Motorcycle Rides in Seattle

Olympic Peninsula Loop

Anchored by the majestic Olympic Mountains and bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Olympic Peninsula offers some of the best riding the Pacific Northwest. Although there aren’t many roads on the peninsula, the ones that are available appear to be built with motorcycle riders in mind. Endless twisties zigzagging through lush, constantly changing scenery ranging from rainforests to mountains ensure a memorable ride, and the traffic here is much lighter than in the more popular and crowded Puget Sound.

We suggest that you ride the Olympic Peninsula Loop over the course of two or three days, as there are numerous places to see and explore. Along the way, you’ll travel along the steep shores dotted with small communities and seafood eateries, enjoy stunning mountain views, and experience a sense of being in the wilderness on the edges of the Olympic National Park. With plenty of motorcycle-friendly places to stay, you can easily make it a long weekend ride and get the best out of the adventure.

Here’s what’s not to miss along the way.

Hama Hama and Hurricane Ridge

Leaving Belfair, head North on Route 101 following the coastline. Here, the road gently curves hugging the shore and offering great views of Puget Sound across the water. For your first stop, visit the Hama Hama Farm Stop, a local spot famous for fresh oysters and other fresh seafood. The Farm has a curious history: founded in 1960, the restaurant used to get customers by chatting on the CB radio with drivers passing by on the highway. The CB radio handle of the Farm’s owner Myrtle was “Hama Hama Oyster Mama”, and it seemed to do the trick. The Farm has grown profusely and has since become a must-stop location on Route 101 offering fresh, delicious seafood ranging from oysters to crab and of course salmon.

After a delicious lunch, hop back on Route 101 and continue riding north. Past Port Townsend, the road will shoot westward, eventually bringing you to the Hurricane Ridge detour road at Port Angeles. Take the Hurricane Ridge road south and enjoy the countless curves and bends as the road climbs higher and higher, depositing you at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor. Here there are magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains. If you can spare the time, park your motorcycle here and take a walk on the paved trails to take in the unparalleled scenic views.

Lake Crescent and Cape Flattery

Once you start riding on Route 101 again, the road will bring you inland, taking you through picturesque mountain country. On the way, you’ll pass Lake Crescent, a fjord-like lagoon surrounded by heavily forested mountains. Lake Crescent Lodge is a popular motorcycle-friendly place to stay if you decide to break your journey here. Built in 1915, Lake Crescent Lodge has a rustic feel and offers lodge and cabin accommodations, several dining options as well as boat rentals. Because of its location, the lodge makes for the perfect base camp to explore the Olympic National Park.

Another fantastic place to stay is the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort on the Sol Duc River just a little south of Lake Crescent. Offering access to hot springs soaks and swimming pool, Sol Duc resort is perfect for those looking for a comfortable, relaxing stay.

As you continue West, take Route 112 to visit Cape Flattery, the most northwesterly point in the continental United States. Offering dramatic jagged coastline views, Cape Flattery is a stunning, windswept place not to miss on your Olympic Peninsula ride.

Further along, Route 101 will take you across the Hoh Rainforest with beautiful cedar trees lining the road. The route will touch the coastline once more before leading you back into the mountains at Grisdale, Washington, where the road becomes very narrow and twisty. Beware of potholes and cracks in the asphault before twisting that throttle, and stop in Skokomish for a bite to eat before you complete the loop and ride back to Belfair.

Cascade Loop

One of the most popular scenic motorcycle rides in Washington State, the Cascade Loop takes you from warm lowlands into glacier-capped mountain country and back on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Meandering across the North Cascades National Park, this route is packed with thrilling roads, quirky cowboy towns, and incredible scenery ranging from jagged mountain peaks, rivers, and alpine forests to sage-covered desert and the Pacific coastline.

As this is a long 428-mile route, we recommend breaking up the journey and covering the distance in two or three days to truly enjoy the landscapes, roads, and communities you will be traveling through. Good places to spend the night are Winthrop, Leavenworth, and Oak Harbor. In addition, there will be several campsites along the way if you prefer falling asleep to the sounds of nature.

Before you go, keep in mind that the Cascade Mountains divide Washington into different weather regions. While Seattle’s summer temperatures might range from the 70s to 80s, the temperature can drop as much as 30 degrees in the mountains, and you may see snow even in the early summer months. Be sure to pack a warmer layer or a jacket in your saddlebags, and you’ll be happier if you bring your rain gear, too.

