Click Here to View Bike Map

If you are clipping in to ride the trails in the Lake Chelan basin... you're in for some great rides.

Locals have been enjoying Lake Chelan's varied terrain for many years. Rides from gentle to the extreme are available in the neighborhood... and depending on what your poison is... Lake Chelan offers rides for all skill levels.

Road Rides:
Find a great "Treasure Map" of road rides at http://www.bikelakechelan.com/

Mountain Bike Rides:
Singletrack is the stuff most mountain bikers who have gained riding skills crave. There is something about whipping down a hard packed narrow trail through the woods in complete control. There are a number of trails in the Lake Chelan Basin which will rank as epic rides. Pot Peak is just one of them. Ten miles... all single track... all downhill... some 5,000 feet in elevation drop. The problem is the climb to 6,500 feet elevation before you get to enjoy this epic trail on the south shore of Lake Chelan.

For more information on local rides and even reviews, visit Chelan Valley Cycling Club at http://www.bikelakechelan.com/ 

To see Upper Valley Bike Rides Click Here

Chelan Bicycle Adventures
Click Here for Website
(509) 888-6904
Want to do something fun and healthy with your friends and family? Try a
bicycle tour and get the insiders perspective. Local tour guides are knowledgeable
about the history and landscape of the area and love to share.
Whether you are an experienced rider or a beginner you will enjoy fully supported
casual bicycle adventures in Chelan Valley and beyond. Choose from
classic half day tours or let them assist you in planning the perfect
customized outing for your club, business, family or friends. Experience Lake
Chelan up close, there is no better way than by bike.

It offers views of the beautiful Chelan River and Chelan River Gorge

Stagecoach Route (Chelan Gorge Road)
Many years ago, this road was used to haul freight from the Columbia River to Chelan by horse and wagon. Many locals use this road early in the spring as a training ride, but it is a great ride for families and beginning riders. It offers views of the beautiful Chelan River and Chelan River Gorge area (Be careful when viewing the Gorge from the overlooks ? it is a long way down). This deep, glacially cut canyon offers the visitor some spectacular views... and when Lake Chelan's water is pouring through the Gorge, the views become incredible.
Where to Start: The ride begins on the south side of Chelan and takes the rider out of town on a gentle up and down County Road to Chelan Falls. From the overlook, riders can turn around or continue down to Chelan Falls where two Chelan County PUD Parks are available for a rest or quick dip at the Powerhouse Park.
Length: 4.5 miles one way
Difficulty: Easy
Best Time of Year: Spring, Summer & Fall with some winter riding depending on snow conditions
How to Get There: Ride across the new bridge from Chelan. Take the first left across the bridge and follow the pavement to dirt.

Chelan Butte
This is not a ride for the faint hearted, but the effort is worth the beautiful views. Chelan Butte Road is a County maintained road that winds up the 3,800 foot Butte for access to the various radio and telecommunications towers at the top. Chelan Butte is also a world famous for hang gliding launch.
Where to Start: Start at Lakeside Park, cross Highway 97A (across from the Lakeside Best Western) and head up the Butte Road. The pavement will eventually end and turn to dirt. This climb is 2,700 feet to the top. At the top the reward is the view... a 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside that includes the Cascade Mountain Range, the eastern Washington bread basket, the Columbia River and of course, Lake Chelan. Hey, the ride down is a lot easier and if you climb Chelan Butte, you've earned the downhill.
Length: 6 miles?
Difficulty: Hard climb
Best Time of Year: Spring or Fall (early morning or late afternoon)
How to Get There: Drive or ride from town to Lakeside Park and head up.

