The Connector

Oregon Timber Trail® Alliance
Quarterly Newsletter
2025 | Q4

We respectfully urge you to call your Senators and Representatives to
protect public land use for all.

Thanks for subscribing to The Connector, OTTA’s quarterly newsletter, where we publish the latest news, events, and resources for those of you interested in the Oregon Timber Trail, its surrounding corridor, or more broadly, outdoor experiences.

As we wrap up the year, we’re back with one last newsletter before turning the digital page on 2025. In this edition of The Connector, we’re sharing three initiatives rooted in community, stewardship, and education. You’ll find updates on our work to grow the Oregon Timber Trail Adventure Route, the start of our “Free the Fremont” campaign, and the long-awaited debut of Unseen, a new documentary filmed on the Oregon Timber Trail.

As always, the OTTA appreciates your ongoing commitment to our mission. Through the advocacy of individuals and partners - and their generous financial support - we’re able to continue focusing on providing quality trail experiences.

But Please, Don’t Call It The Gravel Route

As many of you know, we launched a new route in 2025. Initially understood as the “Oregon Timber Trail Gravel Route”, it roughly paralleled its more established but longer cousin, the original Timber Trail. The route’s terrain was intended to be less rigorous and primarily composed of gravel roads or trails, making it accessible to a more diverse group of riders, hikers, and backcountry explorers. However, early feedback made it clear that our chosen name didn’t necessarily fit. While it’s not the tough Timber Trail, it’s also not a gravel track. 

So we pivoted, and we’re reintroducing the Oregon Timber Trail Adventure Route. The Adventure Route will continue to evolve in 2026, but it’s proving to be a distinct and fun alternative to the Timber Trail. We’re hopeful that even more people will discover it over the coming year. 

To help make that happen, we’re planning to host the first Adventure Route Grand Depart in Lakeview, OR on July 11th 2026 — timed in conjunction with the OTT Race (produced independently of OTTA) so riders can celebrate together. Stay tuned for more details in the next few months!  

And in the meantime, you can read more about the Adventure Route by visiting our blog where you’ll find trip reports chronicling Joe Miller’s experience riding it.

Free The Freemont!

While certainly not a call to arms, it has become our rallying cry. The Fremont-Winema National Forest consists of more than 2 million acres of protected space in southern Oregon. Offering diverse and beautiful landscapes, it’s also some of the most remote territory through which the Oregon Timber Trail (and the Adventure Trail!) travels. That creates real challenges in terms of maintaining the trails—from marking them appropriately to making them passable. 

In 2026, the OTTA will begin working with several public and private partners as well as dedicated volunteers in a multi-year effort to restore nearly 100 miles of fire impacted trail in the Fremont corridor. We’ll focus on the first 50 miles in year one. Whether you’re a certified sawyer or can only identify a shovel by sight, we’d love to hear from you. In return, we can promise meals by the campfire, sleeping under some of the brightest stars you’ll ever see, and the fulfillment that comes from investing yourself in this place.

To learn more or sign-up for one of the work parties, visit the registration page on our website.

The Timber Trail Enjoys A Cameo in Unseen 

Earlier this year, we were incredibly proud to have supported Operation Freedom to Roam, a project championed by Chad Bown, Love Is King Founder and President. Operation Freedom to Roam centered on a bikepacking expedition along a 200-mile section of the Oregon Timber Trail. Undertaken by five military veterans, it highlighted voices too long left out of the conservation narrative and carried a broader message grounded in equitable access to public lands.

To document the expedition, Chad recorded its sights and sounds—from the beginning when the team of veterans first outfitted their bikes and started pedaling to the many challenges they faced along the trail enroute to completing their ride. Out of their experience came a new film, Unseen. 

The trailer of Unseen was presented to attendees of this year’s Oregon Outdoor Recreation Summit where it received an enthusiastic response. None of us can wait until it’s ready for the big screen. For those interested to watch the documentary film alongside us, we’ll be sure to provide you with details as it nears release! 

Thanks for continuing to tune-in to the latest news and updates. On behalf of everyone at the OTTA, we hope you enjoy a very happy holiday season with family, friends and those you hold closest (and that maybe you also get outside for a short winter ride)!

Leave a Legacy

We invite you to consider including the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance in your will or estate plan to help protect bike-packing access, remote wilderness trails, and public lands for future generations. Your thoughtful gift will ensure the OTT thrives, connecting riders with local communities and preserving Oregon’s backcountry adventure opportunities for years to come.

To learn more, please email admin@oregontimbertrail.org

About the OTTA

The Oregon Timber Trail® Alliance (OTTA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to stewarding, promoting, and enhancing the Oregon Timber Trail corridor for the benefit of all users. 

Conceived in 2015, the Oregon Timber Trail connects people, communities, and wild landscapes through backcountry trail experiences.

To learn more about how you can support the OTTA—or to make a charitable contribution, please visit OregonTimberTrail.org.