6 Great Bike Rides for Seattle-Area Families
Photo:
The bike path at Golden Gardens Park. Credit: John Rush via Flickr CC
3. Pedal and paddle in Ballard or Magnolia
Route: Golden Gardens Park to Hiram M. Chittenden Locks or Discovery Park, Seattle
Info: Burke Gilman Trail
Distance: 4–6.5 miles round trip
Choose your own adventure in Ballard! Start at Golden Gardens Park and ride south on a flat, scenic section of the Burke-Gilman Trail. If your fam is up for a paddle, stop by Surf Ballard on Shilshole Bay, which rents paddleboards by the hour (reserve online). After you finish with your upper-body workout, pedal to Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, where you can laze around on the lawns (a perfect picnic stop) or walk your bikes across the Locks.
If you're up for more of a challenge, wind your way up the hills of Magnolia to Discovery Park, one of Seattle’s wildest, most view-rich parks (and with a fab new playground). Ride to the park via 32nd Ave. W. and W. Government Way, where you’ll cross a funky bridge over train tracks and the Kiwanis ravine (home to Seattle‘s largest nesting colony of great blue herons). Enter the park on Discovery Park Boulevard. Note: Within Discovery Park, bikes are limited to paved roads. Do not ride on unpaved trails.
Minimum age: Any child who can ride several miles independently should be comfortable pedaling to the Locks on the bike path; older middle schoolers and teens who are comfortable with street riding (and hills) can go all the way to Discovery Park.
Snack stops: Brunch at Portage Bay Café near the entrance to the Locks in Ballard, famous for its pancake buffet.
