Ride length: About 2 miles each way.

Scenery: This ride takes you between two gorgeous Seattle must-sees—a beautiful Puget Sound beach on one end and some prime boat, water, and salmon-watching on the other—along a wide, grade- and landscape-separated bike path. On the way, you get views of industry and waterfront homes alike.

Please note: There’s one railroad track crossing (but it’s well marked). There can be a lot of runners and other pedestrians—sometimes with running strollers—to watch for, since the Burke-Gilman is a mixed-use trail. It has a little bit of an abrupt ending by Golden Gardens, but it’s at a relatively easy-to-navigate all-way stop.

Ride length: 6.2 miles each way.

Scenery: This ride takes you from one waterfront park to another. This route runs right along the water for large stretches, but also goes along the beautiful University of Washington campus, past Calvary Cemetery, and along the posh neighborhoods of Laurelhurst and Windermere for optimal sightseeing.

Please note: Cyclists and runners share the Burke-Gilman, so keep an eye out and practice good etiquette. There are also a few busy traffic crossings, especially around UW, although both car and pedestrian crossings are well-marked around there.

Ride length: 1.2 miles in a loop.

Scenery: You’ll be in the arboretum, so you’re going to coast past some beautiful sights, including Lake Washington, the colorful Azalea Way, and lush evergreens. It’s lined with plenty of benches cast in a style from the World’s Fair if you need to stop and smell the flowers.

Please note: Cyclists are asked to observe a 10 mile per hour speed limit out of respect for pedestrians and runners. You’re probably going to want to avoid using an e-bike.

Ride length: 1.2 miles each way.

Scenery: Much flatter and more protected (and prettier) than its counterpart that has existed on Dexter for years, this bike path is bounded by Lake Union and Westlake Avenue for a fun ride that feels like city biking but still has some fun views (including houseboats).

Please note: It’s along an active parking lot on one side, so keep an eye out at intersections—and also for pedestrians crossing the path.

P.S.: This trail connects easily to the Burke-Gilman in either direction after crossing the Fremont Bridge.

Ride length: About 3.5 miles each way.

Scenery: This is one of our favorite trails—it heads through the Olympic Sculpture Park, then through Myrtle Edwards and Centennial Park, combining gorgeous beach and city views with industrial scenery. Once you pass the parks, you end up on a protected track through a trainyard. This trail just had a few updates as part adjacent Expedia campus construction, so if you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s a good time for a return visit.

Please note: There is one little bump of hill on a narrow section of the trail where you’re technically supposed to dismount, but we have observed very few people dismounting.

Ride length: About 2.5 miles each way, depending on where you start.

Scenery: The quintessential beach boardwalk ride in Seattle, this ride takes you past a long stretch of beach with multiple viewpoints along the way—and beachy businesses on the other side. If you’re looking to meander around the sights, don’t miss the West Seattle Cultural Trail.

Please note: This is a mixed-use trail, and gets very busy on weekends with everyone from walkers to rollerbladers, including kiddos.

Ride length: About 4 miles each way (although you can take the light rail back).

Scenery: Start in Beacon Hill with the neighborhood greenway through Jefferson Park, then hop on the Chief Sealth Trail just past the VA hospital for a grassy trip underneath towering power lines with giant South Seattle views, winding through quieter South Seattle neighborhoods and gardens.

Please note: Bear with us—we have a lot of notes. We promise it’s worth it.

This route is used by walkers pretty often, especially seniors. Sometimes there’s a lot of passing room, but other times it’s harder to navigate courteously. Just keep your eyes open!

You’re going to have to pop over a few city streets in this ride, but walking is always an option for these parts of the trip. This is also a bit hillier than other rides on this list, but it’s a great chance to practice brief hillclimbs on smooth paving without a car riding your tail—and the views make for an incredible payoff.

If you’d prefer to stay on the Chief Sealth Trail the whole ride, there are a couple of other transit-oriented starting points: Start the trail at the very beginning by taking the 60 or 107 to 15th Avenue S and Snoqualmie, or take the 36 and hop off at Jefferson Park or the VA hospital.

There’s also limited official documentation for this trail, but Seattle Outdoors Info has a step-by-step guide with photos and a Google Maps route. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways also has some clear resources and a map that includes the neighborhood greenway. Seattle Bike Blog also has a pretty clear map of the greenway.

P.S.: You can ride the Chief Sealth Trail all the way to the Rainier Beach Station and even Kubota Garden, although the trail gets more difficult after Othello Station (more starts and stops, more hills, less paving, less wayfinding). If you have a lot of energy to burn after you get to Othello, though, keep on going—the garden is an extremely satisfying (and beautiful) destination.