Six Mountain Bike Zones to Check Out Around Hood Canal
While popular mountain biking trail networks like Seattle, Port Angeles, and the Capital Forest network dot the outskirts, a circumnavigation of the Hood Canal will uncover some local favorites and family-friendly riding.
While popular mountain biking trail networks like Seattle, Port Angeles, and the Capital Forest network dot the outskirts, a circumnavigation of the Hood Canal will uncover some local favorites and family-friendly riding.
These zones can be accessed by day trip from a home-base picturesque cabin rental on the water or through more of a nomadic road trip utilizing campsites as you go. Whatever your style of travel, family needs, or riding goals a fully customizable mountain bike-centric trip can be found here.
While these six areas are predominantly beginner and intermediate trails with the occasionally rowdy advanced downhill track, within an hour from any one spot, there is an abundance of variety in both the trails and scenery.
#1. South Fork Skokomish Trail
The South Fork Skokomish Trail wanders beautifully through old-growth forest as it crosses its namesake river and several streams along the way while climbing gently for the first two miles.
Beyond that, it continues up at a steep grade as the trail rises above the river valley. Another five miles along, the trail ends at the Olympic National Park boundary. This is a great spot to catch your breath before enjoying the exciting downhill that you’ve earned.
The Lower South Fork Skokomish Trail heads nine miles in the opposite direction. This section tends to be less maintained but if you’re up for an adventure it is worth the challenge. The trail takes you through more stunning Olympic National Forest old-growth and roughly a mile in from the northern trail entrance, it fords a river that can only safely be crossed between August and early October. Despite the challenge of added brush and fallen trees, this section of South Fork Skokomish Trail has far less elevation to contend with than the upper and it can be shuttled as it has parking at both ends.
For a list of Lodging in this area, click here.
2. West Shelton
The West Shelton trail network has nine miles of cross-country trails that can be accessed from the heart of Shelton. Nearly all the trails are rated green and while there are a few punchy climbs, there is no sustained elevation for beginner riders to worry about.
Flowy trails like Au Natural, She’s a Pitch, Single Track, and Tie In, tend to have flowy sections, pitchy climbs, and some gentle flats. A few, especially the aptly named Sometimes a River, can turn into small streams after a good rain but generally, this area makes for great year-round riding. To view the network of trails available in Shelton, visit trailforks.com/region/shelton.
Both Union and Shelton would be convenient home bases to explore this trail network.
3. Green Mountain
A 22 mile network of mostly beginner and intermediate multi use trails with a couple of advanced downhill routes in the mix. There are two trails heads, Gold Creek and Wildcat, on opposite sides of the mountain that both lead to the Vista Summit and fun descents. Climbing up the sometimes rocky and loose Wildcat Trail will give you a challenging 1100 feet of gain in 4.5 miles and deliver stunning views of Bremerton and Seattle. On particularly clear days, riders will also be treated to Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams too. While the trails here are primarily categorized as cross-country, there is quite a bit of variety to be had. Wildcat Trail from the summit is loose and fast with flowy berms and plenty of tech available. For those looking for a long and more challenging climb on an out-and-back that delivers a speedy and fun descent on the return, Gold Creek Trail would be the best choice. But with the same elevation gain of 1100 feet, this time in just over 2 miles, riders need to make sure their legs are ready for the challenge.
Camping in the Tahuya State Forest or staying in one of the many lodging around Belfair would be a great option to make a weekend of exploring these trails.
#4. Forest Heritage Park
Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park offers 33.5 miles of everything from beginner to advanced all-mountain trails. The network is linked by non-motorized use logging roads and includes a range of tech and flow with a little something for everyone. Green rated trails like Outer Limits are easy cross-country trails with just enough variation to be great for teaching new riders. Clear Cut and Twisted Sister are other beginner trails that offer some fun corners and mostly flat terrain to learn on.
Intermediate trails include Ankle Biter, the longest climb or descent in the park depending on your direction; Derailed, a relatively new downhill trail with a few tabletop jumps and optional doubles; The Hood, a flow trail with berms and small optional jumps; and Forbidden Forest, a rooty and technical singletrack route.
Drop Tail is one of the few advanced trails here and is a short track that includes a few drops and bridges. The range for all abilities packed into this trail network is impressive making it an easy crowd-pleaser no matter who you’re traveling with.
#5. Lower Big Quilcene
This intermediate 6.2 miles of lowland forested trail offers a scenic pedal along the Big Quilcene River. Lush moss lines an old roadbed through a young forest before winding through massive old-growth cedars. Blooming rhododendrons add bursts of color to the forest greens in spring and summer. For anyone looking for a light bike-packing adventure, there is an established campsite just under 3 miles from the trailhead right on the banks of the river.
