Tag: forest

Washington State Route 504 ‘Spirit Lake Highway’

Washington State Route 504 is the primary route into the St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. A very nice, smooth road that is made up almost entirely of wide sweepers and bridges leaping across various canyons. As there’s no industry inside the National Monument, there’s little tractor-trailer traffic to worry about or break up the pavement.… Continue reading Washington State Route 504 ‘Spirit Lake Highway’

Gifford-Pinchot Forest Service Road 52 (National – Packwood)

Are you looking for twisty? Yes? Well, we have that. Are you looking for a spot to camp alongside the road next to an alpine stream? Yes, we have that too. Are you looking for a tight, technical road with 25-30mph corners and little in the way of traffic and enforcement? Yes, we even have… Continue reading Gifford-Pinchot Forest Service Road 52 (National – Packwood)

Oregon State Route 22, the ‘Three Rivers Highway’

I rode Oregon Route 22 out of Hebo with part of our group returning to Beaverton (outside Portland) from Beaver (along 101). Oregon 22 is a very picturesque road with lots of trees and interesting geology lining it. While most of the road was 40-50mph sweepers, some of the corners were surprisingly abrupt 90-degree right… Continue reading Oregon State Route 22, the ‘Three Rivers Highway’

Washington State Route 542 “Mount Baker Highway”

This road is a real gem. The east-west section across the north end of Baker is a good 30 miles of tree-lined sweepers. Once you get to the northeast of Baker, SR 542 gets positively exciting with a succession of steeply-graded, challenging hairpin curves. The lower elevations of Mount Baker Highway are fairly typical of… Continue reading Washington State Route 542 “Mount Baker Highway”