Bend Mountain Bike Shuttles: Route Recommendations & More
Learn how to make the most of your Bend mountain bike shuttles with this guide, including route recommendations, where to start, and more
It’s no secret that Bend is home to some awesome singletrack. The Phil’s network just outside of town is a playground for mountain bikers and there are a handful of other great trail networks just a short drive away. You can explore the trails solely by pedal power, or you can hop on a Bend mountain bike shuttle.
Shuttling is pretty popular, especially during the height of summer. But there are a few things you should know before booking your shuttle (spoiler alert: you will be climbing).
In this post, I share are few tips on what to expect as well as my top route picks for shuttled rides.
Important Things to Know Before Shuttling
Shuttling your mountain bike rides in Bend opens the door to a lot of great riding, but there are a few things to know before booking your shuggle:
How to Shuttle Bend Mountain Bike Trails
You have two options for mountain bike shuttles in Bend:
- Shuttle yourself if you have two cars
- Book a shuttle through Cog Wild
I highly recommend using Cog Wild because they are awesome. I did my Level 1 PMBIA certification with Lev, the owner, and he and his team are great. Their shuttles run on time, the shuttle drivers take good care of your bike, and they have multiple options for where to get dropped off.
You can choose to buy a single shuttle pass ($17-$22), a 6-punch pass ($80) or a full season pass ($250).
You do need to reserve your shuttle by booking online ahead of time.
Cog Wild is located at the Bend LOGE Camp off of Century Drive.
Shuttled Route Recommendations
There are three main shuttle drops outside of Bend: Wanoga, Swampy, and Dutchman.
- Wanoga is the closest drop-off from Bend and requires the least amount of pedaling for downhill fun.
- Swampy is just a bit farther up from Wanoga and provides access to the other side of the ridge. Shuttlers will need to climb at least 600 ft (or much more) no matter what route they choose.
- Dutchman Flat is the highest shuttle drop-off and gives shuttlers the opportunity for a big backcountry day. You need to be prepared for a 25-30+ mile ride with quite a bit of climbing (1,500 ft+) regardless of your route.
From Wanoga
Route recommendation
1. Tiddlywinks or Funner to COD
If you’re looking for the least amount of climbing for the maximum amount of fun, then a Tiddlywinks or Funner Bend mountain bike shuttle is your answer.
If you have the option to do multiple shuttles while visiting Bend, I recommend hitting both Funner and Tiddlywinks because they are two of the best trails in Bend.
Route directions: Wanoga drop off > Funner or Tiddlywinks > COD > tons of options to finish
Option 1: Tiddlywinks
Tiddlywinks is fast and flowy with lots of big berms and machine-built fun. There are some jumps (big and small), but no mandatory features. There is a bit more climbing to get to the start of Tiddlywinks compared to Funner, but it’s worth it!
Option 2: Funner
Funner parallels Tiddlywinks and is more old-school with natural features like rock rolls and drops. There are two Funner side trails (Funner Log Drop and Funner DH) that add bigger features, some of them mandatory.
Finishing the ride:
As far as finishing your ride(s) back to your car or Cog Wild, you have a lot of options. Here are just a few trail link-ups (in order of my personal preference):
- COD to Ticket to Ride to Grand Slam to KGB
- Storm King to Catch and Release
- COD to Phils
- COD all the way down (I find this trail kind of annoying because of the stop-and-go tech)
Bend Shuttles Packing List
Below are a few of my favorite pieces of mountain biking gear and recommendations for your shuttled rides:
For a complete list of what mountain bike gear to pack for your trip to Bend, head over to my Complete Mountain Bike Trip Packing List and Mountain Bike Pack Essentials posts.
Route recommendation
2. Tyler’s Traverse
I really enjoyed this Bend mountain bike shuttle ride. There is a lot of climbing, but the descent down Tyler’s Traverse is totally worth it. Tyler’s features big berms, tons of flow, a few optional side features, and an all-around good time. Keep reminding yourself as you climb that the down is coming 🙂
The finished down Catch and Release is also fun – a bit more pedaly, but scenic and sprinkled with some rock gardens.
Note: The highlighted red section of Tyler’s Traverse is currently closed 7 days a week. You will need to reroute if you do this route. Royal Flush to Afternoon Delight is a great option.
Route directions: Wanoga drop off > Upper Tiddlywinks > Kiwi Butte Trail > Tyler’s Traverse > Catch and Release > Ticket to Ride > COD (or Rim Rock)
Make it easier: If I did this ride again, I’d opt to take the paved Rim Rock bike path back to Cog Wild instead of doing COD after Catch and Release. This is a big ride and the tech and the punchy ups on COD were annoying.
From Swampy
Route recommendation
3. Whoops & Phils
This is the kind of shuttled ride where you start wondering right off the bat whether you actually took a shuttle. There’s quite a bit of climbing on this route, especially at the start as well as a few hills throughout the ride.
But despite all the pedaling, it is a really fun 17+ mile ride from the Swampy Sno-Park all the way back down to Bend.
The highlight is definitely Lower Whoops, which is a fast flow/jump trail with some drops and tabletops. It’s a blast!
Once you get down Lower Whoops, you have a ton of options to finish your ride. Take Phil’s for a classic descent down Phil’s Canyon. Kent’s or KGB are also fun ways to finish. Keep in mind where you parked your car though – you can definitely do bonus miles and extra climbing if you end up at the wrong parking area.
