Everybody dreams of hiking the Oregon Coast Trail or visiting one of the many waterfalls in Oregon. Maybe tasting delicious food from all the food trucks in Portland is on your list too? Now, it’s time to put mountain biking in Hood River on your Oregon bucket list!
Disclosure: This post has been created in collaboration with NW Excursions. Thank you again for having us!
We heard about the mountain bike trails in Hood River from a bunch of people and knew we had to stop and explore the fun trails. Then we heard about NW Excursions and the mountain bike tours they offered and we realized it was an absolute must to go visit the outdoorsy city of Hood River.
We’re usually out hiking and exploring different mountains and waterfalls but this was such a fun change. We fell in love with it almost instantly and it was our first time really mountain biking down these type of trails.
NW Excursions and Mountain View Cycle partnered up to create all sorts of different guided bike rides. From mountain biking to road biking and even e-biking you’ll basically be able to cycle all over the Hood River area!
You can check out their Tripadvisor reviews here.
We went on the Post Canyon Guided Ride since we are both beginners and it ended up being an absolutely wild adventure!
Mountain biking with NW Excursions around Hood River
If you’re looking to go mountain biking around the Hood River area then NW Excursions is worth checking out!
NW Excursions is located inside Mountain View Cycle and is co-owned by Lydia and Rafe. They are two of the kindest people you’ll meet and this really reflects the guides they hire to do the trips!
We were lucky enough to have both Amy and Brian as our guides and they truly made our trip memorable. We were both very excited but also nervous at the same time since we haven’t really mountain biked before. But with the assistance and guidance from the two of them, they made us feel comfortable and confident going down the hills and made the trip absolutely amazing.
It’s hard to describe the way you feel just cruising down the trails and being comfortable on the bike if you’ve never done it before. If you’re on the fence about trying it out for the first time, you can take our word on it that you will have an absolute blast. It’s indescribable how much fun you can have on a bike.
Where does this mountain biking trip start
The meeting point itself is at Mountain View Cycle. So if you’re in town feel free to drop in and speak with Lydia or Refe since they are usually at the shop. It’s located right downtown in the centrE of the city and that’s where all the biking tours start.
From there you will either take a shuttle or just start right from town depending on what tour you end up going on! There are lots of options both for couples, friends, and families.
Whats included in this mountain bike tour
1. All the gear you need
One of the reasons I (Dom) loved this trip so much was due to the fact that the gear they gave us was great. The bikes were top of the line and set to exactly fit our body frames. There was literally no way to feel safer. As you can imagine, this made the experience that much better because you could go down the trails at the speed you wanted and truly feel safe – especially for beginner mountain bikers like myself and Jo.
2. Trails
The mountain biking trails in Hood River were quite challenging but still very manageable for beginners like us. We had to be focused and pay attention to where we were going but once we got a corner right it just felt GREAT. It’s hard to describe but mountain biking in Hood River is something you really have to experience.
There are plenty of trails and every trail is unique and different – and FUN. Even if you’re used to biking, going mountain biking feels like learning a new skill. This is the same for each trail you take – on every different trail you just try things you didn’t know were possible beforehand.
The views of Mount Hood in the background also made it extra special.
3. Guides
As we mentioned before, Amy and Brian were simply amazing.
We kinda thought we would just have a guide who would take us on the trails and show us where to go and give us a safety briefing about the bikes and the area and that was it. But it was so much more than that.
Our guides taught us the basics and as we were improving they would teach us more. The best part was that you could truly feel the progression and confidence build up from run to run.
It honestly just made you feel good inside. You’re like “wow I’m kicking ass” plus the constant praise and support they’d give was an extra boost and it was truly genuine.
Another great thing about our guides was the fact that they paid attention to us individually. I (Dom) was a little braver than Jo (big surprise) and the guides noticed this. So I (Dom) was able to try new things or take a little harder route while Jo could stay a bit in her comfort zone and really get the hang of it – which was awesome.
Amy and Brian were hands down the reason we had as much fun as we did. So we have them to thank for the amazing trip and we’re sure you’ll be just as lucky as us with any guides you get on your tours.
4. The nature and landscape
Hood River has to be one of the most beautiful parts of all of Oregon. You have the Columbia River Gorge running next to the city on one side and on the other you can see Mount Hood in the distance.
