Side Trips: Oly Penn North

The Olympic Peninsula is a wonderful place to ride. You can explore various sections over multiple day trips. If you’ve got all day, you could ride around the entire loop. But, if you really want to find some fun places to ride, you spend time exploring the backroads. And that’s just what we’re going to do here.

For all intents and purposes, we’ll assume the majority of explorers are coming from Seattle or the eastside. That involves a ferry ride from Edmonds to Kingston. Grab a good atlas, like the one made by Benchmark, the Washington Road and Recreation Atlas, and follow along. The fun starts when you reach the Hood Canal Bridge, Page 55 – H10.

Instead of staying on 104, take the first right and poddle up Paradise Bay Road to Port Ludlow. If you’re hungry, good food is located at the Port Ludlow Inn. Continue your ride on Oak Bay Road and head west on the Swansonville Road, just north of Port Ludlow. When the road ends, turn right onto SR 19 and left onto the Egg & I Road. Ride west to the end and go left onto West Valley Road, then right onto Edgemont Road. This takes you up to SR20, where you’ll turn left and meet up with 101 North.

A few miles north, turn right onto Gardiner Road, which was once the old 101 route. You’ll know when you hit Gardiner when you see the fire station that looks as though it was designed by trolls. Do your homework on Mr. Bandy Troll Haven before you go to find the other cosmic troll stuff in the area. Lots of fun and you’ll want to snap a few pictures no doubt.

After you’re done here, head south on Diamond Beach Road, cross US101 and enjoy a romp along Chicken Coop Road. It terminates to the west at 101 and there is fuel and food available at the Longhouse Market and Deli. Continue west on 101 a few miles and turn right onto West Sequim Bay Road and head towards the Marina Resort. Keep making right turns every chance a new road comes up on the right and eventually you’ll find yourself down at the Dungeness Spit. Head to Carlsborg by riding south on Cay’s Road. Food is available at the Old Mill Café and there are plenty of eateries in Sequim on Washington Street.

For your return trip, check out Happy Valley Road just south of town. For a little more action, ride Center Road south, left onto Dabob Road, left onto Coyle Road, left onto Thorndyke road and back to the Hood Canal Bridge.

Dual sport riders can craft a series of rides back along Forest Service Roads like FS28, FS2840, FS2850, Snow Creek and otherwise.

SR!/Winter 24