Lowell-Larimer Bike Ride

This two-wheel journey takes a pastoral route into the very heart of the Snohomish River Valley -- with plenty of eats and drinks at the end of the road. Add this one to your GPS device, because the road less traveled is always the route worth going.

Distance: ~24 miles/38.5 kilometers

So. I have an old guidebook to bicycling in Western Washington that dates back to the 1970s. One of the routes that it calls out is a pastoral loop around the Snohomish River Valley, tracing farming roads and riverside byways.

Fast forward to today.

This is still a great route. And, weirdly, it seems somewhat lost in time, as though five decades haven't intervened between the height of the 1970s bike boom and today. The Lowell-Larimer Road is still lined by quiet farms on one side and fern- and maple-covered hills on the other. Dilapidated barns give the ride an eerie, Southern Gothic feeling.

A cycle-friendly round trip through the Snohomish River Valley.

What's that? You love the aesthetic of William Faulkner's Absolom Absolom and you enjoy a brisk countryside pedal sesh? Complimented by a blue sky and clouds as if hand drawn by Miyazaki? (I'm really trying to do the vibe justice here, go with it).

Cool. Let's go.

Rotary Park at Lowell River

Full disclosure: it's my job to try and sell you on Snohomish County. Fair enough. So I want to use my superlatives conservatively. With that in mind, let me tell you that Rotary Park in the Lowell District is an amazing park. You'll want to take time to stroll under the trees next to the Snohomish River. But for now, find a parking spot. Just up the hill is the beginning of the Lowell-Larimer Road.

Start (and end) here - Rotary Park at the Lowell District in Everett, WA

You're in Lowell now (check)... so where, exactly is Larimer? Well, it's not on any current maps. But it used to be a crossroads located up the river valley. The single-lane road to Snohomish is filled with gently rolling hills that look out on farmlands and the foothills of the Cascades. It's easy to see why this route is favored by cyclists.

En route, Snohomish & the turnaround

Weather-worn barns. Rugged farmhouses. U-pick blueberry farms. Hot sir balloons. Keep one eye to the road, but don't forget to take in your surroundings. There's a natural turnaround at Springhetti Road (see map), which conveniently shoots you downhill into Snohomish proper.

A word about Snohomish. This little riverside city is the natural outgrowth of its environs. If you enjoy the rural idyll, then you may want to stop by the Spada Farmhouse Brewery for a pint. Or peruse the antique and boutique stores that feature reclaimed barn implements and upcycled wood. Of course, you likely won't be able to haul your treasures back to Everett by bike, but maybe you can come back later to scoop your finds.

From Snohomish, cross the little green bridge over the little green river and take a left onto the Lowell-Snohomish River Road. This smooth, flat road will take you past flower farms and cows, train trestles, cottonwoods, and, of course, the Snohomish River.

Arriving back to Rotary Park at Lowell River you realize the road less taken has proved to be the perfect perspective; that the view from the seat of a bicycle brings the world into focus as you feel the wind on your face. The zen of cycling.

Perfect.