Off Road Riding from downtown Seattle?

[Lovetoclimb]

To the PNWesters and specifically the Seattle residents: I am spending this Wednesday through Friday exploring the city, will have my cross bike in tow with some burly tires. I don’t mind one bit riding it on road but would be keen to head towards some gravel roads, paths, buff trails, etc. can also ride to a ferry, catch a bus or rail, all things not typically on offer here in the rural NC mountains.

Or even an “Ultimate” tour of the city and neighborhoods via back roads and alleys ... I used to ride an event like this in Cincinnati which was incredibly scenic.

Anyone with some good suggestions feel free to reach out. I’ll have a GPS unit, enjoy sunrise and sunset rides, and healthy sense of adventure. Will be staying in the Central District fwiw.

Thanks!

[Kirk007]

hard to get to true gravel and dirt without a long ride out of city but a couple ideas: from Redmond, which you could get to by bus, there's rails to trails conversions that are still gravel - up the Sammamish Valley and over towards Issaquah - get a King County cycling map for the general layout and maybe start with the Sammamish River Trail and Snoqualmie Valley Trail.

If you take a ferry to Bainbridge Island you can mix pavement with dirt trails through the Grand Forest, Ft. Ward Park, and places in between. The City of Bainbridge website has a trails section. A ferry to Vashon won't yield a lot of dirt/gravel but its very pretty rural landscape and relatively little traveled roads. Both islands basic routes are circumnavigations of the island perimeters - lots of up and down riding along the shoreline - obviously a very different environment than Asheville!

[Lovetoclimb]

Since I’ll be driving East/NE on Friday afternoon and back midday Monday, I am looking at stopping to ride the Iron Horse Trail and through the tunnel @ Snoqualmie Pass. Looks like a must do tourist ride no?

[nighthawk]

I’ve only ridden in Seattle, not much out of the city... but I bet the folks at Swift could offer some route advice:

https://builtbyswift.com/

[sitzmark]

You can ride the Tolt Pipeline crushed stone/gravelish trail from Bothell to Duvall and back - about 22miles RT. Some ups and downs but no major climbs.

If you want to make and extended trip out of it take the Burke-Gilman (paved MUP) out of Seattle to Bothell and jump on the Tolt at Blythe Park. Not sure where you'll be in Seattle, but from U of WA to Blythe is about 12 miles via BG trail.

For an idea of the Tolt Pipeline terrain: https://youtu.be/0Mzqhu5fK-g

Farther out in Carnation there's Tolt McDonald for mtb: https://youtu.be/LSbL8qCoOJ4

[chazzwazzer]

Here's some of the gravel stuff I dig:

1. Head to the Iron Horse trail and ride through the Snoqualmie tunnel (bring lights). There's a few ways to get here depending on how long of a ride you want.

a. Take the 554 bus to Issaquah, then the 208 to North Bend. Get on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail toward Rattlesnake Ledge.
b. 554 to Issaquah, then take the Snoqualmie-Preston trail to Fall City, then ride up Fall City-Snoqualmie Road up to the falls (I recommend the Fish Hatchery Road detour to avoid some of the traffic). Then take Mill Pond Road to Reinig Bridge and get on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail toward North Bend.
c. Ride the whole thing. You can take the I90 bike path to Issaquah. Easy to do if you're in the CD.

2. Go down to Black Diamond Bakery. You'll get some gravel on the Cedar River Trail. Riding to the trailhead is worth it because the views along Lake Washington Boulevard can be spectacular on a nice day. Get onto the Green River-Cedar River Trail to head south towards the bakery, or ride the Cedar River Trail to its terminus at the fish hatchery/watershed. There are some kayak rapids in the river there, but probably nothing like you have in NC.

I'd offer to ride with you but I just had a collarbone plate removed.

[Ozz]

Since I’ll be driving East/NE on Friday afternoon and back midday Monday, I am looking at stopping to ride the Iron Horse Trail and through the tunnel @ Snoqualmie Pass. Looks like a must do tourist ride no?

It is pretty scenic, but being an old railroad right of way, it does not have much variation in grade. You are either going up (heading east) at 2% or going down (west) at 2%.

I've started at Rattlesnake Lake (North Bend) and headed east...it is a couple hours plus to the tunnel....and about half that coming back.

[chazzwazzer]

Sorry, missed your reply where you mentioned the Iron Horse. Another good ride if you have access to a car is Mountain Loop Highway.

[KidWok]

Jump on the ferry and go to west sound.

http://www.seattlebicycleclub.org/members/maps/seattle_bainbridge_kitsap_bremerton.pdf

If you do this, I suggest a left turn on Lemolo sunrise while on the 305 instead...goes through Poulsbo instead of spending more time on a fast road. This is probably my favorite route. Iron Horse is alright...if you've done it once you've done it enough times. Bainbridge to Bremerton I could do all the time. Might also want to check out the Lake Wa loop, which can be broken up into smaller pieces by crossing 90 or 520 bridges. Add a 13 mile loop around Mercer while you're at it.

Tai

[Ozz]

...Iron Horse is alright...if you've done it once you've done it enough times. Bainbridge to Bremerton I could do all the time. Might also want to check out the Lake Wa loop, which can be broken up into smaller pieces by crossing 90 or 520 bridges. Add a 13 mile loop around Mercer while you're at it....

If you want to stay "urban" and see the city and neighborhoods...this is the ticket. Good mix of road and MUT...no gravel though. Lots of views of city, mountain and lake.

[ojingoh]

If you want to stay "urban" and see the city and neighborhoods...this is the ticket. Good mix of road and MUT...no gravel though. Lots of views of city, mountain and lake.

Second this. Do the loop: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26945617

More from Cascade Bike Club:
https://www.cascade.org/ride-routes

[Lovetoclimb]

If you want to stay "urban" and see the city and neighborhoods...this is the ticket. Good mix of road and MUT...no gravel though. Lots of views of city, mountain and lake.

Sitrep: bike survived the flight over, that’s a relief. After a beautiful afternoon spent assembling it and grabbing lunch, i had to wait out a nice pop up rain shower. Rolling the dice with projected continuing rains I set out to loop Lake Washington. Along the Southern end, with a ccw Loop of Mercer Island on the return. Found some fun singletrack inches from the water on the Western side of the lake and a nice long gravel MUT on the eastern side. Almost made up for the long pavement slog on my Thunder Burt’s. Weather proved perfect though, low 60s, overcast, and the clouds broke to reveal all of the mountains right as I crossed back over on I-90.

Loads of real estate for sale on Mercer, going to check Zillow just because I’m curious :bike:

[ojingoh]

Loads of real estate for sale on Mercer, going to check Zillow just because I’m curious :bike:

Bring your wallet :)