Andy Tullis / The Bulletin Members of Travel Oregon enjoy the view while riding on the Crooked River scenic bikeway with Bulletin reporter Beau Eastes, right, in July.

PRINEVILLE — Crook County is pining for a slice of Oregon’s multimillion-dollar scenic bikeway program.

Members from the state’s Scenic Bikeway Advisory Committee took a firsthand look at the proposed Crooked River Scenic Bikeway on Wednesday, cycling approximately 40 miles out and back along the Crooked River south of Prineville.

The 11 cyclists, who hailed from all parts of the state, stopped about every 5 miles on the way out of town to evaluate everything from the route’s natural and man-made qualities to the road surface, traffic volume and traffic speeds.

“There’s a lot of great rides in the state,” said Alexandra Phillips, the bicycle recreation coordinator at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and leader of Wednesday’s group. “But we’re looking for the best of the best in all of Oregon.”

The state currently has 14 designated scenic bikeways, road rides that highlight Oregon’s natural landscapes and pioneer history. According to a study released by Travel Oregon last week, cyclists who rode the state’s 12 official scenic bikeways last year — two more routes were added earlier this summer — spent nearly $12.4 million on lodging, food and retail goods.

Central Oregon has five scenic bikeways: McKenzie Pass, Sisters to Smith Rock, Metolius River Loops, Twin Bridges Loop and Madras Mountain Views. The McKenzie Pass scenic bikeway generated $1.7 million in spending last year alone, according to the study.

“I’m thinking about the rider experience,” said Nastassja Pace, destination development specialist for Travel Oregon and a member of the advisory committee. “Are there hotels and a place to grab dinner nearby? Is the start and finish to the route easy to find?”

As the routes have become more popular — and profitable for local communities — the program has seen an increase in applications. This year eight routes were submitted for consideration, but just four, including Crook County’s, made it to the point where Phillips and her crew hit the road for a field visit.

“High Desert with large ranches and open grasslands,” noted Pat Moran, of the Oregon Department of Transportation, at the first stop about 5 miles south of Prineville.

The proposed Crooked River bikeway starts at Crooked River Park on Main Street and follows state Highway 27, turning around at either the Big Bend Campground or Powder House Cove Boat Ramp on the Prineville Reservoir — both endpoints are being discussed.

“There’s a rimrock landform in the distance,” Moran added, “and a riparian area to the right.”

At each evaluation point, committee members would describe the section they rode, and then assign a value between 1 and 5 to the different route characteristics, with 5 being the highest score.

The Crooked River route consistently received high marks for natural and sensory qualities — sights, sounds and smells — but was dinged a bit for route surface and traffic speeds. The lack of traffic was a huge selling point, as the group — a reporter from The Bulletin included — saw more fly fishermen than cars. Deer, baby quail and groundhogs were also spotted.

“The car count numbers I saw were between 90 and 230 a day,” Phillips said. “Those are some of the lowest counts I’ve ever seen.”

While no official word came out of Wednesday’s ride, members seemed impressed with the route’s natural beauty and its access to riders of almost all abilities. One way, the route measures less than 20 miles with no more than 800 feet of climbing. Talia Jacobson, from ODOT, proudly rocked an older yellow Raleigh bike she bought used off the Internet.

“I think it’s important to have cyclists with different perspectives out here,” Jacobson said. “I’m doing fine on my Craigslist commuter and having just as much fun as the people with high-end bikes.”

If the Crooked River route scored well enough Wednesday, the committee will recommend the out-and-back run to the Oregon Parks and Recreation director for approval. At the same time, Crook County officials will be asked to start developing a specific plan for their scenic bikeway.

Public meetings, consulting with another committee and possible recommendations from the state parks director could mean the whole process from here on out takes a year or two.

“I thought it was phenomenal,” said Kenji Sugahara, a committee member and the executive director of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. “Bend and Prineville have world-class cycling. Road, mountain, gravel — there’s a whole smorgasbord or buffet of bike options here.”

“It’s a beautiful ride,” said Phillips, who added that the comment was just her own personal opinion and that the committee had yet to release an official recommendation.

“This and the Madras Mountain Views bikeway makes for a couple of really great rides you can do almost year-round. It may be 60 (degrees) here when it’s snowy in Bend.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7829, beastes@bendbulletin.com