# Riding John's Peak, Jacksonville, Oregon — Riding Guide | Cycle Analysis

> Mountain biking and gravel riding on John's Peak above Jacksonville Forest Park in Jacksonville, Oregon: Motorcycle Riders Association land open to bikes, how it connects to the park, closures, fire rules, and Ride with GPS routes from Cycle Analysis.

URL: https://cycleanalysis.net/riding/johns-peak  
Last modified: 2026-09-29

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![Two riders stand on a rock outcrop in the fog near the top of John's Peak.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/8b3235a740be33fe/1024.jpeg)

### Above the park, and shared with motorcycles.

**What it is.** John's Peak rises above Jacksonville Forest Park. Much of the
mountain is private land owned and managed by the Motorcycle Riders
Association (MRA), about 1,300 acres run as an off-highway vehicle area. It's
open to non-motorized use, bicycles included.

**How it fits with Forest Park.** Many MRA trails meet City of Jacksonville
[Forest Park](https://cycleanalysis.net/riding/jacksonville-forest-park) land at the park boundary, so
you can climb out of the park onto the mountain and link the two into a
longer ride. Once you leave the park, you're on the MRA's land and rules, not
the City's.

**Getting there.** Ride up Jacksonville Reservoir Road from Highway 238, the
same road that serves Forest Park. The MRA's Lily Prairie staging area is off
Reservoir Road, and its Pair-A-Dice staging area (day use) is off Pair A Dice
Road. The MRA maintains Reservoir Road, and it can be busy with trucks and
trailers on weekends.

**Share the trail.** Expect motorcycles and ATVs, especially on weekends. Ride
where you can be seen, keep your speed down on blind corners, and move over
early when you hear an engine.

![Riders with their bikes stopped beside a dirt track among tall pines on Motorcycle Riders Association land.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/d9f13d82131856b3/1024.jpeg)

### John's Peak to Kane Creek.

27.7 miles and about 3,100 feet of climbing, 30 percent unpaved, from our
front door. It climbs Jacksonville Reservoir Road past Forest Park, crosses
the mountain on Timber Road, then drops to Kane Creek and comes home on Old
Stage Road. A good day on a gravel bike.

### The Reservoir Road climb.

5.9 miles out and back with about 970 feet of climbing, all on dirt. It starts
where Reservoir Road leaves Highway 238, a mile from the shop, and climbs to
about 2,660 feet. Ride up, turn around, and come back down, or use it as the
way in to the trails above the park.

### Photos from our rides.

From the Cycle Analysis team blog.

![Two riders on a rock outcrop in the fog near the top of John's Peak.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/8b3235a740be33fe/1024.jpeg)

![Riders with their bikes beside a dirt track among tall pines.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/d9f13d82131856b3/1024.jpeg)

![Riders climb a rocky dirt road through the forest.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/cbfe0fb224af5577/1024.jpeg)

![A rider on a gravel road lined with green shrubs and trees.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/85d856a9f7fefbc6/1024.jpeg)

![A rider on a muddy dirt road with puddles and patches of snow.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/b4f70d020985d906/1024.jpeg)

![Two riders on a dirt road through snow-dusted forest.](https://cycleanalysis.net/storage/variants/d962774d2acea1f3/1024.jpeg)

### Rules and closures.

**Closed area.** The MRA has closed everything past the green gate below the
radar tower on Walker Peak, down John's Peak Road, and the trails south of
it. That land is private, and sheriff's deputies patrol it. Turn around at
the gate. Near the Pair-A-Dice staging area, stay on the Cabin Trail and off
the neighboring properties.

**Fire season.** The MRA follows Oregon Department of Forestry fire rules. No
campfires anywhere on MRA land once the fire level reaches moderate.

**Hunting season.** Unlike Forest Park, the MRA land and the BLM and timber
land around it are open to hunting in the fall. Wear something bright.

**Check for changes.** The MRA posts closures and notices on
[its website](https://www.motorcycleridersassociation.org/notices). Look before
you go, especially in fire season.

### Ride reports from John's Peak.

- [Sore Knees And Big Trees](https://cycleanalysis.net/blog/sore-knees-and-big-trees) — Aaron Mock, September 2016
- [Like Old Times](https://cycleanalysis.net/blog/like-old-times) — Aaron Mock, August 2016
- [Looking Back. Looking Forward](https://cycleanalysis.net/blog/looking-back-looking-forward) — Aaron Mock, December 2016
- [Forgotten...But, Not Gone?](https://cycleanalysis.net/blog/forgotten-but-not-gone) — Aaron Mock, February 2017
- [So Long, Mr Dingman](https://cycleanalysis.net/blog/so-long-mr-dingman) — Aaron Mock, October 2017
- [In Retrospect: The Gravel Grinders of 2016](https://cycleanalysis.net/blog/in-retrospect-the-gravel-grinders-of-2016) — Jacob Hammond, July 2018

### Get your bike ready for the climb.

We're at 110 N 5th St., right on the way. Call
[(541) 899-9190](tel:+15418999190) or stop in, Tuesday through Saturday.