Biking the Olympic Discovery Trail from Sequim to Port Angeles

Welcome back everybody to Sequim Vacation blog,

With our most recent post 'Sequim Summer Vacation at Best Monthly Rate', we invited everybody from the hot summer state to spend a cool summer vacation in Sequim at our vacation rental.

When you like the Great Outdoors and love being outside walking, hiking, biking like we do, you will love Sequim at first sight. This is not the X-Games. Sequim vacation is for everybody, young and old, the strong athlete or the weekend 'warrior'. Activity levels all depend on what you are up to. The moderate temperatures during summer definitely help to feel good with anything you do in Sequim and the Olympics. Here is our latest activity challenge.

Saturday morning, we decided it's about time to take up the challenge and ride our bikes from Sequim to Port Angeles on the Olympic Discovery Trail, which crosses close-by at Carry Blake Park. Here are a few facts for those who never heard about the Olympic Discovery Trail.

Some Trail Facts

The Olympic Discovery Trail has its history in the old railroads since much of the route is located on historic grades built in 1914 and 1915. Half of its 22-mile way from Sequim to P.A. runs along old railroads. Currently 34 miles are completed with more than 30 miles under construction. Just imagine, eventually, the Olympic Discovery Trail will run nearly 125 miles from Port Townsend on the Puget Sound to LaPush on the Pacific Ocean!

Our Olympic Discovery Trail Adventure in Photos

Saturday morning 10am start of our 22-mile bike ride to PortAngeles from Sequim.

1. Photo:

Eagle Habitat taken from trail entering Railroad Bridge Park. We met our friend Bob with his trike who tells us that he encountered some strong head winds going further down the trail past Railroad Bridge.

2. Photo

Wonderful ever-changing mountain views seen riding the trail westwards. Wind is blowing strong, against us!

3. Photo

Stop at Robin Hill Park for short break and warming up in the sun. We are both in shorts and feel the wind chill factor!

4. Photo

More beautiful scenery with wild flowers (see photo) and lots of bright yellow Scotch broom (looks nice but is invasive weed, my friend Sue told me) from trail leading now along Old Olympic Hwy.

5. No Photos

We did not take any photos of 2 - 3 gulches and steep inclines at other sides, where we had to push our bikes. At this point, we decided to keep going, even though a return half the way along, would have been much better - getting the wind from the back! Well, we followed our destination!

6. + 7. Photo

After 2 hrs biking, we are arriving at the open ocean or better: the Straits of Juan de Fuca. What a difference after riding through the woods for so long. Smelling the fresh ocean air. Enjoying the new scenery. Port Angeles is still 5 - 6 miles away. We take a break in the sun.

7. Photo

The last leg of the Olympic Discovery Trail runs all along the ocean into Port Angeles Harbor. It is a beautiful ride but be aware that the trail is mostly in the shade. With the strong winds facing us, we longed for some long pants on this part of the bike ride.

After about a 3-hr bike ride from Sequim to Port Angeles with several stops resting, drinking water and taking photos, we arrived at the new Gateway bus stop in PA, a few yards from where you enter the Harbor. We were extremely lucky that the Sequim bus was still there and even our bikes would fit on the front bike rack. All for $1.50 for the 15-mile ride from PA to Sequim. It was feeling sooooooo good to finally sit down, relax and be proud of our accomplishment of biking the Olympic Discovery Trail. When we can do, so can you! Give it a try on your next Sequim vacation.

Tags: bike from Sequim to Port Angeles, Sequim vacation, best Sequim things to do