Start Date:

Sep 05, 2020

End Date:

Sep 22, 2020

Start Location:

Bellingham, WA

End Location:

Eugene, OR

Total Days:

18

Riding Days:

15

Rest Days:

3

Miles:

818

Average Daily Mileage:

54.5

Surface:

Paved

Riders:

13

Airport:

Bellingham Intl. (BLI), Eugene Airport (EUG)

Tour Leader:

Dennis Patterson

Meals:

Shared cooking

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Meals - Shared cooking

Your group will share responsibilities for food purchase, preparation, and clean up on a rotating basis. Vegetarian and special dietary needs will be accommodated, though food selection may be limited in some locations.

Accommodations:

Camping

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Accommodations - Camping

Overnights will be at private or public campgrounds with a range of amenities. Depending on the nature and location of the trip, these facilities could range from RV parks with hot tubs, to wilderness locations without running water. Overnight facilities vary, but tents are typically pitched on large, flat, grassy areas. You will need a good freestanding tent with a ground cloth, a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the season and elevation of your tour, and a sleeping pad.

Physical Difficulty:

Intermediate+

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Physical Difficulty - Intermediate+

In comparison to our Intermediate tours, an Intermediate+ tour often has slightly more climbing or a few longer days (50–70 miles per day). A few of our self-contained Intermediate+ tours are ranked as such not due to high mileage or heavy climbing, but because riding loaded for several consecutive days can be physically taxing.

Level of Support:

Self Contained

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Level Of Support - Self Contained

On self-contained tours you will carry your own gear and there will be no vehicle support. Adventure Cycling's traditional self-contained tours have a single leader and around 14 participants who share cooking duties and camp for the vast majority of overnights; on longer tours, roughly one indoor night per 10 riding days is budgeted.

Cost:

$1,999.00

Restricted Bike Type:

eBike, eTrike

Overview

If you’ve got two and a half weeks to spend on a bike, there’s no better spot on earth than the Pacific Northwest section of Adventure Cycling’s Pacific Coast Route.

Starting in Bellingham, Washington, we’ll zip up to the Canadian border before starting our trip south along Puget Sound, heading toward the mountainous, heavily timbered Olympic Peninsula, where we’ll ride up Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park and stay at the Sol Duc Hot Springs. From there, we’ll head down the Washington coast before crossing the Columbia River into Astoria, Oregon. We’ll then proceed down the Oregon coast, dazzled for 200 miles by the sights, sounds, and scents of the Pacific Ocean, enjoying some of the most pristine beaches and pleasant state parks in the U.S. before heading back inland to close out our ride in the bike-loving college town of Eugene.

Day 1

Bellingham, Washington. We’ll meet up in the afternoon in the vibrant university town of Bellingham. We’ll begin getting to know one another over a home-cooked meal and find out a little more about what to expect on our upcoming adventure. Then it’s off to our tents for a good night’s sleep to prepare us for the open road.

Day 2

Bellingham to Peace Arch State Park/Canadian border and back, 72 miles. After breakfast, we’re off on our only northbound day of the trip. Our turnaround point will be the Canadian border and Peace Arch State Park, dedicated by the citizens of the U.S. and Canada in 1921. The namesake Peace Arch was built in honor of the 100th anniversary of the treaties resulting from the War of 1812 with Great Britain. From there, we’ll head back south to Bellingham.

Day 3

Bellingham to Deception Pass State Park, 42 miles. Pack ’em up and move ’em out — we’re off and heading south today, skirting the shores of Samish, Padilla, and Skagit bays as we go. Tonight’s destination is Deception Pass State Park, known for its old-growth forest, wildlife, breathtaking views of rugged cliffs, and the turbulent tidal rapids and whirlpools that froth beneath twin bridges connecting Fidalgo and Whidbey islands.

Day 4

Deception Pass State Park to Fort Worden, 34 miles. On this relatively short day we’ll have extra time to enjoy our stunning surroundings. Not long into the day we’ll pass through the town of Oak Harbor, a perfect spot to grab brunch. Then after a short ferry ride, we’ll reach our camp at Fort Worden State Park, where we can spend the evening hiking, swimming, or bird watching. The place may look familiar if you’ve seen the 1982 movie An Officer and a Gentleman, which was filmed largely in and around Fort Worden.

Day 5

Fort Worden to Port Angeles, 59 miles. We’ll ride car-free today on the Olympic Discovery Trail, a non-motorized paved pathway spanning 130 miles between Port Townsend and La Push. The trail twists and rolls through dense forest, farmland, and over high, repurposed railway trestles.

Day 6

Layover day. We’ll take our first layover day in Port Angeles, gateway to Olympic National Park. Among the several day rides available in the area, Olympic National Park’s Hurricane Ridge is perhaps the most spectacular. However, if you crave a day off the bike, plenty of options are there to keep you occupied. Plan on hitting the Olympic National Park Visitor Center to learn about the history and geology of one of the wettest places in the continental U.S.

