People all over the United States envy the recreational biking opportunities we have in the Puget Sound area. This is a blog to share information about trail and some road cycling places in the Enumclaw and surrounding areas. The initial post will be a listing of some that will be covered later in more detail.
The most obvious nearby ride is the Foothills Trail, which includes paved sections in Enumclaw, Buckley, and Wilkeson, as well as a continuous stretch from South Prairie to Puyallup. Other easy to get to paved trails are the Cedar River, Soos Creek, Green River, and Interurban, as well as river trails in Auburn, Sumner, and Puyallup.
There are six unpaved sections of the Foothills trail, and several other interesting dirt rides near Enumclaw, such as the Mud Mountain Rim Trail. Mount Rainier's Carbon River Road and Westside Road are open to bikes but not motorized traffic.
The countryside roads around Enumclaw are also ideal for cycling, with their low traffic and (mostly) level terrain. Going a little further afield, Mount Rainier has excellent downhill descents that you can also climb if you see fit, or else do a shuttle. The old highway to Snoqualmie Pass is a little easier trip up but just as fast coming down. None of these roads have much traffic in the fall, especially in the mornings. And speaking of Snoqualmie Pass, a bike trail through the old 2.3 mile railroad tunnel under it is open in the summer. This ride also includes several high trestles that you see as you drive I-90 to the pass.
I encourage others to share descriptions and pictures of some of their favorite rides or comment on the postings. Since I ride recumbent trikes, most of my entries will feature them, and I will occasionally write more about these sports cars of the cycling world. However, nearly all of these excursions can be ridden on typical bikes.
