Bicycle Grays Harbor Bicycling the Hidden Coast
Transcript of Bicycle Grays Harbor Bicycling the Hidden Coast
Bicycling East County Gateway to Grays Harbor Bike beautiful east Grays Harbor County and experience life at a slower pace. Ride through working agricultural areas, forests, and along winding rivers making their way to the nearby ocean. In east Grays Harbor you will !nd family friendly biking options, scenic country loops, mountain biking and great places to camp.
5Westport, Grayland Bike Routes
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VisitGraysHarbor.comGrays Harbor Public Health & Social Serviceswww.healthygh.org/connectgraysharbor 360.532-8631 . [email protected]
DisclaimerNOTICE TO BICYCLISTS: This map and accompanying information is intend-ed solely to assist bicyclists in their selection of facilities to ride throughout Grays Harbor County. In providing this information, Grays Harbor County does not designate these facilities as formal bikeways. Grays Harbor County also does not assume liability for bicyclists who choose to travel upon any of the facilities shown on this map, nor does the County guarantee the sta-bility, condition or !tness of any of the listed facilities for bicycling. Many of the facilities identi!ed on this map cross and/or run on public roads that are exposed to daily wear and tear and degradation due to weather, motor-ized tra"c and other environmental factors. Facilities may contain pavement imperfections, including ruts, cracks, and bumps. Riders may encounter ex-pansion joints, debris, encroaching vegetation, stormwater inlets, and other natural, and manmade features. Riders should also remain alert for areas of visual impairment and other irregularities that may impact rider and motor-ist ability to see each other or potential road hazards. The chance that one may come into an area of visual impairment or a route irregularity warrants special care on the part of route users. This map includes facilities within multiple jurisdictions. Conditions and design elements may vary between jurisdictions.
It is the responsibility of the individual rider to remain alert at all times as to the conditions of the facility, pedestrian and other tra!c on the facility, and the inherent potential for con"ict in any shared-use space. Riders should always ride with care for their own safety as well as the safety of all other users of the facility or right-of- way. This map supersedes/replaces all prior versions of the Grays Harbor County Bike Map. Riders should consult the most current version of the map. The most current version may be found at www.healthygh.org/connectgraysharbor.
Bicycling the Hidden CoastAlong this secluded 41 mile byway you’ll discover charming and pristine beaches sheltered by ragged cli"s and pocket coves. Bicycle north
on Highway 109 to visit coastal communities - old and new – with plenty of scenic stops along the way. This area is sparsely populated but o"ers quaint small towns, seaside resorts, cabins and restaurants for those that like a slower pace. The route travels through Ocean City, Seabrook (bike friendly), Paci!c Beach (former Naval station), Moclips (Museum of the North Beach), culminating at Taholah (Quinault Cultural Center) and the reservation of the Quinault Indian Nation. Some mountain biking can be found in the forests as well. Inquire with land owners.
Bicycling SeabrookSeabrook is a resort beach town where pedestrians and bicyclists are well accommodated. You can rent easy-riding cruiser bikes to pedal the paths, lanes and beach, or explore the expanding network of mountain bike trails! For more information on renting a bike or reserving vacation rentals, please call the Seabrook o#ce at 360-276-0265. www.seabrookwa.com
Bicycling Ocean Shores Riding your bike in this beach town is all about $at roads (lots of them!), sand and salt water. There are some wonderful loops to pedal on the back roads of Ocean Shores. Don’t miss a stop at the jetty (far southern tip of the peninsula). Other sites of interest you could ride to include Damon Point State Park, the Coastal Interpretive Center and the Weatherwax – Ocean Shores’ own piece of rain forest! If your bike tires are FAT, pedal in the hard packed sand on the beach (closer to the water). It’s a really fun experience that everyone on a bike should try at least once! Bike rentals are available.
Mountain Biking in the Montesano City Forest & Lake Sylvia State ParkThe Montesano City Forest is a treasure! This is a working forest, dedicated to providing income through timber to the city of Montesano, while also providing wildlife habitat and areas for recreation. This city is welcoming to mountain bikers, hikers and runners using the trails.
West Fork TrailWest Fork Trail is the $attest trail in this hilly forest. It is suitable for a novice. From the state park parking lot, ride north along the shore of Lake Sylvia, exiting the state park through a gate at the end of the lake. From here on you are in the Montesano City Forest. Continue on trails and logging road along the West Fork Sylvia Creek. After a small hill the way $attens out again. Travel 5 miles through verdant forest surrounding the creek. At mile 5 the trail ends at a logging road. You can turn around and enjoy the trail in the other direction or navigate the logging roads or additional trails for a loop back to Lake Sylvia State Park. More detailed maps are available at www.montesano.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/394
Other City Forest TrailsMany other trails traverse the hills and valleys of the Montesano City Forest and Lake Sylvia State Park area. Most of these single track trails are for advanced riders due to steep terrain, tree roots and other hazards. The logging roads provide great riding as well for novice and intermediate riders. Watch for log trucks.