Ideal for a several-day motorcycle ride, the Cascade Loop is the perfect adventure based out of Seattle. Here’s what to expect along the way:

Whidbey Island and Fidalgo Island

Depending on whether you are riding the northern or southern section of this route as you begin, your journey will be on Whidbey Island or Fidalgo Island. While the riding here is more mellow compared to the Northern Cascades, the islands make for a perfect beginning of this journey. Both islands offer stunning views of the Olympic Mountains in the west and the looming peaks of the Cascade Mountains in the east.

On Whidbey Island, the South Whidbey State Park is a great place to explore with its pristine beaches and beautiful blue and turquoise water. Then follow Route 20 north and cross the Deception Pass Bridge, which offers views of the forested Puget Sound islands across the water.

Ross Lake Recreational Area

As you travel East on Route 20, the road will gradually start climbing. Past the city of Concrete with its massive concrete silos displaying the name of the town, the road begins to twist and turn, inviting you to open that throttle. Just make sure to top up your gas in Marblemount, as there will be no facilities until Winthrop.

Not too far into your motorcycle ride, heavily forested mountain slopes will replace the populated lowlands, and you will pass by the Ross Lake Recreation Area. Ross Lake is one of the many spectacular spots along this route, with its bright blue waters contrasting sharply with the deeply forested, rugged and rocky mountains surrounding it. Diablo Lake Vista Point is a must-stop to take photos and admire the view. If you would like to camp here, the Colonial Creek campground just before Diablo is a great place to pitch your tent.

Winthrop

For the next sixty miles, the road will continue carving deeper into the Northern Cascades Mountains, with deep dark forests and jagged mountain peaks creating dramatic scenery nearly the entire ride before giving way to pine-covered plateaus. Here, stop at the Western-themed town of Winthrop, a popular motorcycle hangout along the route. Winthrop still boasts an original plank board sidewalk, these days lined with local artisans selling Western-themed keepsakes. Winthrop is as authentic as can be, however: local cowboys still herd cattle right down through the middle of the town on their way to spring pastures.

There are several motorcycle-friendly places to eat and sleep in Winthrop and, as it’s a popular motorcycle tour destination, so you’re guaranteed to meet other riders in town.

Leavenworth

As you leave Winthrop, Route 153 will continue meandering in big, gentle turns and sweepers, following the bends of Columbia River. Here, the mountains give way to a dry desert country, and you will be enjoying warmer weather again.

Past Chelan and Cashmere, as you enter the Okanogan – Wenatchee National Forest, make sure to stop in Leavenworth. Another gem along the way, Leavenworth is all about Bavarian traditions: modeled as a Bavarian village, Leavenworth is a major tourist destination offering music festivals almost every month and boasting excellent schnitzel and strudel at the town’s many eateries and restaurants.

Leaving Leavenworth, the two-lane road will continue offering gentle curves and serene forest-covered mountain views. The landscape here is more cheerful than the stark, unforgiving high peaks of the Cascades, and it makes for a great stretch of riding west before you find yourself back in Seattle once again.

Some motorcyclists prefer to ride the Cascade Loop in a counter clock-wise direction, as you will ride through the changing scenery more slowly. Riding it clockwise, on the other hand, means that the best section of the road – the Northern Cascades National Park and Ross Lake Recreational Area – hit you first. We love this route regardless of the direction you ride the loop, as the riding and the varying landscapes are equally breathtaking.

Rent a Motorcycle From EagleRider and Enjoy Mount Rainier National Park Motorcycle Ride

13809 1st Ave S., Burien, Washington 98168

Towering more than 14,400 feet above sea level, the snow-capped peak of Mount Rainier can be seen from as far as Seattle on a clear, sunny day. An icon for the state of Washington, and a symbol of America’s grandeur, Mount Rainier makes for a terrific motorcycle destination. Mount Rainier National Park, spanning over 370 square miles, is easily accessible by a narrow but well-maintained mountain road, which offers breathtaking views of the glaciers, forests, rivers, and turquoise blue glacial lakes.

