Bikepack - Olympic Bridges Overnight

Priority is for graduates of the the 2025 and 2026 Bikepacking Course. If you are not in that group, please wait until 4/27 to sign up.

Resources
• Video: Olympic Bridges Overnighter video (bikepacking.com)
• Article: Olympic Bridges Overnighter (bikepacking.com)
• Day 1 Olympic Bridges TH to Brown Creek CG
• Day 2 Olympic Bridges Brown Creek CG to Vance Creek TH
• Full Loop Olympic Bridges Overnighter loop

Route Description: This is the "Olympic Bridges Overnighter" route created by Bikepacking.com and featured on their web site. This route is a moderate 38 mile counterclockwise loop beginning near the Vance Creek Trestle and goes over High Steel Bridge, the highest railroad bridge in the United States. The Vance Creek Trestle is a side trip from the parking lot and not part of the route. The route is 90% unpaved, almost entirely on improved and unimproved gravel roads. The route takes you to Brown Creek Campground at the 15 mile mark. The long 4.5 mi. 950' drop on a downhill run into  Brown Creek Campground is a thrill if you like to go fast. The ride to the car the second day is 23 miles mostly through thick second growth forest and is lots of fun. We will see how the group feels but will lean towards a very early start the second day to get back to the cars for a short drive to the mom & pop seafood shack, Hook and Fork, in the town of Union for those who want fresh seafood for lunch right on the banks of Hood Canal.  This route has approximately a 2,000' elevation gain in 8.5 miles. That averages to about a 4.5% grade. The max grade is 6% with spurts of 11%. That can be challenging depending on conditioning. The sustained downhill run into camp is 1% for 3 miles and then transitions rapidly to 8.5% for 1.5 miles.

This ride has some challenges having to do with setting expections:
• Although it is commonly referred to as the Olympic Bridges Overnighter, the route goes over only one bridge of note, the High Steel Bridge at 365'. If you're interested in a relaxed ride through forested mountains and hills traveling over quaint handcrafted wooden bridges of yore, this is not that trip. There are no bridges after the High Steel Bridge except one modern, low slung, unremarkable concrete style bridge over the Skokomish river just outsid of camp. The abandoned Vance Creek Trestle at 347' is the second highest in the U.S., but we cannot ride over it. It is viewable as a side trip from the parking lot and is visible end-on, for the most part, no trespassing.

• For about half of the first day riding from the parking lot to Brown Creek Campground, we ride through logged land that is exposed, dry and monotonous. The first few miles are on improved-gravel logging roads to support active logging operations. There may be logging trucks on this road while you ride, at least at the start.

• Lunch at Lake Cushman is possible by dragging bikes under a steel gate that is across the road to prevent unauthorized motorized access. The site has industrial gear stacked around in a large gravel area near the dam. It peaceful and quiet, but won't be what you expected from the write-up in backpacking.com 

Parking Location: 47.336900, -123.307355
Meeting Time: Suggested arrival 9 AM, Trail briefing 9:45 AM, ready to roll 10:00 AM

Meet at the Vance Creek Trestle parking area off Forest Road 23. There is no official designation of Vance Creek Trestle parking lot, so you won't find it on the map. You can get confuused on the ground, so it's nice to have GPS. Download maps to your phone as the cell coverage is spotty. Parking is on private property but is commonly used by the public. Park at your own risk. It is a simple unmarked dirt open area off the road where Forest Road 23 (paved) and the abaondoned railroad bed to Vance Creek Trestle meet.

Vance Creek Trestle ride: If you would like to ride the 2 mi. round trip to see the Vance Creek Trestle before we start the ride to camp, give yourself adequate time, say 30 minutes, or 45 minutes if you're an explorer.

Cell coverage can be spotty. Download maps to your phone ahead of time.