This trail can be ridden as a 12.4-mile out-and-back or a shuttle can be arranged with a pick-up at the FS Road 2750 exit.
For a list of Lodging in this area, click here.
#6. Gold Creek-Dungeness
Just a short drive up the forest service road from the Lower Big Quilcene trail is a huge trail network boasting 43 miles of multi-use trails connected by fire roads.
About the Author
Danielle Baker is a freelance writer from Squamish, BC. Her work can be viewed in FreeHub Magazine, Mountain Life, Red Bull Canada, Eskapee, Rocky Mountain Bicycles, Pinkbike.com, and many others.
Mountain Biking Lower South Fork Skokomish
The fall colors on Hood Canal are heralding the close of summer. Time to head to the hills to embrace the much needed rains in the Olympic National Park as the hills and valleys go back to the Technicolor spectrum of green.
Whenever the impending rains approach Olympic National Park, they turn our hills and valleys back into the spectrum of green that makes home feel like home.
Photo Credit: Bike List
For some of us, that means misty morning walks up our favorite mountains (like Mt. Ellinor), for others, that means relaxing indoors with a good book, but for those of us that feel best while we are two-wheeling, that means tacky dirt and flowy mountain biking trails!
Grab your elbow pads and helmets, and tune up your metal steeds as we embark on our newest in the Hood Canal Travel guide.
Fuel Your Fire | 9AM
Serious riders (or pure-and-simple fun-seekers like us) need a belly full of goodness to fuel a full day of thrill-seeking. If you’re an early bird and a breakfast fiend, stop into Blondie’s for down home from-scratch diner food. The biscuits and gravy take the cake at this friendly local joint.
Hit the trail | 11AM
After meandering down some forest roads underneath the towering Olympics, come to the Lower South Fork Skokomish River Trail #873. Characterized by its intermediate single track riding through some of the finest ancient forests in the Northwest, this ride serves up a bit of everything. Doable as a 20.9 mile loop, if you care to climb the road and ride trail down although most prefer to ride single track up the trail and then back down.
Olympic elk still roam the hillsides, and as you are slashing short, quick ascents and sending sometimes rocky and rooted descents, take in the uncontested beauty of the river valley sliced by the surging Skokomish River.
"I love this fun, flowy cross-country trail that parallels the South Fork of the Skokomish River. It has a bit of everything!" - Jaime, local bike shredder
Before embarking, be sure to check trail conditions here, and prepare to be without cell service by having a good map and a USFS Rec Guide. Keep in mind that, like most USFS land, a Recreation Pass is required, which you can find here, or at a number of local businesses like Verle’s Sports Center and Marine in Shelton.
Treat yourself to a view | 2pm
Before that plastered grin that characterizes a good ride fades away, get yourself to one of the most recognized historical relics of Hood Canal. From the trailhead, a short 20 minute drive takes you to the High Steel Bridge. The highest railway arch ever built in the United States spans the South Fork of the Skokomish (a river that you are already quite familiar with) a dizzying 365 feet above the forest floor. Originally constructed in 1929 by the Simpson Logging Company, the bridge was converted to road use in 1950.
As you flip through the memories of a day well spent, remember that we love keeping up with you! Tag your photos and thoughts on social media with #explorehoodcanal #wildsideWA #hoodcanal. Be sure to check in with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more ideas on how to get the most out of your road trip to Hood Canal. Happy trails.
Daily: 5am-9pm
360.432.2777
Lower South Fork Skokomish River Trail #873
Vance Creek Railriders | Pedaling the historic tracks
Here’s what to expect when you pedal the rails on the historic Simpson Logging tracks near Shelton.
Vance Creek Railriders is a popular activity near Shelton, WA. Have you made your reservations yet?
The rails are part of an old track built by the Simpson Logging Company, so along with clacking past beautiful wooded scenery, passing meadows of foxgloves and crossing over creeks lined with ferns, Vance Creek’s rail journey follows a snapshot of the Northwest’s rich logging history. Until not that long ago, timber trains moved logs along these very rails to the mills in nearby Shelton, in fact this system was the last operating privately-owned logging railroad in the continental US.
When you arrive, don't be alarmed when you leave the main road for a short hop on a gravel logging road to Camp 1. The gravel road is well maintained (even the school bus follows it in rural Mason County), you will soon find yourself at the Vance Creek Railriders office. Arrive 30 minutes early as there is a safety briefing before heading out to get adjusted in your seats.
