Evergreen's Last 5 years of Advocacy = 60+ Miles of NEW Washington MTB Trail
What could you do in 5 years? In 1931 the Bureau of Reclamation spent 5 years building the Hoover Dam.
Evergreen hasn’t had its eye on building a dam, but we did see a state in need of more— and better--mountain biking. So we’ve spent the past 5 years delivering great new trails and developing a highly effective advocacy program.
This past legislative session Evergreen put itself to the biggest test yet—getting legislative funding for critical trail projects—and we were successful beyond our wildest expectations. The result marks a breakout event for Washington mountain biking with over 60 miles of new trail (that's 4 Tiger mountains!) funded. We’d call that 5 years well spent.
We want to thank Evergreen's partner agencies—DNR, Washington State Parks, King County Parks, the US Forest Service, and YOUR legislators (who funded recreation like never before)–for their support. So if you see any, let them know how much you appreciate their commitment to mountain biking.
So what do those 5 years of Evergreen work mean for you as a member? They mean heated ride-buddy debates about which amazing new trail you’ll explore first. Sorry in advance for all the bickering, but here’s what you have to look forward to:
Issaquah: East Tiger Mountain
If you’re in the Puget Sound area you’ve probably already ridden the 14 miles of epic trail that DNR and Evergreen have built on Tiger (if not, go!). You may even know that there is a descent trail and a climbing trail under construction now. But you should also know that funding is now approved for the final phase on Tiger, meaning 6 more miles of mixed riding, totaling 25 miles of purpose-built bike trails once completed. You wanted more Tiger, and you got it.
Fall City: Raging River State Forest
With a connection from a planned Exit 27 trailhead, you’re looking at about 14 miles of new XC trail to explore. That’s the same distance we currently have on Tiger Mountain, which is fitting because in the future we’ll be connecting to the East Tiger Mt. trails. While this first phase has 14 miles funded now, there is approval and long-term vision for closer to 40 miles of trail for bikes in the Raging.
Darrington: North Mountain
Just 90 minutes from Seattle on DNR land is an evolving concept for a 20-mile stacked loop including a family-friendly “trail park”. This project was made possible because of Evergreen’s efforts emphasizing the valuable economic impact for local residents. More info to come as we work out the details with DNR.
Skykomish: Alpine Baldy
If you don’t like epic views, ridgeline rides, and sun-soaked hillside, you’ll want to skip this ride. Located off Hwy 2 near Skykomish, the Alpine Baldy trail will consist of a 15mi out-and-back alpine ride. This combination of new singletrack and road-to-trail conversion on US Forest Service land is approved, funded, and ready to become one of the most scenic rides in the region.
North Bend: Ollalie Trail
Evergreen will be constructing 4.9 miles of new singletrack and road to trail conversion, as well as providing assistance for an additional 3.8 miles of road-to-trail conversion. Located on the south side of I-90 this 17 mile out and back ride will ascend 2500’ from near Rattlesnake Lake, though alpine terrain, ending close to the top of Mt Washington.
We understand that this is a lot, but there’s nothing wrong with a bunch of good news! We're just hitting the highlights here - there are other projects all around the state moving forward so make sure to watch for updates from us on these and more.
Evergreen's work over the last 5 years has meant more and better places to mountain bike, and we’re already looking at the next 5 years. In the meantime we’re ensuring that in a couple years you'll have difficult question to ask yourself … “where will I ride today!?”