410 Trails - Mount Rainier
Mountain Bike Trail Guide
The 410 mountain bike trails outside of Greenwater are simultaneously some of the most scenic and most fun cross country mountain bike trails in Washington State. These trails offer some of the best climbs and descents around, with great singletrack that climbs to reveal some stellar views towards Mount Rainier. There are some flatter trails and shuttle access options for mountain bikers who aren’t as keen on 2,500’ climbs, too. The 410 trails should certainly be on the hit-list for every Washington mountain biker. Wondering where to mountain bike near Mount Rainier? Check out some of the best and most popular mountain bike trails at Mount Rainier here.
| Total Trails | 22 | Difficulty | Intermediate, Advanced |
| Total Distance | 29+ miles | Style | XC, Enduro, Shuttle |
evo's Favorite Trails
Skookum Flats & White River
Beginner/Intermediate | 10 Miles | 1,285' Climb (clockwise)| 1,851' Descent
The Skookum Flats and White River trails make a great singletrack loop along the banks of the White River. The trails themselves are smooth, with technical river rock and tree root sections mixed in throughout. Many mountain bikers simply use the White River Trail to connect the Palisades and Ranger Creek trails. Combining Skookum Flats and White River makes a nice intermediate loop, however. While riding the two trails as a loop certainly does require climbing, these mountain bike trails are more mellow than the others in the area.Suntop
Intermediate | 8 Miles | 1,463' Climb | 4,111' Descent
Suntop is one of the best mountain bike trails in Washington. The amazing views and great descent are top notch, offering a ton of fun and a nice adventure. While there aren’t a ton of technical features, the buff flow and long descents are super fun. Over the summer, some chunky, rocky sections can develop, but with speed, they are pretty mellow. Loamy trail with good lines of site make for high speed and high fun on the way down. The trail is most commonly ridden as a loop with the Skookum Flats trail, however, it can also be shuttled, eliminating the 5.6 mile and 2,725’ forest road climb required to access the trail, there is still about 1,000' of climbing after the shuttle to the top. The road climb is somewhat of a grind. Palisades
Advanced| 6.5 Miles | 872' Climb | 3,558' Descent
The Palisades Trail still has some epic views of Mount Rainier, and also has some more challenging mountain biking terrain than Suntop. This trail has an awesome variety, with great descending, technical sections, creek crossings, and great scenery. Palisades can be accessed several ways, by climbing the Ranger Creek Trail, shuttling via Forest Road 72, or climbing the 10 mile forest road, gaining 3,909’.Ranger Creek
Advanced | 1.9 Miles | 302' Climb | 1,174' Descent
The Ranger Creek trail is one of the most common climbing routes at the 410 Trails, although it rides well in both directions. This mountain bike trail is somewhat technical as it weaves through some amazing forests towards the top of the Palisades trail. Some of the switchbacks are tight and technical, challenging for riders of all abilities. Ranger Creek is a steady, unrelenting climb over the whole 4.6 mile length. This is one of the more popular multi-use trails at the area, so be aware of other trail users.Common Routes & Rides
Ranger Creek - Palisades Loop
| Total Distance | 13.7 Miles | Difficulty | Advanced |
| Elevation Gain | 4,437' | Style | XC, All-Mountain, Enduro |
| Climb | Ranger Creek | Descend | Palisades → White River (climb) |
Suntop Loop
| Total Distance | 19.4 Miles | Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Elevation Gain | 5,062' | Style | XC, All-Mountain, & Enduro |
| Climb | Road 73 | Descend | Suntop → Skookum Flats |
The 410 Trails are located about 25 miles east of Enumclaw on Highway 410, just before the access road for Crystal Mountain ski area. Parking is available in several areas, For Suntop and the north end of Skookum Flats, park at the Lower Skookum Flats parking lot, off of Forest Road 73. This is also the shuttle road. There is another parking area farther east off of NF-7160. This is the parking area for Ranger Creek. Shuttling to the Palisades is accessed via NF-72.
These mountain bike trails are located at a pretty high elevation, meaning that they are covered by snow for most of the winter. The typical riding season at the 410 Mount Rainier trails is from May or June through October. The season depends on how much snow falls in the winter, and how fast it melts out. These are great mountain bike trails to ride in the summer, because the high elevation keeps it cool.
