Where to Bike in Eastern Washington

Great Places for Cycling in Eastern Washington

written and photographed by Aaron Theisen

Crisscrossing golden fields on hundreds of miles of two-lane blacktop in the Palouse.

Western Washington is rightfully regarded as a cycling magnet, its lush, loamy forests and cedar-shaded pavement the first things that come to mind when riders picture the Pacific Northwest. But the dry side of the state is no cycling slouch, either. Road cyclists revere the quiet, winding byways that connect pastoral farming communities. Mountain bikers have cut an impressive collection of trails among the pine forests and grassy hillocks in Spokane and its surroundings. Perhaps the biggest selling point to rain-weary west-siders: the arid climate, combined with the volcanic, fast-draining soil, which makes Eastern Washington a top wheat producer, means equally dry, rideable road and trails nearly year-round. So, while it may come wrapped in different trappings, Eastern Washington is every bit the quintessential cycling destination.

Beacon Hill

Ten minutes from downtown Spokane, Beacon Hill is the epicenter of Eastern Washington’s fat-tire riding community. Although the sandy singletrack strata documents twenty-something years of trail-building trends, it’s the granite slabs that have earned Beacon a reputation throughout the region—from otter slides to walls where you’ll work to avoid buzzing your fanny pack on your back tire.

Kettle Crest

In the far northeast corner of Washington, the Kettle Range stands as a lonely outpost separating the Okanagan Highlands from the Upper Columbia River Valley. Connecting it all is the Kettle Crest Trail, 45 miles of rocky tread, expansive wildflower meadows and endless views. It’s some of the state’s only—and best—bike-accessible alpine and subalpine riding.

Saltese Uplands

Saltese Uplands Conservation Area, in Spokane Valley, protects an island of grasses and wildflowers amid one of the state’s fastest-growing communities. Although small, the trail system here provides just enough mellow singletrack for casual evening laps. Adding to the allure of after-work rides: Saltese seems to guarantee spectacular sunsets.

Mount Spokane

The largest of Washington’s state parks, Mount Spokane sprawls across 13,000 acres and more than 3,000 feet of vertical, from subalpine meadows at the top to dense, mossy cedar forest at the bottom. Mountain bikers use the paved road to the summit to shuttle epic descents on twisty, root-strewn singletrack; road cyclists seeking a challenge grind their way from bottom to top.

The Palouse

Hundreds of miles of two-lane blacktop traverse the wind-sculpted fields of legumes and wheat of Washington’s breadbasket, and a bike saddle is the best perch from which to experience the slower pace of life here. (Just be warned: that ever-present wind seems to blow in your face both ways.)