You don’t have to look far to find the goods in the Methow. The inner Valley’s golden foothills, serpentine singletrack and broad bunchgrass prairie pack big views and a stunning diversity of terrain within a relatively compact loop. Canyons, Coulees & Cowbells traces the rippling hillsides above Pearrygin Lake into Pipestone Canyon’s undulant dirt-track rollers, closing the circuit with a highlight reel through the idyllic grassy pine forests of Elbow Coulee and Sun Mountain.

Pearrygin Lake

Pearrygin Lake State Park’s 11 miles of multi-use trails offer panoramic sightlines of the Valley’s iconic sagebrush meadows and clustered pine forests. The Rex Derr trail’s meandering hillside lines gently trace contours of classic shrub-steppe through open meadow and pockets of forest, in and out of the treeline before climbing into the higher elevations of the Methow Winter Range and Wildlife Refuge.

Pipestone Canyon

Carved over millennia by ancient glacial forces, Pipestone Canyon cleaves the Methow Wildlife Recreation Area in two beneath towering basalt cliffs topped with rugged spires. These stark rock walls give way to rolling sagebrush hills, weaving through clusters of ponderosa pine and cottonwood, opening into broad expanses of open range for a striking interplay of presence, absence, light and shadow. Hawks circle above high cliff walls, eddying on air charged with earthy botanical notes of sage, yarrow and bunchgrass.

Sun Mountain Trail Network

The Cowbells segment of the Canyons, Coulees & Cowbells route is just one approach (of many) to the vast Sun Mountain system, which radiates out from the Sun Mountain Lodge across a mix of private property and National Forest lands. Bring a map and expect a dynamic mix of doubletrack roadbed, meandering meadow trails and moderate frontcountry flow. The Sun Mountain complex is built and maintained via partnership between EMBA’s Methow chapter and the Sun Mountain Lodge.

Methow peoples

Native Methow (sp̓aƛ̓mul̓əxʷəxʷ) peoples, named for blunt hills around a low valley, have inhabited this particular corner of the Okanogan region, from the Methow River drainage to the Columbia River Basin, for over 500 generations – that is a timespan of over 13,000 years. This territory includes today's towns of Malott, Monse, Brewster, Pateros, Methow, Carlton, Twisp, Winthrop and Mazama.

The Methow Tribe is considered part of the Plateau Culture area, based on similarities in language and culture amongst the tribes of this region. While culturally distinct and diverse, there are a great deal of shared social practices, beliefs and teachings amongst the Colville Confederated Tribes, the ancestral territories of which extend across eastern Washington and into portions of British Columbia, Oregon and Idaho. This expanse covers approximately 39 million acres as the traditional territories of the Lakes, Colville, Okanogan, Moses-Columbia, Wenatchi, Entiat, Chelan, Methow, Nespelem, Sanpoil, Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce and Palus Tribes.

Methow: Canyons, Coulees & Cowbells

51.3 miles | 5220 ft | 30% singletrack, 50% gravel and backcountry dirt track, 20% paved | 55c min – 2” plus recommended | Services in Winthrop and Twisp

The Canyons, Coulees & Cowbells loop is a meandering inner Valley mixed-terrain ride sandwiched between what can be thought of as two mountain bike rides, closing things out through the Sun Mountain trail network. Take note that Thompson Ridge adds quite a bit of punchy singletrack climbing on the back end, so despite relatively modest numbers, this edition leans into MTB climbing ratios, so plan accordingly. If you like your gravel with expansive valley views, frontcountry foothills and love digging into trail systems on drop bar bikes, this is the one for you!

Highlights

  • Smooth, flowing singletrack around Pearrygin Lake State Park.

  • Rolling golden foothills of the Methow Winter Range & Wildlife Refuge.

  • Dip your toes in the healing waters of Campbell Lake and Twisp River.

  • Pipestone Canyon. Sublime valley trails through unique geography and stunning rock formations.

  • Twisp: Blue Star Coffee, Old Schoolhouse Brewing Taproom, Glover Street Market and more!

  • Sun Mountain Trails are some of the most dropbar-friendly singletrack lines in the region. Explore with gusto.

  • Patterson Lake high-line singletrack trail skirts the lake with multiple lake access points.

  • Winthrop community trail rambletrack back into town.

METHOW: canyons & coulees

40 miles | 3547 ft | 55% unpaved dirt track and gravel, 45% paved | 42c min – 2” plus | Services in Winthrop and Twisp

The Canyons & Coulees loop is identical to the version above for the first 75% of the ride, but this edition cuts out the backend singletrack, instead meandering the gentle gravel rollers of Elbow Coulee. This option closes out the loop with a gentle paved descent back into Winthrop.

Highlights

  • Smooth, flowing singletrack around Pearrygin Lake State Park.

  • Rolling golden foothills of the Methow Winter Range & Wildlife Refuge.

  • Dip your toes in the cool waters of Campbell Lake.

  • Pipestone Canyon. Sublime valley trails through unique geography and stunning rock formations.

  • Twisp: Blue Star Coffee, Old Schoolhouse Brewing Taproom, Glover Street Market and more!

  • Elbow Coulee’s sublime, gently-rolling gravel backroads.

METHOW TRAILS

The Methow Trails system includes over 120 miles of singletrack for Nordic skiing, mountain biking, trail running and hiking. Founded in 1977, Methow Trails is committed to the long-term economic sustainability of the community and natural resource protection throughout the Valley. Through collaborative partnerships between USFS, Fish & Wildlife and a patchwork of private landowners, Methow Trails facilitates public access to this extensive network which includes backcountry epics like Angel’s Staircase and Cutthroat Pass to the entire Sun Mountain Trails system to family-friendly community trails connecting the entire Valley.

WINTHROP

Winthrop is a curious confluence of worlds. It presents like an Old West movie set, all sunbleached boardwalks and swinging saloon doors but with a premium granola-athletic sensibility. Like a Colorado mountain town in the early 80’s, the Methow is ripe with second homes and upscale lodges tucked into the periphery but prefers to lead with uncluttered rolling hills, meandering rivers and lazy pace to its comings and goings.

Twisp

Twisp is the artsy, lived-in cousin to Winthrop’s touristy Wild West facade. This is where real people live, work, eat and drink with a distinctly approachable, community-focused feel. It is also the smallest certified creative district in Washington State. Despite its compact size, Twisp has a thriving arts scene, with galleries, studios, and public art installations. The Methow Valley Community Center and TwispWorks, a cultural hub housed in a former ranger station, provide space for artists, makers, craft brewers, food trucks and more. Highlights include Blue Star Coffee Roasters, OSB Taproom, and Glover Street Market.