Date Reviewed: 10/12/07

Length: 56 miles.

Technical Difficulty: Easy.

Location: The report begins in Reedsport at the junction with Hwy 101 at N43° 42' 12" and W124° 06' 20" and ends at the junction of I-5 at N43° 42' 28" and W123° 13' 11".

Connects With: Lorane Hwy/Territorial Rd, Smith River Rd, Hayhurst Rd, Tyee Access Road, Loon Lake Rd, Paradise Creek Rd., Weatherly Creek Rd, Wells Creek Rd, Hwy 101.

Amenities: Full amenities in Reedsport, gas and food in Drain and Elkton.

Places of Interest: Umpqua River, Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area.

Review: While there are only a few sections of really "fun" curves on Hwy 38, the attraction of this route is the stunning beauty, especially between Reedsport and Elkton as the road closely follows the Umpqua River.

Hwy 38 links the southern Willamette Valley to the coast. It is also the flattest route over the coast range, guaranteeing a fair volume of truck traffic during weekdays, in addition to the regular traffic you'd expect from of the primary route from Eugene to Reedsport and the Coos Bay area. There are lots of places to pass so it's really not a big problem for motorcycles. Being a major east to west route, you can expect generally excellent pavement, and, being a major east to west route, you can expect the road to be fairly beat up in places. Anyway, this is a cruiser rider's delight (or anybody who appreciates stunning scenery) and perfect pavement isn't a prerequisite for enjoying this ride.

This report was done going east from Reedsport to I-5. It serves it's purpose, but it is a more enjoyable ride traveling east to west because the scenery and majesty of the Umpqua River gets better as you go.

Sometimes it's difficult to make yourself stop too soon after embarking on a ride, but in this case there are two stops worth taking just after leaving Reedsport. The first is at the top of the hill, on the left, only about a half mile outside the city limits. It's a grand vista of the mighty Umpqua River pouring out of the Coast Range. A "Kodak moment" for sure. The next stop is just a couple miles up the road at the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area. This wildlife viewing area is over 1000 acres of forest and pasture set aside for a magnificent herd of Roosevelt Elk. More likely than not you'll see elk somewhere here. The road parallels the reserve for several miles. There are ample turnouts and a formal viewing area with information kiosks and restrooms.

The 18 miles from Reedsport to Scottsburg is absolutely beautiful! This stretch of road is the number one most gorgeous section of any of the Coast Range passes. The river is big and the canyon narrow and deep. ODOT has done a nice job of keeping the views of the river as unimpeded as possible. The canyon walls are steep and mostly covered with ancient old growth Douglas fir. The cut areas you do see were logged with helicopters because of the inaccessibly steep, rugged terrain.

At about the 13 mile mark, east of Reedsport, is the junction with Loon Lake Rd. A worthy side trip if you have time. Loon Lake is a gem in the middle of the Coast Range formed by landslides that dammed mill creek 1400 years ago. In the summer, the temperatures are commonly in the 80s; a popular refuge for the locals from the often foggy coastline.

The remaining five miles to Scottsburg are especially nice as the road gets curvier and winds through a tunnel of huge maple, fir and cedar trees. Just before Scottsburg the road takes a fairly tight turn to the left onto a way too old and narrow bridge. Be careful of the limited lane width especially if you face oncoming giant trucks. The bridge is to replaced. It's rather surprising it hasn't already considering the importance of this road.

Don't blink as you go through Scottsburg, you might miss it. Not much more than a collection of mostly run down homes now, it was once a thriving community and in the 1800s was one of the biggest settlements in Oregon. Scottsburg is where the tidewater ends. It was as far as the old ocean-going wooden ships could go, so it was a major freight terminal for the inland towns and settlements. It was the terminus for the overland gold shipments from Jackson County bound for San Francisco and beyond.

Up the road from Scottsburg about three miles, is the idyllic hamlet of Green Acres. On the way there you're rewarded with a couple real nice corners on brand new pavement! Lots of nicely kept homes on the river and several small farms on the north side of the highway. Singing the theme from the old Green Acres TV show seems appropriate when traveling through here. :-) It's very nice!

From Green Acres to Elkton, the river valley widens and the road leaves the river's edge from time to time. Not much problem admiring the scenery since the road presents virtually no challenges to one's skills. There is one very nice, steeply banked curve (marked as 35 mph) a few miles before Elkton. It's a nearly 180° corner that's a ton of fun when rolling on the throttle after carefully selecting an appropriate entry speed.

Elkton is a town of less than 200 souls on the banks of the river where it turns southeast for Roseburg. Elkton has seen little change for decades, until the last few years. It's slowly becoming gentrified as people discover its quiet ambiance, its central location between the coast and the valley and its beautiful surroundings. There's are four wineries in Elkton, a new housing development on the hill and several of the old buildings are finding new purposes and needed facelifts. On the east end of Elkton, just over the bridge, is the intersection with Tyee Access Road to Sutherlin.

Leaving Elkton and the Umpqua behind, you'll climb a fairly long hill. At the top of the hill and around a corner is a great view of one of the prettiest valleys in the Coast Range. (See the last picture below) It's easy enough to stop here to gaze, but you don't need to since the valley remains in view as you descend toward Elk Creek. As of Fall 2007, at the bottom of the hill, there are still some nice curves before the Elk Creek tunnel. By Summer of 2008, those corners will be gone. But it won't take away from the nice scenery in the canyon as you approach the tunnel.

From the Elk Creek tunnel to Drain, the countryside is more nondescript than what you've seen thus far. Brand new pavement and the best corners on the route makes up for it, however. About a mile before Drain is the intersection with Hayhurst Road. If your route takes you south when you get to I-5, Hayhurst is the way to go. It will end in Yoncalla, just a couple miles west of I-5 but several miles south of the I-5/Hwy 38 intersection.

There's really not much to say about the eight miles from Drain to I-5. Lots of straight and nothing much to see. There are several places to pass if you've been hung up behind slow vehicles.

Hwy 38, besides being one of the most beautiful rides in Western Oregon, also connects with many of the great motorcycling roads in this part of the Coast Range, as you can see from the "Connects With" section above. This road is highly recommended for those looking for a scenic route from the valley to the coast. There's nothing necessarily fun about it but the sights are memorable, indeed.

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