🚴‍♂️💨 Wildcat–Dewatto Loop: Favorite with Bite / Ride West Sound (Moderate)

📍 Where to Meet: 
We’ll gather at Wildcat Lake County Park (free parking), where you’ll find my white Sprinter van—your beacon for the ride (see location map above). Be there, ready to roll , at the time listed above. A required safety briefing will be held before rollout, and all riders must attend to participate.

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The Ride West Sound’s Wildcat–Dewatto Loop: Favorite with Bite is a 49-mile scenic endurance route through the forested backroads and quiet coastal inlets of West Kitsap County. A longtime favorite among local cyclists, the route blends challenging rolling terrain with peaceful Northwest scenery, including views near the West Dewatto Public Shellfish Beach and the shoreline roads surrounding Hood Canal. Expect approximately 3,100 feet of climbing—about 63 feet of elevation gain per mile—across relentless rollers, punchy ramps, twisting descents, and a few extended recovery sections. Several climbs pitch into the 6–10% range, while multiple descents are fast, narrow, and technical. This favorite has a bite: a famously sharp downhill hairpin that demands full attention, controlled speed, and safe rider spacing!

Restrooms are available at the start and along the route at Wildcat Lake County Park, Elfendahl Pass Staging Area (mile 15), Port of Dewatto (mile 29), Camp Union Saloon (mile 45), and at the finish. PLEASE NOTE: Elfendahl Pass and Port of Dewatto only provide pit toilets and NO POTABLE WATER. Reliable food and water services are not available until Camp Union Saloon, so riders should arrive fully prepared with sufficient hydration, nutrition, and supplies for this remote route. Depending on overall group pace, regroup timing, and weather conditions, the ride may last four hours or longer.

Climbs and descents will be ridden at individual pace levels, with periodic regrouping to help keep the ride connected and flowing smoothly. As always, please ride respectfully and safely around traffic, pedestrians, and fellow trail users. On shared-use paths, posted speed limits (typically 10–15 MPH) and courteous riding practices will be observed.

🚴 Did You Know?
In Dewatto, where salty inlets meet rich tidal flats, butter clams and littlenecks have fed generations of locals and tribal communities. At low tide, tiny water squirts often reveal where clams are hiding beneath the sand—a longtime local trick passed down for generations. If you ever return to explore, bring a shellfish license, check the tide tables, and experience one of the Pacific Northwest’s oldest coastal traditions.

⚠️ Please bring:
* Plenty of water
* Lunch and snacks
* Spare tube and flat repair tools
* Phone and photo ID
* Cash or credit card
* Weather-appropriate layers

📌 If roads are wet, full fenders are strongly encouraged to help keep the group comfortable and safe; otherwise, riders without fenders may be asked to ride near the rear of the group.
📌 If weather conditions meet the weather cancellation criteria listed in the Weather Status, or if unforeseen hazardous riding conditions or unexpected events arise, the Ride Leader may cancel the ride.
📌 If canceled at least two hours before the start, Ride Leaders will not be present at the start location. Please check ride status updates before departing for the ride.

We hope you can join us for a strong day rolling through West Sound! 😅 
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