September and early October are generally the best times to visit Mount Rainier National Park on a bike. Fall colors abound and fewer visitors mean the roads are clear of cars, although many facilities and services are discontinued or reduced in scope after Labor Day. Biking equipment in or near the park is very limited. It would be wise to be equipped to make minor repairs on your own.
Road and touring cyclists will find park roads quite challenging, as they are steep, narrow, winding, and have unpaved shoulders. There are several significant elevation gains and losses.
The road from the Nisqually Entrance in the southwest corner of the park to Paradise is 19 miles one way with a gain in elevation of 3,400 feet. Travel from the northeast park boundary to Sunrise is 20 miles with an elevation gain of 3,650 feet.
The Redmond Cycling Club sponsors RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier One Day), an annual bicycle ride in July in which 750 cyclists test themselves on the 154-mile course with 10,000 feet of total elevation gain.
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