Excerpted from Mountain Bike! Washington by Alan Burnett and Chris & Laurie Leman

The Olympic Peninsula is made up of truly unique and strikingly beautiful terrain. It encompasses 6,500 square miles of ocean beaches, windy ridges, precipitous mountains, snowfields, glaciers, deep gorges, and verdant forests. Rising from sea level to the summit of Mt. Olympus at 7,965-foot, you can bet the peninsula serves up some great singletrack.

Bike trails here run through lush Pacific Northwest forest, with stunning views of high peaks, and in the spring you can expect fantastic wildflower displays. Speaking of spring flowers--the Olympic coast averages 12 feet of rainfall a year. That means wet, muddy winters, with the best riding conditions late spring through early fall.

The trails described here range from the strenuous and technically difficult Mt. Muller Loop, to the Lower Big Quilcene Trail, which is appropriate for adventurous beginners. If it's roller coaster-like dips and turns you want, head to the Foothills trails. The Lower Southfork Skokomish Trail is a 21-mile loop that combines paved road with lots of steep single-track.

Ascend to fat-tire heaven

To ride the trails within Olympic National Forest, you must pick up a pass at a ranger station.

Move on to Mt. Muller Loop

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RELATED GORP LINKS
GORPtravel - Biking
Regional Biking Guide
GORP Washington