Date Reviewed: 11/04

Length: About 50 miles total. From Hwy 38 to Veneta, the most commonly run section, is about 30 miles.

Technical Difficulty: Easy

Location: The Southern End is about 0.4 miles west of I-5's exit number 162 on Hwy 138 (N43° 42' 25.16" and W123° 13' 55.23"). The Northern End can be found in Monroe under the name of 5th street (N44° 18' 46.79" and W123° 17' 47.85"). On Hwy 126, find Territorial Road at the only stop light in Veneta. On Hwy 36, look for two junctions in and just west of Cheshire.

Connects With: Hwy 38, Hwy 126, Hwy 36, and Hwy 99. Smaller entertaining side roads include Siuslaw River Rd, Wolf Creek Rd, Lorane-Cottage Grove Rd, and Lorane Hwy.

Amenities: Full in Monroe and Veneta. Intermittent gas may be found in the towns of Crow and Lorane. Lorane general store serves gargantuan sandwiches at low prices.

Places of Interest: Wine options include: Chateau Lorane, Silvan Ridge/Hinman, Secret House, King Estate Winery, Rainsong Winery, and Benton-Lane. Cemetery lovers may enjoy Gideon Richardson, and numerous other abandoned cemeteries which may be found off of Territorial Rd.

Review: Good pavement combines with sweeping corners and beautiful countryside to make Territorial Rd quite popular among local riders. As an added bonus, there is a section of tight corners south of Lorane that will make your bike sing. Expect a moderate amount of car traffic as this route bypasses I-5 and links several smaller towns to Eugene. Fun on every part, Territorial Rd can be broken down into several sections.

The southernmost section, running from Hwy 38 to Lorane, is by far the most engaging. Initially following Pleasant Creek, where houses along the roadside indicate unpleasant working conditions, Territorial Rd is packed with well designed sweeping corners that border on tight. The somewhat tight stuff ends in about three miles with a fantastic mountain climb. After ascending through some adrenalin inducing 15 mph corners, Territorial descends into Lorane's valley. For sport and sport touring riders, the southern section is definitely the best.

The section from Lorane to Veneta relaxes quite a bit. In this rolling hill and valley country the road opens for lengthy straight sections interrupted by wide, sweeping corners. There are a few tight corners and some sunken grade thrown in, but on a whole, this section is made for touring or sport touring bikes. With four wineries and lots of farm country, the ride from Lorane to Veneta won't disappoint.

North of Veneta, Territorial Rd definitely becomes a touring biker's dream. Things are fairly straight while riding past Fern Ridge Reservoir, where an active yacht club exists. North of Fern Ridge one encounters beautiful rolling hill country until Monroe, where Territorial ends at Hwy 99. One tricky spot exists where Territorial appears to end at Hwy 36. If heading north, turn right for one fourth mile and find Territorial just prior to entering Cheshire.

All in all, Territorial Rd makes for a great ride. Those with sportier tastes will find most enjoyment south of Veneta. Corner loving riders consider making a loop out of Wolf Creek and Siuslaw River Rd while on Territorial. Tourers and cruisers will probably enjoy everything but the southernmost section.

Rider Comments:

"Riding a cruiser on Territorial Rd is a blast too. I found this route while searching through you web site and used it one weekend for a more exiting and challenging way to travel from Roseburg to Corvallis than the main thoroughfare of the interstate. The section from Hwy38 to Lorane is my favorite...Those tight left and right corners weaving in and out are exhilarating. Trees cover sections of the roadway giving the sense of traveling through a tunnel of green. Beautiful scenery. This will be my preferred route to Corvallis." - Siggy, Winchester, Oregon