What to Expect
As you pedal the multi-seat "railrider" along the track you will have the opportunity to see old growth and new forests as well as diverse meadows teeming with wild flowers, moss, and maybe even catch a glimpse of some wildlife – although cheering, laughter and distinctive trail clacking seems to put them on the alert! You will pedal down across the winding Goldsborough Creek and return back up the gradual grade.
Yes, despite its leisurely pace, this is a physical adventure. Most guests are able to pedal the average .75% grade back up to Camp 1 with a portion of the rail at a 2% grade (it’s all downhill on the way there) . But don’t worry – if you struggle, the little “engine” will give you a push back up the slight grade if needed.
This gentle, but vigorous ride is suitable for (and enjoyed by) all ages. Chidren under 12 years old need to be accompanied by an adult on their railrider (four seats). The typical age to be able to help pedal is 6-8 years old depending on leg length. Smaller children who can’t touch the pedals or who are known to be a wiggle worms can use a car seat. Visit the Vance Creek’s FAQ page for answers to common questions.
Be sure to dress in layers as you will be traveling in wooded area where it can go from shade to sun. Also bring snacks and water bottle as the location of the start of the railride is fairly distant from Shelton.
Reserve in Advance
The popular pedal-powered rail rides with Vance Creek Railriders is open for their 2024 season with daily departures of the 2-hour excursion at 9 AM, 12 PM, and 3 PM, Thursday through Monday. Arrive 30 minutes early to check in and hear a safety briefing.
The rail head is at 421 West Hanks Lake Road, nine miles west of Hwy 101 on the Shelton/Matlock Rd.
The Mountains are calling... ANSWER!
A weekend warrior is a 21st century beast whose population seems to be exponentially growing. As the “rolley chair blues” epidemic proliferates across the Pacific Northwest, so does the drive to combat it with an epic 48-hour adventure.
A weekend warrior is a 21st century beast whose population seems to be exponentially growing. As the “rolley chair blues” epidemic proliferates across the Pacific Northwest, so does the drive to combat it with an epic 48-hour adventure.
Here’s to those who burn the midnight oil finishing up reports and rise with the birds to knock presentations out of the park. This one’s for those who are at the gym until it closes so that their lungs are ready to be filled with alpine air come Saturday morning.
For those that simply cannot wait to escape Seattle’s concrete jungle when the clock hits 5 on a Friday, we have good news: Hood Canal is waiting for you in your backyard.
How to Get to Union, Washington
The Bremerton Ferry sets sail from Pioneer Square in the heart of Seattle over 15 times a day. As it scoots around Bainbridge Island, the impressive Olympic Mountains rise ever higher off of the water as your weekend playground draws ever nearer.
A short 45 minutes from the Bremerton Ferry Terminal lands you at Alderbrook Resort & Spa. But you’re a weekend warrior—you’ll take the extra half-hour trip to Lake Cushman. Or possibly even forge on a bit further in order to get in the thick of it with a visit to Staircase in Olympic National Park.
How to Make the Most of it
Breathe in, breathe out. You made it. Waking up underneath behemoth, moss-covered, primordial-looking trees and a tangle of lacy moss is what makes it all worthwhile. And you’ve got two whole diems to carpe!
Access to the Olympic National Park is second-to-none from Staircase Campground and it just so happens that some of our favorite biking trails are just down the road. The Lower South Fork Skokomish Trail #873 is bar-none one of the best trails around.
If a two-wheeled ride is not your pick of weekend poisons, Mt. Ellinor is a short drive away. An intrepid 6 miles of trail give way to breathtaking 360 degree summit views. And, as one of the more notable peaks in the area, bagging this peak will earn some serious bragging rights.
There is a wealth of adventure waiting around every twist of trail in Hood Canal. For more ideas, check out our extensive To-Do list.
How to Celebrate in Shelton, Washington
During a weekend away, we think just about anything is cheers-worthy. The good news? There’s no lack of handcrafted libations in Hood Canal. If you’re a gin or whiskey drinker, The Hardware Distillery crafts some of the best spirits in the Northwest. Their tasting room is open from 11am to 6pm Friday through Sunday.
If you find yourself drawn to a glass of wine made with locally sourced grapes as an after-adventure drink, Walter Dacon Wines in Shelton makes some of the best wine in the area and is dedicated to Rhone and Mediterranean styles. Their tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon until 6pm.
As weekend warriors ourselves, we revere those who rise early on Saturday and Sunday to take advantage of the precious weekend freedom. We’d love to see what you get into in our neck of the woods; tag your photos on social media with #wildsideWA, and be sure to find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more.