Mountain Biking in Capitol Forest Capitol Forest, on the far eastern edge of Grays Harbor County, is popular for a wide variety of recreation. Mountain bikers, campers, hikers, hunters, horseback riders, and motorcycle riders all recreate here. Capitol Forest is divided into two parts to prevent con$icts between motorized and non-motorized recreation. Motorized use is only permitted on the northern half of Capitol Forest and horseback riding is limited to the south. Mountain bikers and hikers use both halves of the forest, with some trails for hikers only. Trails are open year round. The network of single track trails is extensive and extends beyond this map into adjacent Thurston County. For a complete and more detailed topo map go to www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/eng_rms_capmapnu_may2.pdf Expect challenging trails, hills, and loads of fun! Watch for log trucks.
Bicycling Westport Westport has a top rated biking loop that includes the town center (!shing docks area), the viewing tower (northern tip of the peninsula), the Westport Dune trail (concrete walking/biking path), and the Westport Lighthouse. It’s a classic! Take the family, you are in for a treat. Be sure to watch the surfers catching waves at Westhaven State Park. If your bike tires are FAT, pedal in the hard packed sand on the beach (closer to the water). It’s a really fun experience! www.westportwa.com
Some of our favorite places for family friendly bike riding are the Westport Dune Trail, the Aberdeen Chehalis River trail, and Seabrook area pathways. In the Montesano area we like the Preachers Slough Trail (gravel but !at - former railroad grade), and Friend’s Landing. And lastly in Elma, Vance Creek Park is a great place for younger kids to ride around the lake on the paved trail.
Grays Harbor County is the heart of Washington’s coast. The county reaches inland to rugged mountains on the southwest portion of the Olympic Peninsula. Temperate rainforest and pristine coastline are among the attractions of this beautiful area.
Nearby counties have bike resources as well. To the east of Grays Harbor is Thurston County: www.trpc.org/179/Thurston-County-Bicycle-Map To the north and northeast of Grays Harbor are Je!erson & Clallam counties: http://ptbikes.org/maps/ County To the south is Paci"c & Lewis County: http://www.lewiscountytrails.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=2
Montesano City Forest Upper Trails (access via Lake Sylvia State Park)
Quinault
South Shore Road
North Shore Road
Ocean Shores Blvd.
Point Brown Ave.
Canal Drive
Chance a la MerDuck Lake Drive
Albatross St.
Ocean Shores Blvd.
Marine View Dr.
Mount Olympus Ave.
Discovery Ave.Catala Ave.
Montesano St.
Forrest St.
Ocean Ave.
Montesano St.
Dock St.
Westhaven Dr.
Westhaven State Park
Grays Harbor Lighthouse
Viewing Tower
Amanda Park
Forest Road
To Donkey Creek Rd. & Highway 101
To Montesano & Highway 12To Highway 101
Neilton
Moclips Highway
#22Forest Road
#22
#2294
13 mile loop around Wynoochee Lake. Single-track trail, intermediate level, river
ford at north end of lake.
Bicycling Lake Quinault Area The Quinault valley o"ers many miles of generally $at riding. The roads along the lakeshore are gently winding, without shoulders and popular with tourists. The roads east of the lake, up valley, are more quiet and o"er spectacular views. The more hardy bicyclist can tackle the 33 mile loop around the lake and upper Quinault river. This route is part paved/part gravel (see map) so a skinny tired bike is not ideal. Bring a lunch (it’s remote!) and enjoy close-up views of the lake, the river, the temperate rain forest, waterfalls and the surrounding mountains. Camping, cabins, historic lodge and hotels are available. www.quinaultrainforest.com
To Graves CreekCampground & Trailhead
To North Fork Campground & Trailhead
Colonel Bob Peak
To Montesano
Lake Sylvia State Park
MontesanoCity Forest
West Fork Trail: wide trail, muddy in rainy seasons, excellent for all
skill levels. Distance from parking lot to trail end, 5 miles.
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4
Larch Mountain Trail & North Rim #3 Trail are shared with ATV
and Motorcycle riders
Ocean Shores Bike Routes1g rave l ro a d
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Quinault Lake Loop is 33 miles. Ride around the lake and upper river for lake,
mountain, rain forest and waterfall scenery that is unrivaled anywhere!
