Lewis River Details

Riding Area

Lewis River
Trout Lake, Washington
Difficulty Rating

Blue rate
Trail Type

Singletrack
Bike Type

AM, XC
Trail Usage

Multi-use
Direction

Both Directions
Popular direction shown
Climb Difficulty

Black Diamond
Physical Rating

Hard
Season

Spring, Summer, Fall
eBike Allowed

No
TTFs on Trail

Berm, Rock Face, Rock Garden
Global Ranking

#30802 in Mountain Biking
Local Popularity
5 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 5 in Trail Running
- 5 in Hiking
Year Opened

2014

This all-singletrack river trail along the Lewis River in southwest Washington holds its own and is a great all around summer ride. Be sure to take in the views of the lower, middle, and upper falls at the northern end of the trail.

Need to Know
The ride as described below is a true out-and-back singletrack route that traces the the adjacent river. It can easily be set up as a point-to-point shuttle or be done as a loop by utilizing FR 90 to start or end the ride. The trail sees high mountain biker and hiker traffic on weekends throughout the summer. Sections of this trail are very steep or traverse exposed slopes. Made more difficult by the creeks running through, which means some sections are always muddy.

Description
From the small parking area off of FR 9039 on the east side of the river, ride across the bridge and access the south trailhead on the right. From south to north the trail climbs at a mild grade as you ride against the flow of the Lewis River with great views of the water along the way. The tread is varied with fast, smooth segments combined with intermittent short, technical root-packed sections. As you ride through the shady old-growth forest you'll encounter constant short ups and downs as the trail crosses several creeks and streams that feed the river.

Just prior to the 10-mile mark, the trail crosses FR 90 and leads to the Lower Falls Campground. As you continue north take in the views of the lower, middle, and upper falls of the river - any of which make a great spot for a lunch break. Shortly thereafter the trail ends at FR 90 where you can turn around and retrace your route (or to make up some time you can return on FR 90 to the southern trailhead).