Green Mountain State Forest, Washington
Posted by Andre Ball | Tags: Cheap , Routes & Rides , Washington
I credit Grant Petersen and the Rivendell website for inspiring me to combine two things I enjoy, biking and camping, in the form of a S24O (sub 24-hour overnight). (See this great piece on Rivendell's website on "bike camping vs. touring"). I live in Seattle and one of my favorite bike camping destinations is Green Mountain State Forest. (Download a pdf map of the area from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.)
The trip to Green Mountain from Seattle begins by taking the Seattle-Bremerton ferry from Colman Dock, the crossing takes about an hour. From Bremerton the ride is 11 miles on paved roads and 2 miles on gravel/dirt roads. The roads transition from city to rural quickly as you gradually climb from sea level to about 1200’ at the camp.
Pack light, you don’t need much for an overnight.
My trusty camping companion, a Surly Long Haul Trucker
Supplies can be purchased along the way.
The actual camping location is the Green Mountain Horse Camp. The campground is settled amongst fairly dense forest that is more mature than much of the surrounding land, which has been logged more recently. It is free to camp here and there are tent spaces, picnic tables, and fire rings. Backcountry horsemen donate time and materials to maintaining the site so please be respectful of their efforts and pack out anything you packed in. (Check the calendar on the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington's website if you want to avoid any large events). There are pit toilets and there is a hand pump well that is posted as “For Stock Only”, however I have filtered and boiled water from the well before, so drink at your own risk or pack all of the water you need in by bike. I suggest making a loop of the figure-8 that runs through the camp area to see the selection of sites.
There are picnic tables, fire rings, and ample bike parking at the Green Mountain Horse Camp.
Once you have set up camp, you have the option of riding your unloaded bike 2.5 more miles up to the summit of Green Mountain.
Climbing to the vista in Green Mountain State Forest
Green Mountain is one of the tallest points on the central Kitsap Peninsula so the views are uninhibited by terrain for many miles. From the viewpoint you can look east and see Seattle with the Cascades behind or Look west and see views of the Olympic Mountains. It’s well worth the extra climb to the top. If you and your bike are up for some mildly technical single track there is a trail near the viewpoint that takes you back down to the horse camp (as an alternative to the road).
Looking back from the vista to Seattle.
Back at the camp the tables and fire rings make an accommodating night out. After making dinner, watching the fire die out, and crawling into your sleeping bag, you can fall asleep away from the city lights and noises you left behind a few hours before.
In the morning you get to look forward to descending all of the elevation you climbed the day before and can be back to Seattle well before lunch.
An annotated Google map of the route and viewpoint
View Green Mountain S24O in a larger map
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