Victoria Cycle Trip Planning

This is a 4 day bicycle trip that takes you on a big loop west from the Seattle area to the Olympic Peninsula, north through Victoria BC and the south end of Vancouver Island, east through the San Juan Islands, and finally south through Arlington and Snohomish.

• 186 cycling miles total
• 4 days, 3 nights
• About 5000 feet elevation gain
• Three ferry trips totaling about 70 miles.
• Six different trails. Only about 20% of the ride is on surface streets
• Extend the trip by staying an extra day on Vancouver Island or in the San Juan Islands

Trails:

• Day 1 starts on the Burke Gilman Trail for a few miles, then follows the Olympic Discovery Trail on the Olympic peninsula.
• Day 2 is on the Olympic Discovery Trail to Port Angeles and then follows the Galloping Goose Trail and the Lochside Regional Trail to Sidney BC.
• Day 3 is mostly a long ferry ride and then surface streets.
• Day 4 starts with 30 miles on the Centennial Trail from outside Arlington to Snohomish, and later five miles on the Sammamish River Trail to Kenmore.

Google Map of the whole trip

(Note the 256 miles shown above includes about 70 miles on the ferries, and the time should be about 16 hours of riding at 12 miles per hour)

 

Day 1: Home => Sequim Bay State Park

• 56 miles total
• Home => Edmonds Ferry – 13 miles/1 hour
• Kingston => Sequim Bay Park – 44 miles/4 hours (Google Map)
• Camping – Sequim Bay State Park – $12

 

Day 2: Sequim => Sidney BC

• 42 miles total
• Sequim to Port Angeles – 22 miles/2 hours (Google Map)

• Black Ball Ferry
  • Departs 2 PM (Arrive early for customs)
  • Arrives Victoria 3:30 PM
  • (One other daily departure at 8:20 AM)
  • $24, including bike
  • Charge devices on trip
• Victoria => Sidney – 20 miles/2 hour (Google Map)

• Unknown – where to spend the night – downtown hotel?

 

Day 3: Sidney => Centennial Trail

• 36 miles total
• Ferry Schedule
  • Departs 12:05 PM (Arrive by 11:00 for customs)
  • Arrive Friday Harbor 1:55 PM
  • Arrive Anacortes 3 PM
  • $24, including bike
  • Charge devices on trip
• Anacortes ferry terminal to Trailhead via La Conner via surface streets – 36 miles/3 hours (Google Map)

 

Day 4: Anacortes =>  Home

• 52 miles total
• Centennial Trail from trailhead to Snohomish (30 miles), then mostly surface streets home- 52 miles/5 hours (Google Map)

 

Packing

• 110V charger and cord
• Phone and Nexus tablet
• Spare battery
• Passport