The Bikery's Solstice Campout at Scenic Beach

Our travel took place on the ancestral lands of the S’Klallam, Twana/Skokomish, Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, and Suquamish peoples who have stewarded those lands since time immemorial.

The Bikery has become well known for its accessible bike camping throughout the beautiful Seattle summers. This was my first time going on one of the trips and it did not disappoint. Registration for the campout took place online in the weeks before the ride, which was the weekend of the summer solstice. Registration was $5/person to cover the cost of the campsite reservations, but nobody is ever turned away from Bikery events for their ability to pay.

The ride started at the Bikery near Judkins Park about an hour ahead of the ferry departure time, and once everyone had arrived we had an introduction circle where people stated their names, pronouns, and some quirky thing about themselves. I believe we used ‘what animal you would miniaturize’, but I can’t completely remember. There were a number of first-time bike campers that showed up and it felt like the ride leaders created a really supportive environment. The ride was no-drop and people were able to go at their own pace and take breaks as needed.

We had a chain issue on the way to the ferry, but otherwise the ride proceeded without incident. The ferry from Seattle to Bremerton is long, so a few of us tucked into hot dogs and wine in the lounge. The group spread out a bit on the ferry, but it was a chill start to the day. The rest of the ride was a bit hillier than I had expected, and our line of bikes got a bit spread out as one might imagine.

We stopped at a convenience store and pizza parlor near the destination — Scenic Beach State Park — and waited for everyone to regroup before proceeding into the park. After everyone got set up it was mid-afternoon with some sunshine to enjoy the ‘beach’. On our way down to the beach we ran into another group of cyclists who had gathered to celebrate a wedding! It was super cute — the ceremony took place under an alter with the bride and groom’s bikes attached to it. So many bike nerds in one place!

We had a happy hour and playtime on the beach until the sun started to go down. Beaches in the Pacific Northwest are never that warm, so I was not adventurous enough to get in the water, but a few people did and I commend them for their stupidity.

We had a big bonfire until late-ish at night, and probably kept some of our neighbors up… Oops.

The next morning we all packed up and did a little bit of campground yoga, led by Aaron of Poseurs Yoga, before we headed back to the city. It was a sweet little refreshment to get out of the city for a short overnighter. Scenic Beach is a pretty accessible destination for Seattle-based bike camping, and if you are not going with a big group there are two hiker biker sites which are first-come first-served. I visited last year, staying at the hiker biker sites, and took a much hillier route through Poulsbo.