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WRANGLE GAPThe Heart of the Siskiyou Mountain Range!
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DAY 1
SynopsisThis Ride is primarily gravel roads with some roads that are not maintained and can be rocky with a few ruts and mud puddles, depending on the time of year. It takes approximately 5 hrs to complete the route and is a very scenic ride with old cabins and historical points of interest. A map can be viewed by clicking the link above. This is a very remote ride and has what we like to call a wilderness feel to it.
Distance and Fuel pointsFueling should be done previous to your arrival at IRR. 5415 Hwy 238. Jacksonville, OR 97530. This ride is approximately 80.0 miles. There are no gas stations, restaurants, or other commercial services along the 40-mile section of the loop over the Siskiyou Mountains, between McKee Bridge and Interstate 5. Be sure to have a full fuel tank when starting your tour.
ConsiderationsPack snacks, a lunch, and your favorite beverage! Bring a camera and a friend.
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To receive Custom GPX files. Download Basecamp. GPX files can be transferred from any of our Rever Maps or call IRR
for GPX files at 541-621-8814 |
IRR - out back discovery route info
Forest Service Road 20, which is marked at major junctions, is paved for about 5 ½ miles beyond the junction with Upper Applegate Road. Road 20 is the route of the Siskiyou Loop almost all the way between the Applegate Valley and Interstate 5. It was first built in 1936-37 by the CCC to provide access to the high elevation forestlands of the eastern Siskiyous.
Dutchman Peak is said to have received its name in the 1870s, when a German-born (“Dutchman”) miner was caught here by a winter storm and perished. Built in 1927, Dutchman Peak Lookout is one of the very few “cupola style” fire lookouts left in the Pacific Northwest. Cupola lookouts (built between 1917 and 1929) had the living quarters below and a “fire-finder” room in the little cupola above. During World War Two like several other lookouts in the area, Dutchman Peak was used by the Aircraft Warning Service. A separate cabin housed a 2-person team of observers who endured the snow- and wind-swept winter atop Dutchman Peak, searching the skies for enemy aircraft (this was before radar had been installed along the West Coast, and fears of bombing attacks were high). Listed on the National Register and restored to its original appearance by the Forest Service, Dutchman Peak Lookout is a significant historic structure; it also continues to serve as an important Page 9 of 13 Forest Service radio communication relay point for southwestern Oregon and northern California.
Dutchman Peak is said to have received its name in the 1870s, when a German-born (“Dutchman”) miner was caught here by a winter storm and perished. Built in 1927, Dutchman Peak Lookout is one of the very few “cupola style” fire lookouts left in the Pacific Northwest. Cupola lookouts (built between 1917 and 1929) had the living quarters below and a “fire-finder” room in the little cupola above. During World War Two like several other lookouts in the area, Dutchman Peak was used by the Aircraft Warning Service. A separate cabin housed a 2-person team of observers who endured the snow- and wind-swept winter atop Dutchman Peak, searching the skies for enemy aircraft (this was before radar had been installed along the West Coast, and fears of bombing attacks were high). Listed on the National Register and restored to its original appearance by the Forest Service, Dutchman Peak Lookout is a significant historic structure; it also continues to serve as an important Page 9 of 13 Forest Service radio communication relay point for southwestern Oregon and northern California.
HOW DIFFICULT IS THIS ROUTE?
The WRANGLE GAP AND DUTCHMAN PEAK OBDR route is designed to be ridden on adventure motorcycles. There are no single-track style trails on this route but, many of the roads are in remote areas and reach mid- to high range elevation areas where road maintenance is minimal or non-existent, and where slides are frequent. You can expect to cover sections of road with some ruts, loose rocks, and other challenges. Road conditions change from week to week based on the recent weather. When you see signs that read, “Roads maybe impassable when wet”, use caution, roads become dangerous and can be impassable. Some segments in the Upper Applegate is graded and passable with passenger cars. You may also encounter sections of road that have trees or branches over the road. There are no alternate "easier" routes around any of the most challenging sections when these conditions and weather make travel difficult. The ride is easily done on all types of adventure bikes.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest PO Box 520 333 West 8th Street Medford, OR 97501
(541) 858-2200 TTY: 1-866-296-3823 www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou
Applegate Ranger District 6941 Upper Applegate Road Jacksonville, Oregon 97530-9314 (541) 899-3800
Ashland Ranger District 645 Washington Street Ashland, Oregon 97520-1402 (541) 552-2900
The WRANGLE GAP AND DUTCHMAN PEAK OBDR route is designed to be ridden on adventure motorcycles. There are no single-track style trails on this route but, many of the roads are in remote areas and reach mid- to high range elevation areas where road maintenance is minimal or non-existent, and where slides are frequent. You can expect to cover sections of road with some ruts, loose rocks, and other challenges. Road conditions change from week to week based on the recent weather. When you see signs that read, “Roads maybe impassable when wet”, use caution, roads become dangerous and can be impassable. Some segments in the Upper Applegate is graded and passable with passenger cars. You may also encounter sections of road that have trees or branches over the road. There are no alternate "easier" routes around any of the most challenging sections when these conditions and weather make travel difficult. The ride is easily done on all types of adventure bikes.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest PO Box 520 333 West 8th Street Medford, OR 97501
(541) 858-2200 TTY: 1-866-296-3823 www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou
Applegate Ranger District 6941 Upper Applegate Road Jacksonville, Oregon 97530-9314 (541) 899-3800
Ashland Ranger District 645 Washington Street Ashland, Oregon 97520-1402 (541) 552-2900