You can also get to the gardens from the light rail station, it's just 10-15 minutes to walk there.

word, thanks

I use parentheses. (They make things harder to read.)

Another option for the enthusiastic and able cyclist is the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. It is stunningly beautiful. I rode on it today and I pretended I was riding a country road in France in 1926 or something. Also, it takes you directly to Snoqualmie Falls.

Doing it as a loop is about 80 miles, which is a pretty big ride.

If you're really into riding your bike, here's how to get there from Seattle:

Take Burke Gilman north out of Seattle.

Connect with Samammish River Trail and follow that South towards Marymoor.

Right before you get to Redhook, hang a left and take the Tolt Pipeline trail east.

The Pipeline trail heads straight over the ridges, so if you're on a road bike, you may need to walk the bike up and down the steepest grades, otherwise you're fine.

When the Pipeline trail ends, take the little private road on your right down to the Valley floor. I'm not convinced that you're not trespassing here, but whatever.

Turn right on West Snoqualmie Valley Road.

Turn left shortly thereafter onto 124th and cross the river.

The trail crosses the road right at the roundabout, left takes you to Duvall, right takes you to the Falls.

This bike ride is fucking awesome but you have to be pretty serious about biking to be able to pull it off while enjoying yourself. Here's a map, too:

http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=42…

That's odd that it ends at 51st Ave s. There's no reason it couldn't go on at least through Skyway. It starts to get a little dicey around Renton - not bike friendly at all. And of course you'd want to bypass the Creston-Nelson substation.

That line goes all the way to Cedar Falls, which is along the strangely named John Wayne trail. I don't know where it goes from there.

There are SERIOUS hills on that ride that my descent did not take me up--I did not like it one bit!

I don't understand which trail intersects. The John Wayne trail/Iron Horse trail starts at Cedar Falls as you mention, but that starts way out along I-90. I rode the first 19 miles up to the tunnel which is now closed. It's a gravel trail. If it were not for all of the tunnel closures, the trail goes all the way out towards Spokane.

i'm sorry, but that trail is pure suck

i was excited about its possibilities too but it really is unpleasant

ride light rail to tukwila, bomb down s 154th under i-5, switch to the north sidewalk along southcenter blvd, and hop on the green river trail/interurban trail for a nice, flat loop with not too much traffic, etc. the green river trail will be closed to cyclists very soon (until flood season is over), so do it while you can.

btw if you insist on riding the sealth, try this - take light rail to beacon hill, ride to the trailhead, then ride downhill on the trail to near the end - to the rainier beach sta. catch the train back to beacon hill, and repeat.

little to no uphill

trains

but you'll also probably get bored after doing it only a couple times

They gave me one of the new bike trail mini-maps at the Red Square photo shoot after the UW Campus Walk-In - nice design - folds and fits in your pocket with less fuss.

@11 do you know where else we can get these?