The White River basin is due east of Mt. Rainier and about as close as you can get to the mountain on a mountain bike. The White River Recreation Area, as designated by the USDA Forest Service (FS), offers some of the best opportunities for mountain biking near Seattle on national forest land. Roughly 1 hr and 40 minutes south- southeast from downtown Seattle, trails like Skookum Flats and Palisades have received national recognition as epic trails. The White River and Skookum Flats trails are ride-able nearly all year with the remainder of the trails available when the snow melts around April-July depending on the weather. Access: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Ranger District for more information.

White River Area Trails

Skookum Flats Trail
© 2008 Mary Janosik

Noble Knob Trail
© 2008 Paul, aka pfly

• Buck Creek Trail #1169
• Christoff Trail #1171
• Cloquhoun Peak Trail #1195
• Crystal Mountain Trail #1163: 14 mile loop, rating: difficult
  Get details, including a trail map
• Dalles Ridge Trail #1173
• Dalles River Trail #1162.1
• Deep Creek Trail #1196
• Divide Trail #1172
• Frog Mountain Trail #1180
• Grass Mountain Trail #1170
• Naches Trail #1175
• Noble Knob Trail #1184
• Palisades Trail #1198: 27.1 mile loop, rating: very difficult
  Get details, including a trail map
• Ranger Creek Trail #1197: 18.1 mile loop, rating: difficult
  Get details, including a trail map
• Silver Creek Trail #1192
• Skookum Flats Trail #1194: 11.5 mile loop trail, rating: difficult
  Get details, including a trail map
  EDITOR'S NOTE: this trail has been damaged by the 2006 flooding. There is a nasty washout about 1.5 miles downstream from Buck Creek. Call the Snoqualmie Ranger District for the White River area at 360-825-6585 for current conditions.
• Suntop Trail #1183: 21 mile loop, rating: difficult
  Get details, including a trail map
• White River Trail #1199

Naches Area Trails
Off road trails can also be accessed in the Naches area, where bike riders share trails with hikers, horseback riders and motorized trail bike riders.

• Deep Creek
• Noble Knob
• Ranger Creek
• Sun Top

Mount Rainier National Park provides challenging and scenic rides whether you are mountain biking, road biking or touring.

Bicycles are allowed on the roads and cyclists will find both challenging and scenic cycling opportunities. While mountain biking is not allowed on many area trails, many good road options are available for mountain bikers, including Westside Road (just inside the Nisqually entrance,) the Carbon River Road, the Mowich Lake Road, and the road behind the old campground in Longmire. Get details and directions at Biking in Rainier National Park.

Always, check updated road conditions before heading out.