Lake Quinault area bike routes & NE Grays Harbor bike routes3
Satsop
Wenzel Slough Road
Lambert Road
Keys Road
Elma McCleary Road
Mox Chehalis Road
South Bank Road
Porter Creek Road
Satsop Business Park
Use extreme caution crossing highway. Overpasses located at
McCleary, Elma & Montesano
Cloqu
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Olympia 20 miles
East Satso
p Road
Elma & McCleary area bike routes5
Middle Satsop Road
Sund Road
Deleze
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Satsop Tower Loop, 13 miles. Quiet country roads, some hills
and close up view of (never operational) nuclear cooling
towers. Park at Vance Creek Park.
Vance Creek County Park is a great place for the kids to
ride, .7 mile paved loop. 1 mile gravel loop. Ample parking.
3rd
Wake!eld Rd.
Oakville 5 miles
Satsop River Bridge crossing.
Additional Contact InformationLocal government & public resources:
www.ghcog.org/localresources.html
WA State Parks: www.parks.wa.gov
Grays Harbor Fairgrounds: www.ghcfairgrounds.com
Timberland Regional Library: www.trl.org
CONNECT Grays Harbor, online bike route maps: www.ghcog.org/gis.htmlSee ‘CONNECT Grays Harbor’ on FacebookBike Club: ‘Bicycle Grays Harbor’ on Facebook or BikeGraysHarbor.wordpress.com
LaVogue Bike Shop . 360.532.0887 . 623 Simpson Ave, Hoquiam, WA
Tra#c counts for Grays Harbor County roads (& all of WA) www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tools/tra!ctrends
6th St.
Chester Ave.Sandy Ave.
Elma Hicklin Rd.
Summ
it Rd.Church Rd.
South Bank Road
Elma Gate Rd.
Vance Creek Park
Damon Point
Ocean CityState Park
Westport Maritime Museum
Coastal Interpretive Center
East Satsop Road and Cloquallum Road connect via Satsop Cloquallum Road
and provide a 32 mile loop option with Monte Elma Rd. and the towns of Elma
and Satsop on the south end.
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Twin Harbors State Park is a popular place for bicyclists to camp. The park
has 219 tent sites, along with four hiker/biker only sites.
Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds
Newman
Cree
k Rd.
Monte Elma Road
Blockhouse Rd. N. Blockhouse Rd. S.
Use the indicated gravel logging roads as connectors between the
trails or to create loops.
C Line
D Line
X Line
D-100
B Line
B-400
A Line
A-2400
A-1600West
Fork
Trail
West Fork Trail
East Fork Trail
Cougar Rocks Trail
Satsop Crest Trail
Sylvia Ridge Trail
Brow
nie Tr
ail
Hamby Hill Trails
Parking
2.5 mile Hike: Sylvia Creek Trail
2 mile loop trail around lake. Hikers
only on this side Mountain Bike Trail
Hiking Trail
Gravel Logging Road
Note: Many of the trails and roads here are steep!
SCALE in Miles0 0.5 1 mile
SCALE in Miles0 0.5 1 mile
SCALE in Miles0 0.5 1 mile
SCALE in Miles0 0.5 1 mile
SCALE in Miles0 0.5 1 1.5 2 miles
g rave l road
#2204
West Fork Humptulips River Trail, 9 miles one-way. Four
trailheads along route, Single track with river crossings.
grave l rd .
Location of detail maps
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2
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Shelton 17 miles
SCALE in Miles0 0.5 1 1.5 2 miles
Oakville
D-Line
D-Line
DC-Line
D-1000
DC-Line
C-Line
C-Line
D-1000
Fuzzy Top1760 ft
Porter Falls
Porte
r Tra
il
Porter Trail
Porter Trail
Porter Tie
Crestline Trail
Wedekind Trail
Gree
nlin
e Tie
D-4000
Larch Mountain Trail
C-Line
Mountain Bike Trail
Hiking Trail (only)
Gravel Logging Road
Note: Many of the trails and roads here are steep!
North Rim #3 Trail
Porter Creek Entrance
C-LineEntrance
Capitol Forest Mountain Bike Trails6
to Elma
Porter Trail, Crestline Trail, Greenline & Wedekind trails are Mountain Bike,
Horse and Hiker only trails. (non-motorized use only)
Grays Harbor Bike Routes KEY
Park
Campground
Hostel
Grocery
Restaurant
Post O"ce
Library
Bike Shop
Bike Rental
Bus Station
Highway
Secondary Roads
County Thru Bike Route
Paved Bike Path
Bike Route on Sidewalk
Recreational Bike Route
O# Road/Mountain Bike
Rivers
Lakes & Ocean
Caution
Steep Hill
Visitor Info
Hospital
O# Road
Scenic View
For the Traveling BicyclistLodgingCyclists can choose between vacation rentals, historic lodges, yurts, rustic cabins, coastal cottages, hotels, a hostel (in Elma), or bed and breakfasts. Reservations are highly recommended in the summer months. For more information on lodging see www.chamber.graysharbor.org/list/QL/lodging-travel-24.htm
Camping Many campgrounds are equipped with “Hiker-Biker” sites. They provide a place to set up a tent away from the conventional campsites, yet are still close to showers and rest room facilities.
