McKenzie River Valley

McKenzie River Valley Rural Tourism Studio highlights:

• 50 local tourism stakeholders and residents participated in eight workshops between February and May 2011 in Blue River. Key topics included Community Visioning, Outdoor Recreation, Bicycle Tourism, Cultural Heritage Tourism, Agritourism, Tourism Marketing and Action Planning. Workshop notes, presentations, outreach materials and other resources are available on the McKenzie River Valley Rural Tourism Studio page.
• Participants developed a 15-Year Community Tourism Vision for the McKenzie River Area.
• The McKenzie River Valley community received a $10,000 Tourism Studio Matching Grant from Travel Oregon to implement projects related to bicycle tourism and high impact events in 2011.
• The McKenzie River Valley community received a $5,000 follow-up grant from Travel Oregon for the Frenzy Event in 2016.
• Travel Oregon published the Communities Powered by Travel: McKenzie River video in 2014 to highlight the local assets and opportunities that were discussed during the workshops.

For more information about the McKenzie River Valley Rural Tourism Studio, contact Carol Tannenbaum at McKenzie River Tourism Committee.

Results of Phase One Action Team Implementation
Spring 2011 to 2016

The McKenzie River Valley Rural Tourism Studio resulted in key projects related to bicycle tourism development, high impact events and improved regional collaboration.

Bicycle Tourism Development

Attendees of the McKenzie River Valley Rural Tourism Studio identified mountain bike tourism as a priority impact area for the destination. Initial project work began with the desire to reduce congestion on highly used trails and increase access to an underutilized network of back country trails.

Key project highlights include:

1. Development of McKenzie River Valley mountain biking trail maps.
2. Completion of a concept plan for future development of trails connecting McKenzie River Valley mountain biking trails to trails in nearby Oakridge.
3. New Epic Ride designation awarded to O’Leary Loop trail from the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) in 2013.
4. First annual trail construction weekend hosted by a local lodging facility in 2014.

A case study on the McKenzie River Valley community’s efforts to advance bicycle tourism was developed by Write to Know Consulting in July 2015.

High Impact Events

Attendees of the McKenzie River Valley Rural Tourism Studio identified the desire to produce an annual cultural heritage event as priority impact area for the destination. Initial project work focused on preserving the history of the area while increasing its visibility for visitors.

Key project highlights include:

1. Launch of the McKenzie Bicentennial Event in 2012, which drew 750 participants.
2. Creation of a brochure to highlight the McKenzie Bicentennial Event and other community events taking place throughout the year in 2012.
3. Creation of a Mobile Museum chronicling the area’s local history for use at events up and down the valley.
4. Successful hosting of the 150^th anniversary of gold discovery in the region in 2013.
5. Formation of a Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee.
6. Selection of the area by Travel Lane County for a geocaching pilot project based on its capacity for regional collaboration.

A case study on the McKenzie River Valley community’s efforts to produce the Bicentennial Event was developed by Write to Know Consulting in July 2015.

Regional Collaboration

Attendees of the McKenzie River Valley Rural Tourism Studio identified the need for stronger regional collaboration as a priority impact area for the destination. Initial project work focused on creating stronger alignment among trail development stakeholders.

Key project highlights include:

1. Collaboration with local U.S. Forest Service partners to install trail signage, which resulted in efficiency and cost savings.
2. Development of volunteer trail maintenance crews from the regional IMBA affiliate, Blue River Community Development Corporation, Northwest Youth Corps and private companies like CogWild and Horse Creek Lodge.
3. Grant writing assistance from the U.S. Forest Service for a $90,000 Recreational Trails Program grant overseen by Oregon Parks and Recreation in 2014 to support the O’Leary Loop trail.