So you get out on the trails and you have these beautiful views and glimpses of both the Gorge and Mount Hood and on a clear day, you might even see Mt Helena! It truly is the perfect little area for outdoor activities especially mountain biking.
5. That little bit extra
All the simple little extra things they did without even asking was amazing. They bring extra water just in case you run out and even a few protein and power bars in case you’re running low on energy!
Other related questions to mountain biking in Hood River
Does Hood River have good mountain bike trails?
Hood River is one of the more popular mountain bike spots near Portland and for good reason. The mountain bike trails in Hood River are good for all levels of mountain bikers from beginner to advanced there’s something for everyone.
Where can I ride my bike in Hood River?
There are plenty of trails around Hood River that you can bike around. A few of the main ones are Indian Creek Trail, Post Canyon Seven Streams Trail, Surveyors Ridge Trail, and Whoopdee trail which are all close to Hood River.
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Recap of mountain biking in Mt Hood
We hope you’re going to enjoy your time out on the trails mountain biking as much as we did. Hopefully, you get to rip up some awesome trails or if you end up going with one of the other awesome tours NW Excursions offers then please let us know how they are! 🙂
Have you been mountain biking before? If yes, where did you try it? Let us know in the comments!
Have fun!
Love it? Share it!
That sounds so cool to explore the limits of your comfort zones! You guys are so brave. I’m so clumsy I’d probably take twice longer to complete the trail haha. I’d still love to try it one day (I recently tried snorkeling for the first time in my life and loved it so I’m in adventure mode lol). West coast is still yet to be explored by me!
THANK YOU!! Yes, it’s always good to go a little out of your comfort zone 😉 Snorkeling sounds super fun – where did you go?!
– Jo
What a gorgeous place to go biking! That’s so nice they bring water and bars for you. Love when people go that extra mile!
So gorgeous! We’d definitely go back and do it again! 🙂 And yes, they went above and beyond – it was so great. Have you tried mountain biking before?
– Jo
Hey Andrea,
They were a fantastic company to go on a tour with! Especially the simple extra things like granola bars and water were great to have.
– Dom
Oooh awesome! We have been considering giving mountain biking a go (although I think we’d have to hire equipment like you guys did as it is soooo pricey!) We’ve been watching you tube videos of these kind of trails and it looks soooo fun!
How did your arms/hands cope with the bumpiness?
It’s so fun! If you haven’t tried it before I’d recommend you going with a guide so you can learn how to position yourself in the bike, get comfortable with it, and just to have someone who knows the trails well. Compared to buying your own bike it really isn’t that expensive to go on a day-trip! And Dom’s arms were fine but mine were SO sore for two days haha. Needless to say that my grip was WAY too tight 😉 Enjoy!
– Jo
Hey Josy,
Definitely hire equipment first to see what you think and if you like it! Honestly not as challenging as you would think. I had a fear of mountain biking but if you have the proper equipment it’s completely fine!
– Dom
I got a mountain bike last year and have been meaning to go ride more often!! This would go quite well with the PNW road trip I wanna do! :P! It looks like so much fun!
Hey Farrah,
That’s awesome that you’re planning to do a PNW bike trip! Where exactly!?
And Hood River is an awesome place to get into mountain biking and that sort of thing!
Awesome guys, looks like an amazing trail to explore! My partner and I are crazy about mountain biking, we think it is the best recreational sport to participate in. If we are ever in Oregon we are going to be checking out Hood River. Have you done much mountain biking since this post?
Hey Dylan,
Honestly we haven’t mainly due to the fact we’ve been constantly moving around but once we do settle somewhere I do think I will invest in a good mountain bike and get into it more!
-Dom
Well I guess that’s not a bad thing! Travelling with a mountain bike would be a bit of a pain in the butt and expensive!
Sounds like a pretty decent plan though, if you do end up buying a bike, feel free to message any questions, would be more than happy to help?
Cheers Dyl!
Looking at all your crazy adventures it looks like there’s so much to explore on a mountain bike. We’re actually living in a city called Revelstoke in Canada at the moments and there’s so many trails up in the mountains so may just have to rent one with my buddy before we move in two weeks! Thanks again!!
-Dom
-Dom