Ride the Willapa is an annual, all-ages and all-levels bike ride in the Chehalis River Valley of southwest Washington state. It’s a beautiful break from city life on a leisurely-paced bike ride on the Willapa Hills Trail, Washington state’s newest rails-to-trails project, up to 62 miles of pure countryside glory. Choose however many miles you want to ride. With checkpoints every five miles between Chehalis and Rainbow Falls State Park, there are plenty of opportunities to stretch, relax, chat for a bit and just enjoy the beauty of the trail’s surroundings. Most families with young kids opt to do the 15 miles to Rainbow Falls, camp out overnight, and return the next day. More experienced cyclists will want to go further and explore more of the trail, and checkpoints will also be placed further along as well. Tickets: $20 (Saturday only) or $25 (Saturday-Sunday), plus meals can other camping options. More info: http://ridethewillapa.com/.
But wait, there’s more! Tour de Farms also gives you an opportunity to not just enjoy the beauty of the trail and adjacent scenery, but also to meet local farmers, visit the baby animals and buy some delicious food. Make a weekend of this excursion and enjoy overnight camping. Drop your gear off at the start point, ride all day and head to your campsite — they’ll haul your stuff while you enjoy the excursion. Or finish in one day and enjoy some of the arts scene, food and more in the Chehalis and Centralia area before you head back to city life.
Leave a Reply