Matt Terry, a riding buddy from Florida, planned to travel out West with his family, and he always trailers his two Ducati Diavel Stradas so he can explore backroads. With an extra bike in need of a rider, he invited me to join him after his family returned home.
We made plans to ride for two weeks, working our way through Montana, Idaho, and Washington, and then up into Canada. I flew from my home in Arkansas to Salt Lake City. Matt picked me up at the airport, and we drove to Missoula, Montana.
Trips with Matt often involve long days in the saddle. When we add in stops for photos, days often stretch into the night. But that allows me to photograph at the best time of day – during the golden hour close to sunset.
We stowed the trailer in Missoula and headed west on U.S. Route 12, summiting Lolo Pass as we crossed into Idaho. We stayed on U.S. 12 and followed the Clearwater River for most of the ride to the twin cities of Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Washington.
Scan the QR code above or click here to view the route on REVER
The ride across Washington was spectacular, both through the mountains and across the Channeled Scablands, a relatively barren area crisscrossed by deep channels in the bedrock known as coulees. The landscape was scoured out by cataclysmic mega-floods from the enormous Glacial Lake Missoula during the last ice age.
About 50 miles west of Clarkston, we left U.S. 12 and crossed the Snake River on State Route 261. The sun was low in the sky, creating perfect light. The sun struck a tall steel-trestle railroad bridge just right, and I was compelled to stop for a picture.
Our next stop was Palouse Falls State Park, where the Palouse River flows across the rugged Scablands and plunges 200 feet into the canyon below. I photographed the falls, the people around the falls, and “Rocky” the marmot playing on the rocky cliffs. As usual we spent too much time photographing and arrived at our hotel in Kennewick well after dark.
Our primary destination the next day was the east side of Mount St. Helens, but we took a long route so we could explore the Columbia River Gorge. We motored along State Route 14, wound along several backroads, and crossed the Columbia River into Oregon to see the spectacular Multnomah Falls. The double-tiered falls are a natural wonder, plunging 620 feet and viewed from either the bottom or from an arched bridge across the falls about halfway up.
See all of Rider’s U.S. West motorcycle rides here.
We crossed the Columbia again on the Bridge of the Gods, where the Pacific Crest Trail continues from Oregon into Washington. We took SR-14 along the river to State Route 141, where we turned north and climbed into the mountains. National Forest Routes 23, 90, and 25 took us to America’s most famous volcano: Mount St. Helens.
To get to the Windy Ridge Viewpoint, we rode across an otherworldly landscape covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash. We arrived at the golden hour, and as usual, we stayed longer than we planned, in awe of the scenes spreading all around us. It was worth it, but I didn’t relish the thought of riding through the inky blackness that comes with being out so late deep in the Cascades.
Fortunately, the Clearwater auxiliary lights on Matt’s Duc lit up the road ahead. We rolled into Packwood late and found our motel, hungry but spiritually satiated. We ended our long day at a bar-and-grill across the street, savoring frosty beers and some of the best burgers we’ve ever eaten.
From Packwood, we rode U.S. 12 east to Yakima, State Route 821 north along the Yakima River, and U.S. 97 north to Leavenworth. The road was winding and the scenery gorgeous. Wildfires in the Northwest blanketed the area with smoke, casting an unusual glow on Leavenworth, a charming town modeled after a Bavarian alpine village. We stayed at Mrs. Anderson’s Lodging House, which is conveniently located next door to Blewett Brewing, which serves craft beers and gourmet pizzas.
The riding and scenery in Washington had been fantastic so far, but it got even better on the fourth day when we made our way west on the North Cascades Scenic Highway (State Route 20): 144 miles of dramatic riding through the heart of the breathtaking Cascade Range, 30 miles of which runs through North Cascades National Park. The pavement was in excellent condition, and the mountains often soared high above us on both sides.
We crossed onto Whidbey Island via the beautiful SR-20 bridge across Deception Pass, and we spent the night in Oak Harbor. The next day, we caught a ferry over to Port Townsend and continued into Canada. But our four days traipsing across Washington are at the top of my list of the most unforgettable days ever on a motorcycle.
See all of Rider‘s touring stories here.
Washington Motorcycle Ride Resources
- Washington Tourism
- Lewis Clark Valley (Clarkston, WA and Lewiston, ID)
- Palouse Falls State Park
- Multnomah Falls (Oregon)
- Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
- Packwood
- Leavenworth
- North Cascades National Park
- Whidbey Island
David Bell makes his home in rural northwest Arkansas in the heart of the Ozarks. He has been a photographer and writer for nearly 50 years. Visit CruiseTheOzarks.com.
Thanks for the article – and the pictures! This is just what I needed right now; something to keep me inspired while Winter keeps a grip on us. Spring is just around the corner. Yes!
Great writeup! While most of the notoriety for PNW riding goes to the PCH, it is the inland of Washington and Oregon that I believe is as fun and interesting as anywhere in the USA.
I think I’ve ridden most of the roads in this great article. I have lived in Washington most of my life and I can understand Mr Bell’s satisfaction with his choice of routes. Oregon and Washington combined have world class riding to compete with any found in Europe. In my humble opinion. And if you get tired of those areas, just pop up into the Canadian Rockies.