CYCLING TRAILS

Seattle City Tour

Enjoy all the highlights of the city in less than 3 hours on a 6 mile cycle ride around Seattle through the Central Business District, South Lake Union, the Seattle Center, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square and Chinatown. Bikes, helmets and water are provided. $64.96 per person (£49.97*)

https://www.seattle-cycling-tours.com/SeattleBicycleTour.html

Seattle and Bainbridge Island Tour

Or, explore further and take the 16 mile ride around the main city centre and cross the Puget Sound by ferry to Bainbridge Island which regularly features in Greys Anatomy on TV! Bainbridge Island is one of the crown jewels of the islands scattered around the Salish Sea and Puget Sound and is the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula. It's 29,000 residents inhabit an evergreen covered island approximately the size of Manhattan. This five-hour adventure was named by Bicycling Magazine as one of the 10 best guided rides in the USA. Bikes, helmets and water are provided. $163.30 per person https://www.seattle-cycling-tours.com/BainbridgeIslandBicycleTour.html

Mount Rainier National Park

Visit Mount Rainier National Park which is one of the highest mountains in the USA, nearly as high at Mont Blanc. Mt. Rainer is around 2.5 hours' drive from Seattle. Take in both challenging and scenic cycling routes ranging from 5 miles to 20 plus. Select routes to suit, from dirt tracks to rainforest and a sub-alpine lake. Climb high or stay low, there is ample choice for all levels of cyclists. Alta Crystal Resort can provide a good base from which to explore and also offers bike hire at $20 (£13.38) for three hours. http://www.altacrystalresort.com/activities/explore-on-a-bike

https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/bicycling.htm

https://visitrainier.com/activities/summer-activities/biking/mountain-biking/

Free Group Rides Around Washington State

The Cascade Bicycle Club arranges many world-class bicycle tours throughout the year across Washington State and in Seattle. These include free group rides tailored to suit their customers' requirements. From short day trips to challenging endurance rides, there are many different routes, varying in length and terrain. A magazine and calendar of rides is available online at https://www.cascade.org/about/pedal-wa and details of the free rides at https://www.cascade.org/rides/free-group-rides

 HIKING TRAILS

Seattle FREE Walking Tours

Seattle's only pay-what-you-feel tours have a range of hikes and schedules such as a 1 hour Market Experience, a Historic Seattle and a Seattle True Crime Tour. Reservations are recommended. Check out https://www.visitseattle.org/partners/seattle-free-walking-tours/

Hidden Lake Lookout

This 8-mile round trip trail is located in the North Cascades National Park and accessed from North Cascades Highway 20. It starts at Hidden Lake Trail, 15 miles from the town of Marblemount and its highest point is over 2100 metres. The hike offers fantastic scenery stretching from wildflower meadows and dense forests and occasionally passes through or over streams to eventually access 360-degree views of an immense area on a summit of the North Cascades. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/hidden-lake-lookout

Check out the new Cascade Loop road trip video for a flavour of the scenery at https://vimeo.com/285182073

Trail of Two Forests in the South Cascades

In the South Cascades forests, 8.5 miles from the town of Cougar, the Trail of Two Forests begins at the National Forest Development Road. This short, half mile round trip leads hikers through forests in the South Cascades to the famous Mount St. Helens volcano. Three-dimensional imprints of trees in the old lava beds called lava casts in the Lava Cast Forest contribute to a great adventure for families and the trail is wheelchair-friendly. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/trail-of-two-forests

Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier

Head to the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park where a million acres of stunning wilderness offer endless hikes from Pacific Ocean beaches, through moss-laden ancient rainforests, to the famous mountain backcloth to Seattle - Hurricane Ridge. There are endless options for hikers, from easy short accessible routes to multi day adventures. https://www.olympicpeninsula.org/

Hike the Dungeness Spit on the Olympic Peninsula

This 6.8-mile strip of land is the longest natural sand spit in the United States. At low tide, visitors can trek by foot all the way to the Dungeness Lighthouse, where they can take a free tour of the lighthouse (open daily 9am - 5pm). The Dungeness Spit is part of the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge, which hosts over 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals and eight species of water mammals. https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/trail-guide.htm

For further information on visiting Seattle and Washington State visit www.Seattle-WashingtonState.co.uk 

* Exchange rate applied £1: $1.30