Note: The highlighted red section is only open Friday 3pm through Sunday. It is closed for logging during the week.
Route directions: Swampy Lakes drop off > Swampy Lakes East > Swede Loop > Sector 16 > Upper Whoops > Lower Whoops > Phil’s
Make it longer: When I did this ride, I added 3.5 miles at the start by doing the Swampy Lakes (west) to Swampy Lakes (east) loop. It’s a nice warm-up pedal with a fun descent and some mellow climbing back to the start of Swede Loop.
Route recommendation
4. South Fork to Skyliners
South Fork is a favorite for Bend mountain biking and for good reason. It’s fast, it’s flowy, it’s got some minor tech, and it’s beautiful.
This route descends down South Fork from Swampy and then makes its way down to Phil’s via Tumalo Creek and Skyliner’s Trail. If you haven’t explored this area during your visit to Bend, I highly recommend it. Tumalo Creek is beautiful!
To finish your ride, you can follow the suggested route, which is awesome, or choose your own adventure back down through the Phil’s network. Again, just remember where you parked your car or you may be doing bonus miles.
Note: The highlighted red section is only open Friday 3pm through Sunday. It is closed for logging during the week.
Route directions: Swampy Lakes > Swampy Lakes East > South Fork > Tumalo Creek > Skyliners Trail > Phil’s > Grand Slam > KGB > Marvin’s Gardens > COD
Route recommendation
5. Swampy to Mrazek
This is a big day and a big backcountry ride. Even though you get shuttled up to Swampy, there’s still almost 2,000 ft of climbing, most of which is up North Fork – a 4+ mile climb (although it is beautiful with lots of waterfalls!).
If you’re riding in the summer, it’s best to do this ride on a weekday because North Fork can be very busy with hikers.
The descent down South Fork is a highlight and while I personally didn’t love Mrazek, a lot of people do. It’s got a very old-school IMBA design feel with climbs where they don’t need to be and 20% too many turns. You may love it, though!
Route directions: Swampy Lakes West > South Fork > North Fork > Metolious-Windigo > Mrazek
A note about finishing: If you left your car at Cog Wild, you’ll need to make your way back across Phil’s. This means skipping the last section down Shevlin Park and taking the fire road (NF-4606) or connector trail (there is a trail that is not on TrailForks). Once at Phil’s Trailhead, you can ride singletrack to Cog Wild via Marvin’s Garden, or take gravel road. Both involve a bit more climbing.
From Dutchman Flat
Route recommendation
6. Metolius-Windigo to Phil’s
This is one of my favorite shuttled rides in Bend. Start with a beautiful backcountry traverse on Metilious-Windigo followed by an awesome descent.
Then head down Farewell to Tumalo Creek and Skyliner, which is a fairly mellow climb.
Finish with a fun descent down Whoops and Bend’s classic trail, Phil’s.
Depending on the snow-pack, the trails from Dutchman Flat may not be accessible until July.
Note: The highlighted red section is only open Friday 3pm through Sunday. It is closed for logging during the week.
Route directions: Dutchman Flat Dropoff > Flagline Access > Upper Flagline > Metolius-Windago > Mrazek > Farewell > Tumalo Creek > Skyliner > Lower Whoops > Phil’s Trail
Change it up: If you’ve already done Phil’s, take Kent’s Trail instead. It’s a little faster and less pedaly.
More shuttled rides outside of Bend
Still looking for more? Here are two other Bend mountain bike shuttle options:
McKenzie River Trail
The McKenzie River Trail is located about an hour from Bend and it’s a 20+ mile ride along the stunning McKenzie River. There’s a little bit of everything on this trail from flow to lava rock tech. I will say it’s definitely more challenging than a lot of people anticipate.
Cog Wild offers shuttles from Bend or a better option is booking a shuttle through Horse Creek Lodge. They’re located near the ending trailhead and offer several different shuttle options (plus beer at the end).
Newberry Crater
I’ve ridden Newberry Crater as a loop, which was awesome. Cog Wild also offers a private shuttle option from Horse Butte (where you leave your car) to Newberry Crater. You can then ride the Crater Rim Trail, but instead of finishing the loop, you’ll take Swamp Wells back to your car at Horse Butte.
This is close to a 40-mile day.
You also miss the super fun descent back to the parking area at Newberry Crater! I haven’t done the shuttle, but I highly recommend the loop.
Looking for more fun things to do?
Check out these popular tours in Bend
Final Thoughts
Shuttling is a great way to experience more of the awesome riding around Bend, Oregon. You can either shuttle yourself if you have two cars or I highly recommend booking with Cog Wild.
It’s important to remember, though, that even though you’re shuttling, still expect to do a fair amount of climbing and 15-20+ miles to get back down.
Pack lots of water and snacks know your route so you don’t end up miles away from your car.
Have fun!
RELATED POSTS
Planning a mountain bike trip to Bend, Oregon? Use these posts to help plan your adventure:
What is your favorite shuttled mountain bike ride in Bend? Have you ridden any of these routes? Let us know in the comments!
respect ebike ban? there is no way I will visit Bend. Oakridge is a better option for ebikes.
E-bikes are not allowed in Bend because the trails are designated as non-motorized trails on USFS land. It’s not because ‘someone made a ban’. Enjoy Oakridge.