Scenic Seattle Gravel Bike Tour

The Palouse to Cascades Trail (formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail) is one of the longest rail-trail conversions in the United States, following the former railway roadbed of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroads for nearly 300 miles. Offering a wide, car-free stretch of flat, fun riding, it winds gently through evergreen forest and between the rocky peaks of the Cascade Mountain foothills. Ride a short portion this morning from Cle Elum to Lake Easton for lunch, then on to Keechelus Lake (a Native American word meaning ‘few fish’) and Snoqualmie Summit.

This morning, ride through the world’s longest bike/pedestrian tunnel: a 2-mile long historic train tunnel on the Palouse to Cascades Trail. We’ll provide the lights! Continue riding downhill through evergreen forests all the way to Rattlesnake Lake. Thankfully, there are no rattlesnakes! The lake was named by Seattle area pioneer Arthur Denny after a road surveyor mistook the sound of seed pods rattling in the wind for one of the dangerous snakes. Hike up to the ridge. “You won’t find better views anywhere else this close to Seattle,” crows the Washington Trails Association. Ride to gorgeous Snoqualmie Falls, which you may remember from the TV series Twin Peaks. For the Snoqualmie People, the Falls are the place “where prayers were carried up to the Creator by great mists that rise from the powerful flow.”

There are 100+ wineries in the Woodinville region. Lunch is on your own today, so visit and sample any that appeal. If you’d prefer, take a tour of a lavender farm or play a round of golf. Tonight: enjoy a final celebratory dinner with Chef Russell Lowell at Russell’s Restaurant and Loft, a food lover’s delight and the de facto late-night hangout for winemakers and people in the wine industry.

Enjoy a final ride along the bike path, beside the Sammamish River and Seattle’s Lake Union. Kayak the waterways past the houseboats made famous by the movie Sleepless in Seattle. Jump back on the bikes for the 3-mile bike path ride to the Ballard Locks and fish ladder. After a final waterside lunch, head to the airport or your downtown hotel to extend your stay.