Things to do / Travel Guide
Seattle and Tacoma Biking Trails
The region's cities have an extensive network of bike paths that run for miles, so there's no shortage of places for bikers to ride. One of the more prominent biking routes in the Seattle area is the Burke-Gilman Trail, which runs about 16½ miles through town. Starting at Eighth Avenue NW in Ballard in Seattle, the Burke-Gilman Trail, runs through Ship Canal along the northern edge of Lake Washington to Blyth Park in Bothell. From there it then runs for 10 miles to Marymoor King County Park, Redmond, and along Lake Sammamish. Along this route, you can occasionally catch glimpses of Mt. Rainier and Lake Washington, as well as Lake Union, the Space Needle, and the Fremont Canal.
Biking along Converted Railroads
In many places around the region, abandoned railroad tracks have been converted into all-terrain adventures trails specifically designed for bikers. For instance, the Everett-Shoreline Interurban Trail runs the 11 miles from Everett to Mt. Lake Terrace in Snohomish County. The sights along this route include the rolling hills and mountains in and around Everett, as well as the rural areas of Snohomish County. This route is particularly popular on the weekends.
Outside of the cities, there are plenty of places where you can take in the scenic nature and beauty of northwest Washington and the Cascades as you grab hold of your two-wheeler. Many of the region's state parks are home to single-track trails for cross-country biking as well as mountain biking.
Biking the San Juan Islands
Known for being mostly flat, the San Juan Islands (San Juan Island, Orca Island, Lopez Island, and Shaw Island) are a fantastic destination for avid bikers. Lopez Island has the easiest terrain for bikers while Orca Island is considered more challenging. Sights that can be seen and visited while biking around the San Juan Islands include parks, inns, picturesque villages, rolling hills, inland lakes and forests, and, of course, miles of island coastline. Generally, the trails on the San Juan Islands are busier during the weekends and holidays, especially during the warmer spring and summer months. Bikes can be rented in Anacortes, the town where ferries to the San Juan Islands leave from.
Biking around Bainbridge and Vashon Island
Bainbridge Island and Vashon Island, just across the Puget Sound from Seattle, are also popular biking locations. Even more than the trails on the San Juan Islands, these are busier on the weekends, especially during the summer.
Biking the Islands around the Olympic Peninsula
Biking through the Olympic Peninsula is a great way to experience the pristine mountains and lush forests. While cycling along you can expect to see the Skokomish River and Wynoochee Lake. Most routes in this area tend to run through the backcountry wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula, but there are a few that also run through the historic streets of Port Townsend and Fort Warden. Because the topography is so varied, the Olympic Peninsula is probably not the best place to go biking if you're a beginner. While most of the bike paths are well-worn, they are not paved, and they range from about 12-24 miles long, running almost entirely through remote wilderness areas.
Detailed bicycling maps of the northwest Washington and Cascades region are readily available from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
While all-inclusive multi-day bicycle tours can be arranged by a number of different outfitters, they usually run on the expensive side.
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