Big views, some “techy” dirt roads, desert flowers in bloom, and hopefully dry & sunny weather. That’s the idea behind this ride in the shrub steppe near Vantage, WA. It should appeal to those wh
Big views, some “techy” dirt roads, desert flowers in bloom, and hopefully dry & sunny weather. That’s the idea behind this ride in the shrub steppe near Vantage, WA. It should appeal to those who like the desert, feel comfortable being out in remote places, and are mindful of critters (snakes) that wake up in the warm sun. Good in the Spring and late Fall.
How to Find It
The trailhead is on Recreation Drive, just north of Vantage. A Discover Pass is required for parking.
Typical Conditions
You are in the Washington desert here. Expect no shade, depending on the season few chances to refill water bottles, and a real feeling of remoteness. You may see snakes, ticks, and poison oak in the Whiskey Dick draw. Even though this is mainly on dirt roads these can be rocky, rutted, and sandy.
This is a Spring, Fall, and possibly Winter ride if conditions are right.
Turn by Turn
An accurate map is also in Trailforks.
Both, the short and the long loop stay together for the first 11 miles. The ride starts by going straight up the mellow Rocky Coulee(don’t go up the hill – you will later end your ride coming down this double track), past an abandoned ranch, but then takes a right up a steep hillside.
From the top of this first hill you should have great views of the Columbia River and the Wildhorse Windfarm behind it. Next, it’s down to the Whiskey Dick creek where a bit of route finding skills are necessary in the beginning. Follow the GPX track carefully in this portion. There is no real “trail” here – just stay up on the sidehill above the Whisky Dick drainage-the drainage is clogged with overgrowth and probably poison oak. Better to stay high and drop down later than to drop down too soon.
The Whiskey Dick drainage tees into a bigger road after 3 miles where Long Loop riders turn left, upwards, while Short Loop riders head down towards the Columbia River – which makes a good lunch spot.
The long loop goes up the dirt road north, eventually riding west on the very rocky Jackknife Ridge road overlooking the Skookumchuck creek drainage. From there, you’ll loop south and join the first portion of the route going again through the Whiskey Dick drainage.
After the stop along the Columbia you will climb climb climb and eventually enter the Ginko Petrified Forest State Park. Now you will enjoy the last three miles of moderate downhill back to the car.
You can download either GPX file here:
Short Loop: 20 miles, 3100 ft. elevation, Ride with GPS link to gpx track file
Long Loop: 37 miles, 5800 ft. elevation, Ride with GPS link to gpx track file
– Go on Export, then select TCS, GPX, or KML file format.
– No warranty, express or implied, use at your own discretion.
– Test that the file loaded correctly on your GPS device before attempting to ride.
– Do not rely solely on the GPX file. Bring maps and know how to use them.
