Road Route

The Paradise Big Loop Road Ride

Distance	78.8 mi
Recorded Speed	15.1 mph
Recorded Time	5 hours 13 mins
Recorded Elevation Gain	6180 ft
Pete’s Difficulty Rating	2/5
Pete’s Stoke Score	4/5

Overview & Highlights

Epic views of the Mt Rainier, world class descending and exquisitely paved roads. The pacific northwest icon’s mountain area make this ride is a true classic. The first part of the ride winds up towards the base of Mt Rainier at Paradise, then down the other side on freshly paved winding high speed mountainside descents. It uses a larger highway to loop you back by taking anther scenic road that follows a cool stream on way back. Do this ride on a weekday if possible, as the traffic on the road up could get annoying. The roads are all paved well. The first part of the decent from Paradise is fresh and the lookouts are all epic. But it gets a little rough in some areas further down. Definitely recommended.

Notes & Hazards

I used the sink at the restroom at Paradise for water. There is also a large creek on the last quarter of the ride. There is a lot of tree coverage on the road back, so it will get a darker a little earlier than other roads would. As an alternative, turning around at the very bottom of the Paradise road is another good option for this route, but I’m guessing might add about 3000 ft of climbing. The road that loops around I found peaceful and relaxing, while the Paradise road is definitely more open and epic.

Ride Photos

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