
Trip
Bikepack - Cascade Trail
The 2025 edition of our overnight, off-pavement tour of the Cascade Trail from Sedro Wooley to Concrete, with camping at Rasar State Park Campground. (Please see Leader's Notes regarding eligible participants.)
- Sat, May 24, 2025 — Sun, May 25, 2025
- Seattle Bikepacking Committee
- Bikepacking
- Adults
- Bikepacking Gravel II
- Moderate
- Mileage: 52.0 mi
- Elevation Gain: 750 ft
- Pace: 7 mph
- FULL, 1 on waitlist (7 capacity)
- FULL (3 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
(Click on [MORE +] below to display the whole ride description)
- Participant Eligibility: This activity is open to Bikepacking Course graduates and Bikepacking Equivalency candidates. (If the trip doesn't fill up a week before the day, other bikepack badge holders can contact leaders to check and request permission to sign up.)
- Trailhead: Street Parking next to Sedro-Wooley High School
- Difficulty: This route is rated "Bikepacking Gravel II" based on the length (51.8 mi) and elevation (750 ft) per The Mountaineers Clubwide Activity Standards for Bikepacking. There is no singletrack, the route follows a wide, fairly flat forest road, but expect a couple small river crossings, some wading through murky quagmires, pushing through and over fallen trees, and some road riding.
- Pace: Moderate (meaning, anywhere between 7-10mph, which loosely corresponds to a 12-14 mph pace for a road club ride.) We will mostly ride together, and will regroup at major intersections and road crossings.
- Digital Maps: A Ride with GPS route for Day 1 is here. A Ride with GPS route for Day 2 is here.
- Trip Reports: WTA trail reports.
- Parking Pass: N/A.
- Weather: NOAA | Windy
Description of Day 1: 34.8 mi | 601ft - We will ride the trail to Concrete where you can buy baked goods and other delicious food at 5b's Bakery or eat at the Lone Star restaurant downtown. On the way, we might choose to veer off the trail at the intersection with Cape Horn Rd to head for Rasar State Park that is open year-round, or ride paved South Skagit Highway, a quiet rural side road, to Rasar State Park and set up camp and unload the bikes at the hiker/biker campsites. After our stop in Concrete, we'll return on the same trail, and head for the campground to get there before dinner time.
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Water and bathrooms are near the hiker/biker sites. Hot showers available a short walk away in the main campground (need quarters). Rasar State Park has several nature trails and a beautiful river-front area not to be missed (in the daytime...) Nearby Birdview Brewery is also a good option for dinner.
Description of Day 2: 17 mi | 151 ft - We will pedal the return route to Sedro-Wooley following breakfast, breaking down and packing our bikepacking gear.
The Cascade Trail is day use only, so overnight parking is not recommended at the trailhead. Plan to park on the street near Sedro-Wooley High School (1235 3rd St, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284), GPS coordinates are (48.49890, -122.24037), corner of Bennet St and 3rd St. There's street parking in front and across from the High-school, in front of the playfields, and around the corner. Check signage to verify that overnight parking is OK, some zones are restricted.
We will begin pedaling at 10:00AM, and ride side streets to connect with the Fruitdale Rd & SR-20 trailhead.
Required Equipment
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A mountain or gravel bike is suitable for this ride.
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On top of The Ten Essentials, bring your bikepacking and overnight gear -- note that the night might still get a bit chilly at this time of year.
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Food: We'll turn around at a bakery where you can buy lunch and dinner, if so inclined, and there's an option of dining at a nice tavern within easy bike range of the campground, so you might get away with not planning on prepping camp food -- still, in case those businesses are closed, and for the sake of practice, it's not a bad idea to bring food and a means to prepare it.
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If you plan on having dinner at the tavern, make sure to bring FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS.