Hood River to Mosier and back (or 10 Speed to 10 Speed)
Distance: 14 miles round trip
Elevation gain: Approximately 1050 feet
This gem of a ride (my favorite after-work hour) takes you from downtown Hood River to downtown Mosier, where you can have a coffee at 10 Speed East or a beer at the Thirsty Woman before heading back.
Start in downtown Hood River, anywhere you like. Follow Oak Street (becomes Front Street) to the intersection with State Street. Take a left. Cross the Hood River and head straight through the four-way intersection (Highway 35) at the China Gorge restaurant. Follow the s-curves up, and stay on this road until you reach the Mark Hatfield Twin Tunnels park. Fill your water bottles.
Ride the closed-to-cars, perfectly paved road all the way to Mosier. This section of the ride is mostly shaded and cool, even on hot days. 2/3 of the way into the ride is a beautiful viewpoint, just before a long downhill to the restored twin tunnels. After the tunnels, follow the long, curving downhill to the end of the twin tunnels trail. Take a left. Follow this road into Mosier. Take a left at the stop sign, and pull into 10 Speed Coffee (on the right) for a delicious cup of coffee. Hang out. Turn around and go back to Hood River.
In my book, there’s nothing better than starting a ride with a cup of coffee. Second to that is having a cup of coffee in the middle of a ride. Third is a cup of coffee at the end of a ride. This version of the Mosier out-and-back allows you to satisfy your coffee needs: Start at 10 Speed West in Hood River (13th and Belmont). Ride down 12th street. Take a right on May Street. Take a right on State Street. Follow State street to the corner of State and Front Street, and follow the directions above to 10 Speed East.
its an awesome ride, and besides coffee, at 10 Speed you can also get homemade pastries, sandwiches, smoothies, soups and wraps.. so you can make it a ride with a meal and the satisfaction of working it off by the time you get home!
Yahoo! Thanks for letting us know Matt!
Yeah, THANKS for opening the Tunnels! We all appreciate it.
Hey there, I’m the ranger for the Twin Tunnels State Trail and I would like to let everyone know that the trail is now open! Expect to see Fire and Park Vehicles doing regular patrols on the trail as there are still some small spot fires burning on the hill. Please stay on the paved sections and be safe. Thanks and enjoy, Matt
I think the historic highway between HR and Mosier is currently closed due to danger created by the Microwave Fire. Haven’t heard when it will reopen, but check before you go. Here’s where I found an update regarding its status: http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_155.php