Downy Canyon (optional)
This ride splits off from the Chelan Butte Road at what locals call the Saddle. The saddle is that flat spot with the cattle guard and sign indicating that the property is a Department of Fish and Wildlife refuge. Continue over the saddle and head down the other side of the Butte and keep bearing to your right. The road will turn to doubletrack (old jeep road) and will wind along the back side of the ridge towards Knapps Coulee (Hwy 97A). Eventually you will end up at Highway 97A for the long ride back to town.
Length: ?;
Difficulty: Easy;
Best Time of Year: Spring, Summer or Fall (early morning or late afternoon in the summer);

The views and serenity of being in the mountains makes the drive out of Chelan worth the trip

EchoValley/Echo Ridge Trail System
Each April, the Lake Chelan Recreation Association hosts the Lake Chelan Mountain Bike Festival which introduces this ski area to the mountain biking public from the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. It is no wonder the area has become very popular for riders seeking adventure near town. The Echo Ridge System offers 18 miles of double track and some single track riding for the beginner to the expert. Families will find most of the Nordic ski trails easy because they wind around the alpine forests with gentle climbs and easy downhill runs. The views and serenity of being in the mountains makes the drive out of Chelan worth the trip. More adventurous riders like to begin from the parking lot in Echo Valley and ride up the Echo Ridge Road where they follow head out for some exciting singletrack and eventually hammer back to Echo Valley on a screaming downhill doubletrack snowmobile trail through glowing Aspens groves in Bergman Gulch. Maps of this area are available at the Chelan Ranger District or the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce.
Length: Whatever your heart desires
Difficulty: Easy to Technical
Best Time of Year: Spring, Summer or Fall
How to Get There: Drive out of Chelan towards Manson on Highway 150 until you see the sign for the Echo Valley Ski Area. When you get to Echo Valley, continue up the road bearing to the right to the Echo Ridge parking lot. Use a map to outline your ride. Take lots of water and some energy bars.

Other rides in the lower Lake Chelan Valley
There are a number of other rides in the lower valley that locals love to ride. Many of them cross private lands, but the ones described here cross lands that are either undeveloped or uninhabited. Please leave all gates as you find them. Don't enter or ride on signed private property without permission. Be respectful of other users. They have a right to be there also.

Face of the Butte
This is a favorite early evening ride for local riders when the day turns cooler. It is private property, but there is no development currently on the face. The ride takes mountain bikers across the Chelan side of the Butte on an old doubletrack road. In the spring this is a wonderful escape from town and the wildflowers are worth the ride. This trail is up high enough on the Butte to give riders some wonderful views of the lower Lake Chelan Basin and the town of Chelan itself.
Length: 4.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate;
Best Time of Year: Spring and Fall, but anytime works;
How to Get There: Start at Lakeside Park and ride up the Butte Road to where the dirt starts (or have someone drive you to the start point if you don't relish the climb). About 100 feet down the dirt road is a doubletrack (jeep road) that veers to the left and across the face of the Butte. Riders exit at the low income housing on the other side for an easy ride back into town.

Antilon Lake Loop
This is another favorite local ride. Most riders park at the intersection of Lower Joe Creek and Upper Joe Creek Road and begin their ride up the road to Antilon Lake (keep to the left). This portion of the ride is a gradual climb to the north side of Antilon Lake. When you start to leave Antilon and climb into the Mitchell Creek drainage, look for the entrance to a unused doubletrack (jeep road). This is where the fun begins. The rest of the ride takes the mountain bike rider downhill back to Lower Joe Creek Road on the outside of Fourth of July Mountain. The views uplake are spectacular and the ride is fun. When you get to the gate at the end of the Russell Orchard, please close it, before you short ride back to the car.
Length: Approximately 5 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate;
Best Time of Year: Spring, Summer and Fall:
How to Get There: Drive towards Manson and turn right at Wapato Lake Road (Mill Bay Casino sign) and follow this road until you see the sign for Antilon Lake. Drive to the intersection of Upper and Lower Joe Creek Road and park.

The Epic Rides...

This ride is not for the faint of heart. The elevation gain is 4,300 feet and it is not easy.

Pot Peak
This is an epic ride for the hardcore mountain biker. The trailhead is located at Snowberry Bowl (Ramona Park remains closed because of the North 25 Fire in 1998). This ride is not for the faint of heart. The elevation gain is 4,300 feet and it is not easy. At the ridge top, the rider gets a chance to rest a little before hitting the Pot Peak singletrack... ten miles of it on banked exhilarating turns. This is a technical descent that will totally exhaust you.
Length: 28 mile loop
Difficulty: Extremely technical singletrack descents and long, steep climbs
Best Time of Year: Early summer to late fall
How to Get There: Drive out the south shore along Lake Chelan to 25-Mile Creek State Park and head up into the mountains to the Ramona/Snowberry Bowl Campgrounds to access the trailhead. (This is a fee based trailhead and costs $5 per day or a $30 Forest Pass).

Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Backbone is a knife edge ridge between the Entiat and Chelan Ranger Districts. It cuts through an old wildfire burn marked by dead silver-aged trees. The trail is approximately seven miles long between the trailhead and Pot Peak. The option would be to continue along the ridgeline up to the top of Stormy Mountain. This is not an easy ride, particularly at the section that between two cliffs that require riders to switchback down and across a rocky shale slope and back up before continuing on to the intersection of the backbone and Pot Peak.
Length: 7 miles
Difficulty: Technical and rocky
Best Time of Year: Early summer to late fall
How to Get There: From 25-Mile Creek State Park take Forest Service Road 5900 to the Handy Springs Campground and from there head to the trailhead at Crescent Hill.

Cub Lake
From the South Navarre Trailhead there is a hiking trail that takes the adventurous mountain biker on good 12-mile ride into Cub Lake right on the edge of the Chelan/Sawtooth Wilderness (bikes are not allowed in wilderness areas). This trail is difficult and was built years ago for hikers and horse traffic, not mountain bikes... roots, rocks, stream crossings and wet trail conditions are typical on this ride. The rider will leave South Navarre Trailhead at about 6,600 feet of elevation. Before the ride is complete at Cub Lake (5,200 feet elevation), the rider will have gone in and out of several drainages. This is truly a mountainous ride and mountain bikers should take appropriate clothing and food with them because the weather can change quickly. A fishing pole is also recommended because the cutthroat are biting at Cub Lake.
Options: The Uno Peak Loop is a 19-mile option to the Cub Lake ride. Start out at the South Navarre Trailhead and ride into Miners Basin. Follow the trail signs for Safety Harbor and continue the loop to FS 155 where you will need have a pickup vehicle.
Length: 15 miles
Difficulty: Technical singletrack, this is a hiking trail with switchbacks, roots and rocks
Best Time of Year: Summer through fall
How to Get There: Drive to Antilon Lake outside of Manson and take Forest Service Road 8200 to the South Navarre Trailhead (42 miles). This is an unimproved forest road that travels in and out of six separate drainages. Cub Lake ride is best done as an overnighter. Hardcore mountain bikers could probably do the Uno Peak loop in one day.

Finding other rides
There are a number of rides not listed here. Most of the Lake Chelan drainage comes under the ownership of County, State or Federal agencies which leaves miles and miles of dirt road to explore and ride on. Check with the Chelan Ranger District,
428 W. Woodin Ave., Chelan (682-2576) for other options and maps of the area.

Rules of the Trail

• Protect your noggin' - Wear a helmet.
• Wear gloves and eye protection
• Ride with a friend - That way help is available if you get into trouble 10 miles from the 4X4.
• Bring loads of water - The high desert country of Lake Chelan is often hot and dry. Energy food is good too.
• Bring a tool kit - A tube, tool kit and other essentials will insure you get to ride back instead of walking.
• Share the trail responsibly - Hey, other people use trails also. Please show respect for others by letting them know you are there and stopping to let them pass. It really does pay off. Remember, trails and roads are full of surprises. Keep control of your bike, especially in the corners and blind spots.

Local Tips

• "There is lots of good riding in the area, but Echo Ridge is one of my favorites... especially Bergman Gulch." Steve Wells.
• "Nobody should be riding during the middle of the day... it sucks energy out of you. (it can be hot...)" Bob Buhl.
• "Prepare yourself... take water, lots of it and drink before you are thirsty." Richard Uhlhorn

Wildlife Tips

• Watch for rattlesnakes in the lower elevations. They won't hurt you and have a right to be there.
• The mountain lion population has increased tremendously since the new hunting laws were enacted. If you see one, consider yourself very lucky. Just remember, you are not on the top of the food chain out there.

Site Design by Sun Graphic