Ride Overview

Embark on a Thrilling Adventure in the Mt. Adams Backcountry

Discover the awe-inspiring beauty of the East side of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, renowned as the Mt. Adams Backcountry and one of the top destinations for mountain biking in the Pacific Northwest. Join us for a day of exhilarating rides and breathtaking scenery as we explore this spectacular area.

Starting Point: Begin your adventure from our meeting location and drive 20 minutes to our first shuttle drop at East Canyon Trail near Takhlakh Lake.

East Canyon Trail: Ascend westward on East Canyon, including a short bike/hike-a-bike to reach the high point. Enjoy unparalleled views of Mt. Adams from the summit before descending a sporty trail, perfectly bermed for modern mountain biking, to the 2328 road.

Squaw Creek Descent: Transition to Squaw Creek, a thrilling trail that offers fall line descending through the Squaw Creek Drainage and serves as a perfect end to Part 1 of our ride.

Lunch Break: Reunite with the van, take a dip in the river, and refuel with food and beverages before continuing the adventure.

Sunrise Road Shuttle: Travel to the Upper Sunrise Parking Lot for a massive shuttle to the ridgeline on Juniper Ridge.

Juniper Ridge to Jumbo Peak: Begin a short but stout hike-a-bike to reach the ridgeline on Juniper Ridge, then head south towards Jumbo Peak. Marvel at the majestic white mountain goats as you pass through their summer home and enjoy stunning views of Mt. Adams, Rainier, and Hood.

South Juniper Ridge Descent: Experience a thrilling descent down South Juniper Ridge, followed by a ride into Dark Meadow Trail all the way to the valley floor.

Post-Ride Celebration: Ford the river and gather for well-deserved refreshments and storytelling, celebrating an incredible day on the bike.

Trip Details:

  • Duration: 10 hours pick up to drop off
  • Trail Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced.
  • Recommended for: Adventurous riders seeking challenging descents and unparalleled views in the Mt. Adams Backcountry. Consider pairing with Strawberry Mountain for an unforgettable weekend of mountain biking adventures.
2024
TRIP DATES:
8/25
1 Day Guided Trip

$149

Per Person / Per Day
BOOK NOW
E-BIKE FRIENDLY

Distance

(per day)

Ascent: 2,500’
Decent: 6,600’
Mileage: 17 Miles

Day Trip Includes:

  • Professional Guides
  • Shuttles/Transportation
  • A Ride You’ll Remember

MAKE IT A WEEKEND

Pair this with Strawberry Mountain the Day Before

Click Here to Book Strawberry Mountain

Meeting Spot 

We’ll be meeting at the Junction of the 23 Road and Sunrise Road 2324.  Detailed instructions come with your booking.

Shuttle Departure : 9:00 AM

Please arrive 15 minutes early.

CELL PHONES:  DO NOT WORK HERE, Have an offline MAP available for reference. 

PURCHASE AREA MAP
Juniper Ridge on Trailforks.com

Ride Description

We’ll be riding on the East side of The Gifford Pinchot National Forest and what we call the Mt Adams Backcountry.  This area is a major contender for best places to ride in the Pacific Northwest.  We’ll start our day from our meeting location and drive 20 Minutes to our first shuttle drop to East Canyon Trail, close to Takhlakh Lake.  From here, we’ll make our way west up East Canyon, that includes a nice little bike/hike a bike to get to our high point.  From the high point and on a clear day, you have the Best place to view Mt Adams, staring you down and offering a great look at this amazing volcano.  From here, we have a sporty decent, created by motos and perfectly bermed for the Modern Mountain Bike.  We descend our way to the 2328 road and what is essentially a road to trail conversion until we hit the top of our last descent before lunch on Squaw Creek.  Squaw is a sweet piece of trail that links up with our lunch van and a scrappy connector that offers some nice fall line descending through the Squaw Creek Drainage and a great way to end Part 1 of the day. 

We’ll link up with the van, have the chance to dunk in the river and grab some food and beverage.  From here, we’ll make our way to the Sunrise Road for a massive shuttle to the Upper Sunrise Parking Lot.  We’ll exit the vehicle and immediately start a short but stout hike a bike to reach the ridgeline on Juniper ridge.  We’ll head south towards Jumbo peak.  Between Sunrise Mountain and Jumbo peak is mostly rideable, with short sections of hike a bike to get us to our high point and the start of our final descent on Dark Meadow.  If we keep our eyes open and with some luck, we should be able to see some of our friends, the majestic white mountain goats, as they graze the land and watch us mountain bikers pass through their summer home.  After we catch our breath and our last view point of Mt Adams, Rainier and Hood, we’ll hop on our bikes for a massive descent down South Juniper Ridge and right into the Dark Meadow Trail all the way to the valley floor.  A little river ford, and before you know it, beer will be in hand and stories will be told.  Come on our for this incredible day on the bike.  If you are around for the weekend, consider pairing this with Strawberry Mountain the day before.  We’ll see you out there!

Mt Adams

23° Humidity:38% Clouds:4% Wind (W):47mph clear sky
Thursday, 03/28 26°FFriday, 03/29 26°FSaturday, 03/30 29°FSunday, 03/31 31°FMonday, 04/01 37°F