Mount Rainier itself is not only the tallest peak in the North Cascade mountain range, but also it is the most foreboding -- the magnificent mountain is actually a volcano. It is estimated that if Mount Rainier were to erupt, the destruction would be felt as far as San Francisco, California. Luckily, the sleeping monster is currently dormant, and the motorcycle riding in Mount Rainier National Park is perhaps the best in all of the Pacific Northwest.

On this 94-mile route, you will encounter meandering highly scenic roads, serene lakeside vistas, and grandiose glimpses of Mount Rainier from many different angles. The Park is developed exceptionally well and has plenty of lodging and dining options. There are ranger stations, visitor centers, as well as countless scenic lookouts along the way to inform your visit. The best time of year to visit Mount Rainier National Park is in the summer months, as the weather may be quite severe throughout the rest of the year. We suggest carrying a warm layer and rain gear, as the weather in this corner of the United States is unpredictable and can vary dramatically.

Riding Around the Park

Starting in Seattle, Washington’s capital city known for its vibrant motorcycle culture, take Route 164 to Enumclaw, then join Route 162 and ride south towards Eatonville. This road follows the natural bends of Puyallup River and offers an easy, pleasant ride along the outskirts of Mount Rainier National Park. Past Eatonville, you encounter wide, high-speed sweepers. Along the way take a short break at Alder Lake to admire the view. In Elbe, there is a gas station if you’re running low on fuel, and you can grab a bite to eat at one of the roadside inns.

From Elbe, Route 706, also known as the National Park Highway, follows the Nisqually River and cuts across a dense fairytale forest in gentle curves. Eventually, National Park Highway will deposit you at the Nisqually Entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. There are several inns and lodges here, but the real gem awaits a little further up the road.

From the Nisqually Entrance, Paradise Road takes you along the very heart of the Park twisting and doubling back on itself in dizzying hairpin turns and switchbacks. Revealing rugged mountain scenery, it’s not hard to see where Paradise Road got its name from. You may be tempted to open that throttle on this road, but because of wildlife, tourist drivers as well as other motorcycle riders, it might not be a good idea since this is a popular route for Park visitors.

Eventually, Paradise Road will meet Route 123, which will take you on to Route 410 and back to Seattle.

Puget Sound Day-Ride

13809 1st Ave S., Burien, Washington 98168

Get the full Pacific Northwest experience in 1 day! This scenic day-ride has it all: mountains, forests, coastal views, and a ferry ride! This ride has you start your journey at EagleRider Seattle. The clockwise loop of Puget Sound starts with a crossing of the Tacoma Narrows bridge, and goes through the farms and hamlets of the Kitsap Peninsula (the town of Shelton is a very good place to stop for a coffee break). Next, you’ll ride north along Hood Canal, a picturesque natural fjord, and stop for lunch in the charming seaside town of Port Townsend, at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula. Fresh local seafood restaurants abound and be sure to check out its historic downtown district, known for the many Victorian buildings remaining from its 19th-century heyday.

For the final leg of your journey, ride to Bainbridge Island and take a ferry ride across Puget Sound to downtown Seattle. Motorcycles are first-on and first-off, and you can buy tickets at the terminal. Then it’s a short trip back to EagleRider Seattle.

This relaxing day-ride is a terrific way to sample all the scenery the Seattle region has to offer. Enjoy!

Leavenworth Day-Ride

13809 1st Ave S. Burien, Washington 98168

Mountains, mountains, and more mountains is what you’ll see on this scenic day-ride! Start with a photo stop at picturesque Snoqualmie Falls, then ride through the foothills into the heart of the Cascade Range, the signature scenery of Washington state. Your destination is the mountain city of Leavenworth – a former logging & timber boom town, it revitalized its struggling economy in the 1960s by remodeling itself after a 19th-century Bavarian village. What was once a small tourist attraction is now a major vacation destination. Take a stroll down the main street, and you will feel transported to turn-of-the-century Germany, with biergartens, bratwurst, and schnitzel as far as the eye can see!

After lunch, you will return via highway I-90, up and over the forested mountains and ski resorts of Snoqualmie Pass, past the small town of North Bend (where the eccentric TV show ‘Twin Peaks’ was filmed), and back into the Seattle metro area.

This day-ride loop has plenty of miles, and impressive scenery to match. This is a great way to experience the beauty of the Cascade mountains. Enjoy!