Chrome Ridge/onion mtn. figure 8
45 miles
6,000 ft. elev.
Gravel/Adventure/mtb
This ride has it all. Desolate gravel roads that climb up to and traverse scenic ridge lines, a fire lookout with 360 degree views of the surrounding topography, a smooth ribbon of pavement providing your body some relief between gravel sections, and a beautiful flowy single track finish.
An hour drive from Grants Pass, this zone offers a lot of riding potential, both gravel and single track. Consider camping and spending a weekend to check it out. We parked at the Onion Way trailhead for this loop which worked out because we were able to resupply mid ride back at our vehicle. If you are on a day mission and want to spend more time on your bike and less in your car you can park at Indian Mary park and get more miles in (see route below).
This ride is essentially two loops combined to make a figure eight which, as stated above makes refueling convenient (so long as you can motivate to keep going). If you wanted a shorter ride you could break it in half, choosing just the Chrome Ridge loop or the Onion MTN loop. After reaching Lone tree summit from Onion MTN there is a four mile section of single track which is highly recommended even on a gravel bike as it is smooth, flowy and not very technical but can easily be avoided by descending on the main road (FR25) instead.
There is a unique ecosystem between the Illinois valley and the coast. Ochre colored serpentine soil and scrubby pines, and serious fire activity make this zone seem almost out of place, like you have traveled far away to a more distant location. Despite the burns and logging, the landscape is interesting to ride in.
