The South Willamette Valley Food Trail shows off a growing region that encompasses the mighty McKenzie River, vineyards on rolling hillsides, and urban eateries. In all, nearly 60 businesses span the far-reaching food trail, each showcasing something new and unique about the southern Willamette Valley. You'll find creative restaurants, working farms, myriad markets, overnight stays, and more—with the counterculture vibes of Eugene at the heart of it all.
King Estate Winery is the largest Biodynamic-certified winery in North America.
Your self-guided tour through the South Willamette Valley Food Trail will take you to 55 home-grown businesses—including scenic wineries, enticing eateries, family farms, and local markets.
Along the way, you'll enjoy meals whose ingredients were sourced from the rivers, forests, and fields around you—like steelhead and chinook salmon, berries, pumpkins, and wine grapes. Visit as many stops as you'd like—or as few as you'd like; your choices are limited only by your time and appetite.
With so many stops, we'd suggest focusing on one region—maybe the McKenzie River corridor along Highway 126, for instance, or the community of Cottage Grove—and spending one day sampling the best of that area. But if you have time and want to dig deeper, a handful of lodgings make it possible to spend an overnight trip or full weekend exploring the wider food trail.
Of course, you could also weave food trail stops into your day's other outings. So if you're mountain biking the forested hillsides around Westfir and Oakridge in the Cascade foothills, consider a post-ride pint at 3 Legged Crane Pub & Brewhouse, housed in an English pub setting—or an overnight stay at the comfortable Westfir Lodge & Mountain Market.
The vast majority of the South Willamette Valley Food Trail covers Lane County—with most stops in the heart of the Willamette Valley and a few more in the Cascade Range foothills and along the McKenzie River. Eugene and Cottage Grove are the biggest communities in the area, though you'll also find stops in and around Veneta, Junction City, Westfir, Oakridge, and Creswell.
Driving between Veneta or Junction City at the western edge of the food trail and the community of McKenzie Bridge at the eastern edge takes about one hour, 20 minutes; driving from the trail's northern edge near Monroe to its southern border at Cottage Grove, meanwhile, takes about 45 minutes via Route 99W and Interstate 5.
Fuel your adventures in one stop at the McKenzie General Store's Obsidian Grill, featuring a fresh, local menu served onsite. On sunny spring and summer afternoons, the eatery's back patio hosts live music from local acts.
Given how spread out the South Willamette Valley Food Trail can be, we'd recommend zeroing in on a preferred region and making the most of the wineries, craft breweries, restaurants, and home-spun shops in that area.
Follow Highway 126 east from Eugene and into the Cascade Range foothills, for instance, and you'll come across several fun outposts. Those include:
You can even catch your dinner with A. Helfrich Outfitter, which offers guided fishing trips in flat-bottom drift boats that were invented for use on the McKenzie River.
Eugene's Provisions Market Hall offers plenty of variety and boasts an open air patio.
If you're hanging out around Eugene, a bevy of breweries, cider makers, and fresh meals await with a variety of local flavors.
South of Eugene, you'll find plenty to love in Creswell and Cottage Grove! Here's a sampling of what to enjoy:
Creswell Bakery is a local institution, beloved for its scratch-made pastries, massive cinnamon rolls, hand pies, grab-and-go sandwiches, and more.
And if you want to enjoy a night or two in the South Willamette Valley, a handful of lodgings along the food trail make it easy to slow down and enjoy the sites. Spend the night on a working farm at the Territorial Farm Stay and Stable near Junction City or Sweet Springs Family Farm, a bed-and-breakfast near Cottage Grove. And away from the valley, Eagle Rock Lodge hosts overnight stays on five acres of forestland and gardens along the McKenzie River.