Day 7

Port Angeles to Sol Duc Hot Springs, 55 miles. We’ll ride into the mountains of Olympic National Park today, past the shimmering waters of Lake Crescent before arriving at Sol Duc Hot Springs, our camp for the night. The springs include three hot mineral pools and a freshwater pool, so we’ll be able to soak away the evening in style.

Day 8

Sol Duc Hot Springs to Hoh Rain Forest, 59 miles. We’ll ride back out of the mountains today and along the banks of the Sol Duc River before traveling along Highway 101 through Forks, Washington. As you pass through, we should warn you: watch out for vampires. Nearby Forks is the setting for the popular Twilight series. Before the end of the day, we’ll turn back toward Olympic National Park and ride along the Hoh River up the gateway to the Hoh Rain Forest.

Day 9

Hoh Rain Forest, 24 miles. Today will be a short riding day to permit as much time as possible for the exploration of the Hoh Rain Forest. Lush temperate rain forests with both coniferous and deciduous tree species once stretched from southeastern Alaska to central California; the Hoh is one of the most intact remnants (and is considered the “Quietest Place in the U.S.”). You might want to stop at the visitor center and take a hike on the Hoh River Trail, which is lush with moss and ferns. With the Hoh Rain Forest just 12 miles from our campground, we’ll get to spend much of the day exploring.

Day 10

Hoh Rain Forest to Lake Quinault, 60 miles. We’ll hit the road early for a long and hilly day. But our efforts will be rewarded by a night nestled in the temperate rainforest along the shores of beautiful Lake Quinault.

Day 11

Lake Quinault to Raymond, 69 miles. We’ll bid farewell to Olympic National Park today as we leave the lush rainforest to rejoin Highway 101. We’ll pass through Aberdeen, a great place to acquire an afternoon pick-me-up before our final climb into Raymond. If time permits, the Northwest Carriage Museum in Raymond offers a vivid glimpse of the region’s past.

Day 12

Raymond to Astoria, Oregon, 64 miles. After hugging the shoreline for most of the day, we’ll leave Washington, cross the Columbia River, and prepare for our long ride down the spectacular Oregon Coast by spending two nights in lovely Astoria.

Day 13

Astoria, layover day. Founded as Fort Astoria in 1811 by John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company, a visit here is never complete without a look around the Columbia River Maritime Museum and a bowl of clam chowder. You may also want to hop aboard the Astoria Riverfront Trolley for a tour of the hillside town, where the 1985 movie classic The Goonies was filmed. Plenty of outdoor activities beckon as well, from day rides to short hikes.

Day 14

Astoria to Nehalem Bay State Park, 45 miles. We’ll hug the coast today, passing through a chain of charming resort towns including Seaside, Cannon Beach, and Nehalem — all great places to stop for chowder or saltwater taffy! We’ll also pass through several state parks, including Sunset Beach, Ecola, Arcadia Beach, and Oswald, before heading to our camp in Nehalem Bay State Park.

Day 15

Nehalem Bay State Park to Cape Lookout State Park, 48 miles. Today you may find it hard to take your eyes off the ocean. Luckily there are plenty of pull-offs where you can pause to admire the grand Pacific. In Tillamook you can tour the famous Tillamook Cheese Factory and refuel on one of the dairy’s legendary ice cream cones — they come in 38 flavors! Next, the Three Capes Scenic Drive takes us back to the Pacific Ocean. We’ll stick close to the beach all the way to Cape Lookout State Park.

Day 16

Cape Lookout State Park to South Beach State Park, 65 miles. We’ll spend the first half of the day riding through coastal forest and catching glimpses of the Pacific as we proceed south. After passing through the busy town of Lincoln City, we’ll parallel the coast once again. Waves crashing into basaltic headlands make for some of the most spectacular surf action in the world. Wave features with descriptive names like the Devil’s Churn, Cook’s Chasm, and Spouting Horn give you some idea of what to expect. We’ll spend the night near Newport, home of the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Day 17

South Beach State Park to Mapleton, 62 miles. Continuing south, we’ll stop at Seal Rock State Wayside, where you can explore a two-mile span of partially submerged ledge rock that attract seals, sea lions, and seabirds, and where tidal pools contain mollusks, starfish, and other marine life. Once we hit Florence, we’ll turn away from the coast and head East as we make our way to our final destination.

Day 18

Mapleton to Eugene, 60 miles. We’ll return by way of the TransAmerica Trail’s Florence–Eugene connector. We’ll surmount 1,023-foot Low Pass before descending into the Willamette Valley and tour’s end in Eugene. With the sea breeze and salt air still fresh in mind, we’ll say farewell to our new friends, but not to the many memories that are ours to treasure forever.

"great tips on where the best bakeries, cafes, and lunch stops would be."

"I certainly enjoyed the part of the tour that went through the rain forest of the Olympic peninsula. Even though it rained, the scenery was spectacular!"