Olympia to Centralia

Olympia has one of the most extensive bike trail networks in the Pacific Northwest. Three interconnected trails constitute 50 miles of car free cycling.

I recommend riding this segment starting from Olympia because ending in Centralia allows you to grab a bite to eat or drink while you wait for the train back to Portland, and there are no services at the Olympia station.

Start by catching the train from Portland to the Olympia/Lacey station. I learned the hard way that the Olympia/Lacey station is in the middle of nowhere when I decided to do a day trip from Portland to check out Olympia. I was told that there is a bus that runs hourly from the station to downtown Olympia, about 40 minutes away. The roundtrip in the cab cost me almost $100 dollars.

For the bike trip, however, the trail begins almost immediately from the station. If you are looking to do the simple 35 mile trip, I would just head west to the Chehalis-Western trail, and then make your way south along the former rail bed for an awesome 15 miles of dedicated bike trail.

Once you get to the end, you can opt to go the two miles east into Ranier or continue on to Tenino where the bike path ends. From Tenino, it’s a beautiful country road all the way into Centralia.

The streets of Centralia are lined with older buildings giving it a western feel. It is a big antique shopping destination, but my recommendation is to hit up the McMenamins Olympic club for some food and eats. The train station is just across the street so it makes for an easy stumble back to the train for your return to Portland.

Addon Option 1

If you don’t mind adding 10 miles to your trip, you can head to downtown Olympia from the train station. The Olympia Woodland trail connects the station to Olympia more efficiently than the bus trip I mentioned earlier. Leave the station, and cross the tracks. One of the more interesting details on this trail is a bike roundabout at the junction of the two trails. Take the trail west to Olympia.

Like most state capitols in America, Olympia is an unremarkable City. The capitol itself is the classic Roman temple design, but all the other buildings in town are stoic concrete egg crates. The capitol grounds are worth a visit, especially the view from the lake below.

There are several trails that will take you around the waterfront, which is the furthest southern reach of Puget sound. Unfortunately, the city doesn’t do much to take advantage of that view. Once you’ve explored town, you can head back to the Chehalis-Western trail and continue to Centralia.

Addon Option 2

If you’re interested in doing a ride that is closer to the 60 mile range, and you just can’t resist riding as much of this expansive bike trail network as possible, you can head north to the end of the Chehalis-Western trail One of the more interesting details on this trail is a bike roundabout at the junction of the two trails. Take the trail north to Woodward bay.

There is a short ½ mile hiking trail, or you can just continue on the loop along the road to Olympia. You cannot bring bikes on the trail, but there is a bike rack you can lock to. If you decide to skip the hike, you can still see the creek just past the park as you head across the bridge.

Once in Olympia, see Addon 1 to return to the trail.