Seattle’s Alki Trail – Unsurpassed Beauty (on a clear day)

By Richard Fox

West Seattle’s Alki Peninsula sticks out into Puget Sound like a thumb, and offers the best views east to the Seattle skyline including the Space Needle and the waterfront districts from the cruise ship terminals to the shipyards.  The Alki Trail follows the shoreline of the peninsula providing the best views Seattle has to offer, from Mount Rainier, to Seattle, the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound islands, and then Mount Rainier again.  The main part of the perfectly flat trail is only 3 miles long each way, most of which has separate paths for bikes and peds.  Dining choices abound, from the famous Salty’s, to a dining district with numerous water-view restaurants of all types. Alki Beach is one of the city’s most popular.   Access the area by car or transit via the West Seattle Bridge, or take your bike on the King County Water Taxi that leaves from the main Seattle waterfront.  Extend the ride to the west, by heading south on quiet waterfront streets, and a seaside sharrowed thoroughfare through a residential district.  To the east, trails lead on a separated bike path across a bridge that provides fabulous vistas, and an option to follow an on-road route to downtown and the waterfront district.  We typically ride halfway across the bridge to take in the view that can include Mt. Rainier.  On a sunny day the ride is so spectacular that you will stop frequently for photos.   It’s a great way to start or end the day, a fabulous bike and brunch ride, and at up to 15 miles with scenic extensions, a fairly good workout.

The water taxi takes you and your bikes between the Alki Trail and the Seattle Waterfront district.

Most of the 3-mile portion of the main Alki Trail is nicely separated for bikes and peds.

Washington State Ferry and Space Needle, as seen from Alki Trail.

Olympic Mountains beyond Puget Sound, looking west from Alki Trail.

Cycling east on the Alki Trail with Seattle skyline in the distance.

Continuing around the peninsula to the west on surface streets.

Bike paths continue, here crossing a bridge over Puget Sound.

Mt Rainier, seen from the bridge at the south end of the trail.

Even at night the Alki Trail enchants. This is a similar scene as the daytime shot of a ferry passing in front of the Space Needle.

The Sammamish River Trail in Seattle to Wineries and a Brewery

In Seattle, long connected riverside trails create a cycling paradise, especially when the weather is fabulous, like it is most of the summer. While the Sammamish River Trail that runs between Bothell and Redmond is not as spectacular as coastal trails, it provides 11 uninterrupted miles through rural landscape along a pleasant though stagnant river. In Bothell it connects to the Burke

Sammamish: One of the many trails along pleasant rivers in the suburbs of Seattle.

Typical section, Sammamish River Trail.

Chateau Ste Michelle Winery and amphitheater.

Columbia Winery is another destination in the cluster of facilities.

Red Hook Brewery’s patio is a great lunch stop along the trail.

Gillman Trail that leads west all the way to Puget Sound, and in Redmond’s Marymoor Park it connects to a trail (currently being paved) along the east side of Lake Sammamish. Plenty of dining options are available in Redmond and Bothell, however the highlight is at Mile 5.5 in Woodinville where the Red Hook Brewery, Columbia Winery and the magnificent Chateau Ste Michelle Winery (& amphitheater) are accessible via a short spur trail. This is also a popular cycling destination from Seattle via the Burke Gillman Trail to the Sammamish.