[thorkild]

I am going to be in Tacoma with my wife for the weekend (from Portland) and was hoping to do a ride at Captial Forest on monday (3-4 hours). We haven't ridden there before, but I am sure some of it is pretty sloppy. Any recommendations for particular rides that might be better than others this time of year? I have looked at the website for the area, I just want some more seasonal recommendations. We are happy on any type of trail short of FR and generally prefer to go down

 

[Tenacious E]

Prepare for mud. Capitol Forest this time of year can be a slog, especially if you choose the wrong trails =) Stay away from any of the "red" moto trails, and stay out of Lost Valley. Mima Porter #8 on the Porter side up to Wedekind is generally less muddy. From Fall Creek, trails 8, 50 and 6 are all pretty fun. The ride described on the website as "The Peacock" is a good one, but beware of the mudfest at the bottom. Good luck!

 

[Wrench Monkey]

Banner forest might be a better idea.

 

[J_Hopper]

If you're going to Tacoma, I'd consider the trip out to Black Diamond (Lake Sawyer). You could get there in under an hour from Tacoma and it's, in my opinion, the best riding in this area. 35+ miles of singletrack, nearly all built by mt bikers for mt bikers.