Bikes are simply one of the best ways to travel and discover new places. They let you cover far more ground than walking, but you’re still going slow enough to explore the small details that make you fall in love with a destination. Seattle is no different. With some great bike infrastructure and plenty of sites to see, Seattle is a great biking city. So whether you’re cruising around town, or heading up to the hills to ride mountain bikes, get your pedal on and learn why we love to ride in the emerald city.
The first area to check out on your Seattle bike ride is the Elliot Bay trail. On one end of this multi-use trail is the famed Pike Place Market and Seattle’s downtown waterfront. Grab some snacks for a picnic here, click on your bike helmet, and hop on a bike up the trail headed north. Along the ride, you can stop at the Olympic sculpture garden or head on to the waterfront Elliot Bay Park. At the northern end of the trail, you can connect to the Ballard Locks and the cute Ballard neighborhood.
Another great bike path to check out is the Burke Gilman trail. This bike route begins at Golden Gardens park, a waterfront beach on the Puget Sound, and winds through Ballard, Fremont, and the University District before continuing almost all of the way around lake Washington. While you don’t have to ride the whole thing (or you can if you’re an avid road cyclist!), it’s a great way to connect neighborhoods in North Seattle.
For adventure seekers, Seattle has some of the best mountain biking in the PNW just a short drive out of town. Heading up I90 towards Snoqualmie Pass, there are several trail areas to explore near the town of North Bend. Duthie Hill is a great intro and both Tiger Mountain and Raging River are perennial favorites.
If you’re visiting, or even if you’re a local, and you don’t have your bike, there are many rental opportunities in the city, and you can even explore on one of the many bike-share bikes parked around the city. A lot of these have electric pedal assist to help you with those pesky Seattle Hills.
Disclosure: This content was created in cooperation with our partner evo