Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System

The Willamette River bike path is the best way to travel in Eugene. It runs 7 miles on both sides of the river, and is an easy way to get to the parks, museums, UofO, brewpubs & Autzen Stadium.
It’s picturesque, shady in many places, mostly flat & a lovely Eco-​friendly way to travel.

The greatest place for beautiful, easy exercise. The paved path follows the river for miles. Lots of folks ride bikes on it, but lots more walk, jog, or run — with or without leashed pets. There are mileage markers all along it. It goes past everything from completely wooded areas to open meadows, to manicured parks with tables & playgrounds, to a major shopping mall — all bordering both sides of the river. There are bridges across the river, across a highway, and an underpass under another highway. The whole thing makes it easy not only to ride for pleasure, but also to run errands.
The more courteous & safety minded bikers will call out «on your left» if they’re approaching from behind you, so that (a) you’re not startled, (b) you can move to the right side of the path to avoid traffic jams/​accidents, and © if you have excitable dogs, you have a little time to get them to the right and more firmly under control. To help encourage that courtesy, I say «thank you» to those who forewarned me, and a somewhat emphatic «on your left» to those who don’t, to remind them.
Some of the planets from the scale-​model solar system (described in my review of Alton Baker Park) are located along this path.

I’ve been on the entire trail system and I LOVE it. So beautiful and peaceful. I usually ride my bike. I would give it five stars, but there are areas in serious need of repair (especially near Alton Baker Park).
My favorite part of the trail system is the north and east bank trail. The paving is smoother there and the path isn’t usually as busy.
I really appreciate all the entrance and exit paths into the city from the trail. It allows me to move across town and know I’m safe riding on a trail for large portions.
My only other complaint is people who don’t understand what it means when a cyclist yells «on your left.» FYI, it means I’m coming up on your left, which means you shouldn’t swing around looking to your left while also shifting your body in that same direction. Just move to your right. Ugh. Oh, and the people who feed the ducks/​geese on the south trail. I about take a goose out every time I ride through there because they think I’m carrying bread. Not to mention, it’s bad for the birds.

Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System, also called the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail System, is an extraordinary, all paved, biking, walking, path on a twenty two mile loop that encompasses both sides of the Willamette River and runs through Eugene. In a city that is fortunate to have many beautiful outdoor spaces, this may just be the crown jewel.
Accessible from parking lots at several points on the path, on our first visit this week we parked at the Valley River Center lot and walked the trail on both the east and west side of the river and across the Greenway Bike Bridge. As visitors to Eugene, we might have missed this riverbank path except for seeing an article about it in a local paper during our visit. So we post this Unilocal review in case it helps others planning a trip to Eugene to know about it too.
According to one good reference: «The Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System consists of four trails: North Bank 4.6 miles, South Bank 2.6 miles, East Bank 2.8 miles, West Bank 2.1 miles. The four trails and five bike/​ped bridges offer a scenic 12 mile loop ride up one side of the Willamette River and down the other through various parks and points of interest or any combination you want to try. Those bridges give you a lot of options.» See website here:

This remarkable path system is named after the first female mayor of Eugene who died in 2010. Ironically, Ruth Bascom died of injuries sustained in an auto accident not far from where I live now, Bend and after being treated for her injuries at a Bend hospital. She was 84. She lives on in all she did for Eugene and I thought of her on the uncharacteristically sunny and beautiful February morning in Eugene as my husband and I enjoyed the riverbank path named for her and that was a focus of her life in Eugene from the 1960’s through 2003 when the final parts of the Riverbank Path loop was completed.
For as fitness focused as Eugene is, home to the University of Oregon and always a running and biking center, it’s also a great thing to visit there and see the efforts made to have public spaces accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities. As in this trail which for the width and paved surfaces make it usable by people of all ages and levels of physical ability, universally accessible. The city where I live has not been so good at that, even requiring DOJ intervention for ongoing snafus in access compliance. So it was noteworthy that on this trail in Eugene, one saw people of all ages, seniors with canes and walkers and younger people using wheelchairs living in the community to have access like all other citizens. Including at this river path. So in addition to taking in the beauty of the scenery, my husband and I could enjoy what a beautiful thing it is for all people to be included as part of public space planning.