Located in the Puget Sound’s San Juan Islands, Orcas Island has some seriously fun mountain biking trails. While islands and mountain bikes may not be synonymous, the shuttleable downhill trails on Orcas’ Mount Constitution may just be some of the best mountain bike trails in Washington. The mountain bike trails on Orcas Island are located in Moran State Park. Most of the best mountain bike trails are only open in the winter months, from October 15th through May 15th, although there are trails open during the summer, too. The San Juan Islands are typically more dry than mainland Washington, making Orcas Island one of Washington’s best winter riding destinations.
   

Total  Trails	19	Difficulty	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert
Total Distance	29 miles	Style	XC, All-Mountain, Enduro, Freeride

   

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Winter-Only Trails

Power Line Trail
Expert | 3.1 Miles | 1,920' Climb

When people talk about the awesome shuttle accessed downhill mountain biking on Orcas Island, they are talking about this trail. The Power Line Trail , or just Power Line, is more than three miles of trail that descends 1,900’ from the top of Mt. Constitution back down to the campgrounds at Cascade Lake. Power Line is a burly, yet super fun trail filled with jumps, gaps, and hips. This trail is rated for expert mountain bikers.

Cold Spring to Twin Lakes AKA North Trail
Intermediate | 3.6 Miles | 697' Climb | 1,659' Descent

This trail has some of the best all-mountain and cross country riding on Orcas Island. The Cold Spring to Twin Lakes route is made up of mostly narrow singletrack, with a great descent when ridden in a clockwise direction. The trail starts about two thirds of the way up the Mount Constitution Road from Cascade Lake. The trail ends at the Twin Lakes, at one end of the Beginner Mountain Lake Trail.

Summer Trails (Open All Year)

East Boundary Trail - Scout DH - Cascade Falls Trail - Mount Picket DH
Intermediate | ~5 Miles Total 

In the summer, this small southeastern corner of Moran State Park remains open for mountain bikes. While the rides aren’t as epic as the other trails on Orcas Island, they are still fun. The Cascade Falls Trail is the main summer access point. Stay right at the fork to access the East Boundary Trail, which has an awesome downhill, followed by an tough grunt of a climb back up. At the northern end of the triangle of year-round bike trails is the Mount Picket DH Trail, which is short, but one of the steepest trails on Orcas.
 

Wondering how to get to the Orcas Island mountain bike trails? Orcas Island is accessed via ferry from Anacortes. Be aware that over-height vehicles (think bikes on a roof rack) have to pay an additional fee for the ferry. Most mountain bikers camp at Moran State Park when riding on the island, making for a nice weekend getaway, for those not camping, or staying elsewhere on the island, there are day use parking areas, where a Discover Pass will be required. Directions to Moran State Park are well signed throughout the island. It is possible (and much cheaper) to ride onto the ferry in Anacortes and bike to Moran State Park, this is a 13 miles one-way ride, with a pretty grueling climb from the town of East Sound up to the park.

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Orcas Island is more dry than mainland western Washington, making it a great winter mountain biking destination. It can definitely rain or even snow here in the winter, however. In the summer, the mountain bike trails at Orcas Island are dusty, but fun. On the southern trails, which are the only trails open to mountain bikes in the summer, there can be a lot of stinging nettles, so long sleeves are recommended.
 

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