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With little preparation into day zero of our journey from Seattle to San Fran, we were left staying on the outskirts of the city in a place called Bremerton. But that was okay, it set us up for a faster jump on the road for day one of our actual PCH cycle trip.
Seattle to Shelton, Washington is the second of nearly 30 daily diaries of our cycle trip from Seattle to San Francisco.
If you missed day zero, getting to Seattle, you can read it here. Each post in this cycle series will contain our daily journal entries that we kept via Track My Tour, photos captured throughout the day, and the exact route, duration, and elevation gains for the given ride.
Read Our Complete Guide to Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway Here
Let’s dive into Biking the Pacific Coast Highway, Day One, Seattle to Shelton, Washington.
Cycling Seattle to Shelton, Washington
Leaving Seattle, you would think there would be better routes to take for the Pacific Coast Highway. We were thinking there would be signs or something giving us some sort of direction, but nope, nothing. We put the closest point on the coast into our GPS and hit the road.
This proved both interesting and potentially dangerous.
We simply took off, assuming we would run into little towns and such along the way, but our 50+ miles for the day left us camping in the middle of nowhere just outside of Shelton. We enjoyed our proper boondocking experience down a dirt road, however, we were concerned with our limited amount of water as we turned in for the night without knowing when our next refueling station would be.
Biking Seattle to Shelton Day One Quick Facts
- Miles // 51.28 miles
- Saddle Time // 5 hrs 6 min
- Elevation // 1,355 feet
- Accommodation // wild camping
- Water // none
- Food // none
Our Total Gear List for Cycle Packing
Pacific Coast Highway Day One Journal Entry
Tuesday 4 Aug 2015 21:17
DAY 1: Well we made it to our campsite, which really isn’t a campsite. We are sleeping on some old forest logging roads in the middle of Shelton, WA county area. It’s nice. We played frisbee, cards, and had a nice meal.
As we look back on our first day, the sites were beautiful. It was very nice and easy-going despite the wind that picked up around 1 and was at our heads till we stopped around 4.
We cycled 51.2 miles and had an elevation gain of 1,355ft for the day. Overall we are at 74.38 miles.
Cycler’s Tips for Seattle to Shelton, WA | PCH Day 1
- Seattle to Shelton is a long day on the road with very few places to stop and grab food or water. Be sure you’re prepared with two days worth of food and water before you hit the road.
- You can camp for free in any national forest service area or BLM land. Just be sure to leave no trace, packing out all your garbage with you. Learn more about camping for free here.
- Today is a big and exciting day.. but don’t let the excitement make you do too many miles. Ride until you’re feeling you need to stop. Wild camping can be done in most parts of this ride.
- Tomorrow, day two of the cycle trip, you’ll be able to stop at a small gas station where the owners are used to allowing cyclists to fill up water from a hose. They know there aren’t any water sources in the area, so they’re happy to help!
More on Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway
Cycle Rules in Oregon | A Bicyclist’s Manual
Did you know, in Oregon, as a cyclist you’re technically considered a car and must oblige by vehicle road rules? Use that knowledge as the confidence to take over the lane when there’s not a safe shoulder and really own the road!
Our Complete Guide to Biking the Pacific Coast Highway
This post contains our gear list, all our daily journal entries, FAQs on cycling the PCH, and downloads to make your PCH cycle trip easier!
Next Daily Journal Entry on our Pacific Coast Highway Bike Tour
Interested in seeing what the next day of the tour holds? This post is for you! In this post, we share about getting from Shelton to South Bend, Washington. We finally hit Highway 101, but not without running into trouble first.
Previous Daily Journal Entry on our Pacific Coast Highway Bike Tour
Getting to Seattle, exploring the city for a bit, and leaving due to full capacity at all the hotels in our price range. Day zero didn’t go as planned, but we made the most of it anyways!
Camping for Free on your Bike Tour
Interested in learning more about camping for free on your bike tour? We’re sharing ways to find free camping, what you need to know about free camping, and even our favorite places!
Have questions about day one, Seattle to Shelton? Need a bit more information about the trip as a whole? Or have a better place to camp than what we did?? We’d love to hear from you.. start a conversation below!
