Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
The Dark Divide 300 is a challenging mixed-terrain cycling route that traverses the expansive ancestral lands of the Squaxin Island Tribe, Nisqually Tribe of Indians, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, and Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, through what is known commonly as southern Cascade Mountain Range in Washington State…
The inaugural Dark Divide 300 grand depart will take place on Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 7:00am from Squaxin Park, just outside of downtown Olympia, Washington. The grand depart will be open to racers and cyclo-tourists alike. Registration will open in early March.
The route begins in Olympia, Washington, on the territory of the Steh-Chass band of the Squaxin Island Tribe overlooking the southern tip of the Salish Sea, and heads southeast into the Cascadian hinterlands via the Elbe Hills State Forest. It then leads riders deep into the backcountry through a combination of unmaintained and forgotten forest roads and seldom-traveled scenic byways until reaching the Dark Divide Roadless Area, one of the most rugged and beautiful landscapes on the continent.
After traversing Juniper Ridge, riders head southwest again toward the Columbia River through the Monte Cristo Range and eventually the Yacolt Burn area before finishing in Portland, Oregon. Resupply is limited, cell phones are useless, and the terrain can be steep, rutted, and utterly unforgiving while simultaneously surrounding riders with profound and indescribable natural beauty and wonder.
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