If you start at the parking area, follow the Hardesty Trail uphill to a signed junction at the .3 mile mark and go to the right. The trail here is smooth and rolling-climbing and descending several times along an arm of the reservoir and eventually Goodman Creek proper. After a large log bridge, the trail leaves the creek and climbs to a junction with Goodman Creek Rd. Cross the road to a small parking area and continue on the trail.
If you opt for the gravel road start, climb pleasant Goodman Creek Rd. for about 3 miles to the aforementioned junction and head up the trail to the right toward Eagle's Rest. From this point onward, the trail becomes more technically challenging with plenty of rocks and roots to traverse, and a number of tough but short pitches to climb. About .5 mile short of the end of this section, you'll come upon an historic wooden shelter. Continue past the shelter to a junction with paved Eagle's Rest Rd. Don't stop here, though. The reward just up the hill across the road is well worth the additional effort.
Eagle's Rest Trail climbs about 1.5 miles to the peak of this mountain with views westward toward Eugene and the Coast Range, and eastward toward Sawtooth Ridge and Mount June (both of which have MTB trails). From the peak down your reward is rich indeed: mile after mile of sometimes technical, sometimes smooth and fast singletrack through the western fringe of the Cascade Range's heavily forested woodlands. You'll pass through groves of massive old growth Douglas Firs and Red Cedars, along the banks of cool and clear Goodman Creek, and into the stuff mountain biker's dreams are made of.
If you're all tuckered out on the way back down, take Goodman Creek road from the lower junction to your car. If not, get ready for the smoothest and fastest section of the trail. This reward, however, has its own price. Although it's technically downhill, it doesn't really feel like it. It consists of a number of fairly steep, moderately technical climbs followed by fast and furious downhills.
The condition of this and all other trails in the area can vary greatly from season to season. The lower elevation ones should all be avoided during wet weather, and many of the higher trails are routinely blocked with fallen trees and/or snow until late spring. Expect to encounter hikers.
I have ridden this trail a number of times and always enjoy it immensely. It has a little bit of everything: more than 2,000 ft. of elevation gain (and loss), plenty of technical elements, some very smooth and fast sections, a nice view at the top, and great scenery all the way up and down. Not only that, but there’s a rustic shelter to stop and have lunch in, and a waterfall and swimming hole on Goodman Creek.
| ThankI ride a hardtail bike, and so find the return trip a little jarring. At times it feels like riding down some long-forgotten stairway in the woods because of all the roots and rocks. I suppose you folks with full-suspension frames would thrive on the endless rough drops this trail offers.
The beauty of this area is the versatility inherent in the web of roads and trails that criss-cross the terrain. As mentioned in the ride description, you can eliminate sections of the trail if you need to by taking the road up and/or down from the first junction. Or, you can lengthen if you want by adding any number of loops or extensions. Virtually all of it requires considerable physical exertion, though.
Total ride time for me for the ride described above is about 3 hrs. up, and 1.5 hrs. back down. That includes time to soak up the scenery, cool my feet in the creek, and take some pictures. I’ve never drained my 2L Camelback on this ride—never even come close. Once you leave the creek bed below, there is no other dependable water source, so if you’re adding Sawtooth, Lost Creek, or any other trail up high, take all the water you’ll need with you.
Get one of the waterproof, tear-resistant maps of the trails here available from Treadmaps or Adventuremaps.