkey is only a quarter mile south. This is where Hwy 244 takes up with the Grande Ronde River and basically follows it for the rest of the way. It is also the beginning of the best twisty section of the road with some very satisfying corners lasting for four or five miles before it mellows out for the rest of the ride to the freeway. From Starkey to I-84 the traffic picks up because of two state parks and several minor campgrounds on this lower section of the road. At I-84, head south 8 miles to La Grande.

Halfway into the ride I realized the guy at Ukiah was very wrong about this road. Just how wrong I wouldn't know for a few more days when I actually rode Hwy 204. Hwy 204 is nice but it has nothing on Hwy 244 for ridability and fun. Hwy 244 is not the most challenging road in the area but it is not boring in the least and it is just a very, very beautiful ride. I think motorcyclists of any genre would appreciate its beauty, pavement and general ambience. I wouldn't hesitate to ride it again.