One of the best ways to experience the outdoors and arguably one of the funnest things to do in Seattle is to go mountain biking. One of the reasons mountain biking is so great is because it is so accessible. There are numerous trails that are suitable for all types of skill levels. I mean, with the Olympics on one side and the Cascades on the other, the hard part can be actually picking one to ride.

There are many websites out there that can give you a good idea on where to go for some good mountain biking trails, but if you’re interested in some ideas for some good trails right away, you can check out the following (most of these are within 20 minutes of Seattle):

1. State Edward State Park – I’ve been to this park numerous times with my kids and not only is there a fun playground for them, but there is a nice trail that’s perfect for both beginners and intermediate riders. There are some drops and rises but overall it’s pretty good.

2. Banner Forest – This trail is accessible by ferry what could be more fun for your kids than taking their bikes on the ferry and riding to the trail from the dock. That’s pretty cool! There are over 20 miles of trail at the park so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

3. Soaring Eagle – This trail is located fairly closer to the Cascades. There are a lot of intersecting trails and it could be easy to get turned around, but what’s great is that there are maps of the trails at almost every intersection (too bad every park doesn’t include these). This trail is a little tricker so you might want to make sure the riders you’re going with are a little more skilled, but it’s a fun place to ride.

There is another trail that isn’t strictly a mountain biking trail located throughout Seattle. It’s called the Burke-Gilman trail and goes all over the place: through Fremont, along Lake Washington, and even through the campus located at UW. It’s a paved trail so there’s nothing worry about in regards of drops or jumps.

So what if you want to mountain bike in Seattle but don’t want to bring your bike with you on vacation? Well, lucky for you there are tons of places all over the region where you can rent mountain bikes. Once you figure out where you’re staying, it’s just a matter of asking around for a local bike shop and you’ll be able to get what you need without any problems.