Redmond, Washington is the quintessential Seattle suburb. A new park centers a vibrant downtown with local ice cream (Molly Moon’s) and beer (Post Doc Brewing, among others) within walking distance. It has a good little trail network and a bike park. Oh yeah, and it’s the international headquarters of Microsoft, heard of them? Maybe not the most likely place to start your overnight bikepacking adventure, but you’ll soon see that there is more to the area than meets the eye.

Heading out of town, the first 4 miles follows the paved Sammamish River Trail. This popular commute and family route is the perfect place to warm up and work out any gear issues. But don’t get lulled into a false sense of security by the flat riverside beginnings of this route because the challenge starts literally around the corner.

Your first taste of dirt and climbing will start together about 4.5 miles in, as you turn east onto the Tolt Pipeline Trail. This trail follows (you guessed it) the Tolt Pipeline, which brings fresh water down from the Cascades into Seattle. As you might guess, utility access does not prioritize fun curves or manageable switch-backed climbs. Your first test is one of your most difficult: Heart Attack Hill, aka a quarter-mile of unrelenting 16% climbing. Kudos to anyone who rides that with a loaded bike! After another 5 or so miles of wide, undulating gravel road through suburban neighborhoods, you get your first taste of single-track.

This section of fun, smooth, twisty singletrack goes through Trilogy (a 55+ community) and the Redmond Watershed Park. Please note that the trail on this route is the only one in the watershed open to bikes. Every trail on this route is multi-use, so always ride with caution and kindness. This section is grin-inducing fun the whole way through, and you’ve earned that after all the climbing! The very end is flat and real bumpy, and after going through a gate, you’ll be back on the pavement for just a couple of miles. You pass a grocery store and shopping area here, so snack if you’re hungry. A fast and fun road descent drops you into the Snoqualmie Valley, where you ride across the river towards part 2 of the Tolt Pipeline Trail. This rich agricultural valley (which you’ll be camping in tonight) gives the route its very creative name.

Round 2 of the Tolt Pipeline Trail will look pretty similar to round 1, with more trees and less degrees (of grade, I know that rhyme was a stretch). You will have growing views of the Cascades on a clear day, though this is as close as you’ll get to them. The end of the gravel road brings you to Lake Joy, a wonderful little lake that you get to ride around on your way to a winding, relaxing gravel descent back into the valley.

On this overnight adventure, you’ll get to stay at the underrated Tolt MacDonald Park campground. On the east side of the river are pull-through sites with full hookups and a bathroom with plumbing. These are harder to reserve though. However, walk across a rad suspension bridge to the west side of the river to find more secluded camping, including some great hiker/biker sites right along the river. These are pretty out of the way, which won’t be a problem for you on your bikes! There are also some reservable yurts and one shipping-container tiny house (these are hard to reserve and have a two-night minimum). Luckily, Carnation has a grocery store and a couple of restaurants, so there is no need to carry meals at any point during the ride if you don’t want to. Have some fun at camp playing on the river bank or exploring the trails above the campgrounds.

This next climb is a slog. It isn’t too steep or long, but it makes up for being really boring and exposed to the elements. The only saving grace is that you are on a paved, off-street path rather than mixing with traffic. However, turn north through the golf course on the top to find the least expected gravel and singletrack bit on the whole route. You will quickly go from a suburban snooze fest (with great views) to some tricky descending. It’s got steep; it’s got rocky; it’s got tight, sometimes two of those at a time. But overall, it’s a smooth and enjoyable way down the other side of Snoqualmie Ridge to rail-trail #2 of our route.

That descent drops you conveniently onto the Preston Snoqualmie Trail, part of the Mountains to Sound Greenway (Google it). This mostly paved trail has some steep bits and wacky routing, but everything will be alright if you follow the posted signs. A short section along the road connects you to the Issaquah Preston Trail, bringing you some sweet, sweet relief from the pavement and taking you to the final and largest challenge of the whole adventure.

I’m not gonna lie to you (or anyone about this or anything); this is a straight-up mountain bike trail. You’ll find twisty single track with rocks and roots both up and down the whole way through. If that sounds like your idea of fun on mile 50 and day 2 of a bike packing trip, then take that right turn up the hill. Otherwise, stay on the Issaquah Preston Trail all the way into the city of Issaquah and pick the route back up there. If you’ve taken the plunge, you’ll find a trail as rewarding as it is difficult. The climb is challenging in an interesting and engaging way, and you don’t get to relax on the exciting descent either. The top of this climb is the top of the route as well (mile 59, 1,090 ft). You’ll find Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park at the end of the Grand Ridge Trail, where you can test exactly how far your loaded gravel bike can go on mountain bike trails, drops, and jumps.

A lumpy, busy paved road with a good shoulder leads you to a steep and very fast road descent into the main shopping area of Issaquah. There are plenty of food options along the route, but you are also oh so close to the end. You’ll pick up the smooth gravel Lake Sammamish Trail and take that all the way back to Redmond as the perfect victory lap/cool down. Local bike advocates have been arguing with rich lakefront landowners for years to get that trail finished. Thank the bike advocates by giving them some of your money (cascade.org, wabikes.org). All of a sudden, you are back in Redmond (self-proclaimed bike capital of the northwest). Revel in the satisfaction, meditate on the feeling in your legs and heart, breath in the accomplishment, breath out gratitude, then go to Black Raven Brewing and grab a beer.