Swan Creek Loop

Dogs No Dogs

E-Bikes Unknown

Explore the best cross country and flow trails in Swan Creek Park in under five miles. This stacked looped ride will also familiarize you with navigating the one-way trails in this great urban bike park.

Start at the north entrance and follow the North Entrance Connector Road to the Swan Creek North Connector. Climb this gravel road for a short ways past the drops and head to the sign for Hustle & Flow on the right.

This easy, cross-country trail forms an outer and inner loop through the park and also serves as the framework for most of the trails. As a rule of thumb, look for "one-way bike trail" or "easier" signs at any intersections you encounter.

Follow Hustle & Flow as it winds through the trees past some optional wood features and around to the side of the hill. Here, an unmarked split in the trail provides a slightly harder rock garden to the right. Ahead, the trail nicely alternates between sections of smooth climbing and short pump-able descents.

As the trail turns left in the southwest corner of the park, it intersects with the Swan Creek South Connector before a short climb to Feedback. Head left for a fun rip along this bite-sized trail that features pumps, rollers, and deep berms. You'll end up back on Hustle & Flow just a short pedal from where you started. Head back up, Feedback is worth another go before continuing.

From the intersection with Feedback, follow Hustle & Flow to the right as the trail playfully contours along the hill. As you circle around to the north, the trail intersects with Braking Bad. This is a more challenging cross country trail with a number of mandatory log-lunges. If anyone in your party is a brand new rider, you may wish to skip this one.

Otherwise, start pedaling into the low mossy trees. Pretty soon the trail gets more challenging as the singletrack snakes back-and-forth. The log-lunges mentioned above are quite manageable but combined with a multitude of tight turns, it's a challenge to carry good speed. It'll take some time to complete all the turns, which are great practice for your cornering skills. The exit of Braking Bad returns to Hustle & Flow about 40 feet down trail from the entrance.

Head left for a section of fun, benched, side-hilling that feeds into a long shallow switchback that can be slick when conditions are wet. At the bottom of the slope hang a left between a large rock and the Murphy's Law sign. Pretty soon you'll reach the entrance to Light Rail.

Follow the switchback to the left to complete a short but punchy climb back up the hill. Your climbing effort pays off on the descent as Light Rail widens into a series of low, linked berms through the trees. A final steep berm rockets you back onto Hustle & Flow as it returns to the Swan Creek North Connector.

Follow this for a short distance and look for a Hustle & Flow sign, this time on the left.

This marks the start of the inner circle which begins with a few rocky switchbacks. You'll soon reach the Light Rail Connector if you wanted a second go at the berms. Otherwise keep going to a well-cleared opening in the trees where three jump trails start: Joy Ride, Frigid Air, and TNT. A little more climbing and you'll reach a second clearing with signs for Ground Control and Major Tom.

You'll also see some "easier" signage which leads the way. The rest of Hustle & Flow is an unchallenging descent with a few great pumping sections. Before the bottom, you'll pass Chasing Squirrels and pick up the end of Ground Control. Now that you're back in the clearing, take a moment to check out the nearby skinnies or drops.

When you're ready, head back to the Hustle & Flow sign on the left and climb to the second clearing. This time turn down Ground Control for deep berms, rolling pumps, and chances to catch some air. All of the features on Ground Control (including a road gap) can be rolled, making it a fun option for newer riders. Experienced riders will enjoy catching some hang-time as they race down.

That's the end of this ride, you can head back to you car. But I'd recommend repeating your favorite parts, checking out more of the jump trails, or exploring a few of the trails that weren't part of this loop.

When the trails at Swan Creek Park opened in 2014, they became the first mountain biking trails in Tacoma. Since then, the trails have become a popular location for locals and visiting riders.

The park was developed and is operated in partnership with Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance. Phase two of development, which was supported by REI, is under work as the trails are expanded and refined.