Back in October 2024, we asked for recommendations on bikepacking routes in Northern Washington state.

With so many good responses spread out across the state, and the ever-present Autumn threat of rain and single digit (celsius) temperatures forecasted, we quickly tossed out the idea of bikepacking. We've always been soft. Instead, we pieced together three solid day rides along the Olympic Peninsula. A series of rides we lovingly nicknamed; The Olympic Milk Run.

If you're looking for a 3-day jaunt south of the border, this is a good place to start. It's got a little something for everyone and is rideable well into shoulder-season.

These are by no means our routes, we simply enjoyed riding them. On each RideWithGPS page linked here you can find more information on each route from the creators themselves.

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Day 1: Olympic Adventure Trail

We’ve heard a lot about the Olympic Adventure Trail (OAT). People say it’s a veritable gravel-bike utopia just across the border with over 35km of uninterrupted, flowy single track (and even more if you extend the route down to Crescent Lake). Well folks, I have seen the OAT, and the OAT is good. It lives up to the hype. This is a can’t-miss route.

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Day 2: OMTM’s Big Quilcene

After staying the night in Port Angeles, we hit the road early and drove down the Olympic Peninsula to the small town of Quilcene. We got a tip from the legendary Ron Lewis of OMTM, that this route was a great mix of gradual road climbs and deep forest-bathing. It delivers.

Ron also gave us the heads up to stay at the Mt.Walker Inn. You should also stay at the Mt.Walker Inn. It’s clean, quiet, right on the route and close to a couple restaurants in Quilcene.

One note, the two restaurants in Quilcene close pretty early in the evening, and there aren’t many alternative options nearby. So make sure you’re taking that into account in your day’s schedule. We didn’t, and had to pull the plug on the route early to make it back to town in time to get something to eat.

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Day 3: Bainbridge Island ‘Local’s Only’

A truncated variation of Rick Hauptman’s legendary Dirty Chilly route. This mixed-surface route is a combination of single track, quiet roads and quirky island-style connectors. A nice way to spin out the legs after a couple of days riding, and in our opinion, a perfect epilogue for the trip.
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Thinking of doing the Milk Run? Let us know, we've got tons of additional tips and thoughts to share.

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