NOTE: Campgrounds may display a “Campground Full” sign when the conventional sites are all occupied; please inquire with the attendant as to availability of Hiker-Biker sites.
For additional information on state park campgrounds: www.parks.wa.gov
Transit Buses availableAll of the Grays Harbor Transit buses are equipped with double bike racks for transporting bikes. Buses can be boarded in towns as marked by the Bus station symbol. Stops upon request are available on many roads throughout the county. See www.ghtransit.com for complete schedules and information.
AmenitiesGroceries, food and lodging are found in most communities. Free Wi! is available at Timberland Regional Libraries, there are 8 locations in Grays Harbor www.trl.org. You will !nd public restrooms at most parks and libraries.
The Cranberry Bog Loop parrallels the main highway. See working
cranberry bogs April - November.
County Line Rd.
Cran
berry
Rd.
Schm
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Cranberry Bogs
Grayland Beach State Park
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Mountain Biking NE Grays Harbor West Fork Humptulips River TrailThe trail follows the remote and picturesque West Fork of the Humptulips River through dense old growth forest and open glades along the river corridor. The Lower West Fork Trail is 9 miles in length with multiple river crossings, attempt to ford only at low water. Single-track trail grades are generally 0-10% with a few grades of up to 20%.
Wynoochee Lake Trail Park near the dam on the south end of the lake. The 13 mile loop will reward your e"orts with beautiful lake, old growth forest and waterfall views. Intermediate, single track riding. Attempt river ford at north end of lake only at low water. You may travel two miles farther, past the lake on the north end, for a bridge across the Wynoochee River. On this route you have the option to use logging roads for part of your return to the dam.
Logging Roads Hundreds of miles of gravel logging roads criss-cross the remote hills of Grays Harbor County. US Forest Service lands are open to all, as are State Department of Resources lands. Private timber lands are open in some areas and paid permits required in others. For private lands please consult with the landowners.
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4
6
Schmid Rd.
Grayland
Be a safe bicycle rider. Follow these simple rules.RCW.46.61.755 states:Tra!c laws apply to persons riding bicycles. Obey all tra"c signals, signs and laws. Ride in the same direction as tra"c.
STOP
SAME ROADS . SAME RIGHTS . SAME RULESRide defensively. Be aware of other vehicles. It is unsafe for bicyclists to pass motor vehicles on the right. If faster than a vehicle, take the lane in front of them where the driver can see the bicyclist.CAUTION: Always watch for cars or trucks stopping or turning.
Ride predictably.Leave adequate space between you and parked cars. Be careful of opening car doors. Do not weave in and out of parked cars and tra"c.
Be Visible . Be Alert . Wear a Helmet . Have Fun!Cyclists may choose to ride on the path, bike lane, shoulder or travel lane as suits their safety needs. Riding on sidewalk is generally allowed unless marked.
Be visible day or night. Wear bright clothes.
RCW 46.61.780 states:At night you must have a white headlight and tail light or red rear re"ector.
RCW 46.61.7700 Cyclists may ride side by side, but not more than two abreast.
Malone
Porter
Elma
McCleary
Malone
Porter
Left Right
Signal before turns & lane changes.
Check behind & ahead before turn-ing. Yield to vehicles with the right of way.
Always wear a helmet while riding. Helmets required in the City of Aberdeen. Be courteous. Audibly alert pedestrians as you approach.Yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk, on sidewalks, pathways and trails
Choose the best way to turn left: - scan behind, yield,
signal and when safe, move into the left lane and turn left.
- dismount and walk your bike across the intersection in the crosswalk.
A log bridge proved too skinny for this fat-tire biker on the Wynoochee Lake Shore trail.
(right) Bike races are held in various parts of the county. The Satsop Business Park cooling towers provide a back drop for one race. The same 13 mile loop route is regularly enjoyed by recreational bicyclists.
West Fork Trail, Montesano City Forest.
Just roll with it!
Photo by Susan Leite
Photo by Luke Ostwald
Guide to Bicycling the Roads & Trails of Grays Harbor County
Bicycle Grays H
arbor
Photo by Lauri Paulsen
Photo by Lauri Paulsen
Photo by Suzan Stegemoeller
Jungle Trail
#2270