Panther Creek

5 Star Route / ~ Columbia River Gorge, Washington / Published July 2019 / Version 1.0 / Directions

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Cyclist on gravel road near Panther Creek in Gifford Pinchot national forest in the Columbia River Gorge area.

The ride start, a rolling gravel sector of ~ 2 miles.

Bike rider on NF-60 / Panther Creek road in Gifford Pinchot National forest.

The turn onto NF-25 / Panther Creek Road.

Flowers in bloom in the Gifford Pinchot National forest in the Columbia River Gorge area.

Flowers in bloom in early July.

Cyclist on Nf-60 / Panther Creek road near Carson, Washington.

Mossy trees and thick forest canopy.

Panther Creek from bridge near Panther Creek campground near Carson, Washington.

Panther Creek, looking south, at ~ mile 3.

Experimental Forest sign in Gifford Pinchot national forest.

Yep! You're in an Experimental Forest.

Bike on bridge at with Panther Creek in the background, near the Columbia River Gorge.

Just before mile 4, take the dirt road to the left to get this view.

Mossy tree and flower near Panther Creek in Gifford Pinchot National forest near Carson, WA.

Mossy trees and flowers.

Bike rider on paved road near Panther Creek falls near Carson, Washington.

An enjoyable climb at ~ 5% grade.

Cyclists taking in the views at Panther Creek Falls in Gifford Pinchot National forest.

Got to the falls. Happy faces!

The parking area for Panther Creek falls near Carson, Washington.

The parking area for the falls. The trailhead is across the road and to the south.

Cycling through dense tree canopy on NF-65 in Gifford Pinchot National forest near Stabler, Washington.

More climbing to be had ...

Junction of NF-65 / Panther Creek road and NF-65 Carson Guler road near Stabler, Washington.

The 4-way junction, go left here.

Cyclist on Carson Guler gravel road in Gifford Pinchot National forest near Hood River, Oregon.

The second sector of gravel, about 3 miles long.

Cyclist on Carson Guler road, paved, near Carson, Washington in the Columbia River Gorge area.

Some rolling terrain before the descent begins at mile 16.

Descending!!

Views of the mountains in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest from Carson Guler road / NF-65.

Stop, take a look! Maybe a picture.

Cyclist descending Carson Guler road with broken pavement near Carson, WA.

On the descent, use caution as there are some depressions in the road and broken pavement.

Old growth??

The parking area.

Hiker, former bike rider, on the Pacific Crest Trail near Carson, WA and wind river.

Take a short walk down the PCT to ...

Person on Wind River bridge for Pacific Crest Trail near Carson, Washington in the Columbia River Gorge area.

... the bridge over the Wind River.

The Wind River from the foot bridge along the Pacific Crest Trail near Carson, Washington.

On a hot day ... this could be refreshing!

Gravel Girl's ride metrics.

Route:

Loop | 21 mi

Gain:

2,600 ft

Surface:

25% gravel, 75% paved

Technical Difficulty:

Easier

Navigation:

Straightforward

Locale:

Remote

Tire Suggestion:

40mm+

eBike Friendly:

Yes

The Panther is just one cool cat … and so is this ride which includes meandering along and past Panther Creek, Panther Creek Falls and a whole lot of lush forest … a moderate climb up a small forest service road, then some gravel and then a down on a smaller forest service road that twists and turns and finally to the start / finish at the crossing of The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) … all in the middle of Wind River Experimental Forest which is rich in the history of forest research.

Map

Brown = gravel / dirt road

Blue = single track

Red = paved road

Purple = paved bike path

GPX Download

Credits & Acknowledgements

By Kevin English (aka: Captain ‘O’) of Team Dirty Freehub.

Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

Spring to Fall. Maybe winter.

Terrain & Riding

Just outside the town of Stabler, WA the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)crosses the Wind River Highway. This is where you park … and wave to the hikers. Now before you get any crazy ideas of riding up that sweet little trail, we kindly ask you leave your bike at your car to explore the trail. The PCT has a no bikes policy.

For your bike adventure, you head south towards Stabler on the Wind River Highway for a brief moment (0.2 mile). Turn left onto a quiet gravel road for the real warm-up, a short climb and a short descent and a bit of rolling terrain (for ~ 1.7 miles).

When you reach the next paved road, NF 60 / Panther Creek road, turn left, and shortly thereafter cross over Panther Creek. Look out for elk, turkeys, panthers and fly fishermen that share this water source.

Now, the climb of the day is about to begin. It’s a continuous climb that cuts through the Wind River Experimental Forest which was established in 1909 to answer the timeless question of how to better grow Douglas-fir trees. All the who, what, when and why details can be answered on this handy brochure.

At ~ mile 6.5 is the crown jewel of the day, Panther Creek Falls which is a short hike … More info here and here. The falls are easy to miss. Look for a large gravel/dirt pull-out on the right hand side at the base of a large rock cliff. Look for the trailhead sign in a tree about 50 yards back (south) on the other side of the road.

At mile 10 you crest the hill and now you run into gravel segment (~ 3 miles) that turns back to pavement. We know you want to rip the downhill of this tiny paved road, but keep your hands at least close to the brakes because there are a few good bumps and cracks that will remind you to dial it down. Not to mention there’s an off chance of a car coming at you.

When you return to the Wind River Highway you have two blinks to get back to your car.

The Start

Lat / Long: 45.820697, -121.912892

Dirt pull-out on west side of Wind River highway where the Pacific Crest trail crosses.

Food & Water

None

Notes & Options

Route Notes

We recommend you hike 5 minutes down the PCT trail and enjoy a nice view of the river from the bridge. Say hi to the hikers …

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