7 Most Bike-Friendly Towns in Washington
Since it began ranking states by bikeability, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) has picked Washington for its top spot in every year but one. Infrastructure, funding, encouragement, policies, and programs are some of the criteria that the state aced to repeatedly and proudly display that belt (or chain?) of bike-friendliness. Although sizeable cities like Seattle, Bellingham, and Redmond aided the victories and earned separate titles as bikeable communities, some of Washington's smallest settlements also earned pedal medals, whether from the LAB or other cycling organizations/experts. Discover seven such Washington communities that are petite in population but big on being bike-friendly.
Anacortes
Anacortes is a small city on Fidalgo Island that connects to the rest of Washington via various forms of transportation. Though famous for its ferries, Anacortes buzzes with bicycles thanks to myriad trails, including one that connects to Bar Harbor, Maine, on the other side of the country! The Guemes Channel Trail takes pedalers along the waterfront from downtown Anacortes to the vicinity of the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. The Tommy Thompson Trail winds around Fidalgo Bay, providing bikers with natural and industrial sights elucidated by interpretive signs. The Northern Tier is an approximately 4,300-mile ride across America that takes approximately three months and, depending on the year, begins or ends in Anacortes. Diverse routes such as these earned Anacortes a Bronze distinction for bikeability by the aforementioned League of American Bicyclists.
Buckley
Each year, the nonprofit organization PeopleForBikes ranks American cities based on bikeability. Forty-eight Washington cities made its 2024 list; Buckley, which houses just over 5,000 people west of Tacoma, was ranked fourth. It reigns close to supreme thanks to Mount Rainier, the legendary stratovolcano that welcomes—and slightly intimidates—cyclists. Rainier provides excellent views and terrain, especially via the Foothills National Recreation Trail, a paved path that cuts through Rainier's foothills from Puyallup to Buckley. But, that 21-mile route pales in comparison to the one taken by bikers during RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day). This annual event brings several hundred cyclists to the Buckley area for a 150-mile ride that rises 10,000 feet. The craziest part of all? It is done in a single day. Do you have what it takes? If not, cheer on the bikers between burgers at Bootleggers Bar and Grill and beers at Elk Head Brewing Co.
Sequim
Another city minted Bronze by the League of American Bicyclists, Sequim and its 8,000 residents sit on the Olympic Discovery Trail, which is considered "Washington State’s premier destination for non-motorized touring." The ODT runs for 130-some miles along the top of the Olympic Peninsula, treating bikers with majestic mountains, spectacular seas, ravishing rivers, and winsome woods. Sequim has a biking culture to reflect its ODT access. The Sequim Bicycle Alliance organizes a variety of group rides, which have included Spoke Folks (a 20-mile jaunt from the Sequim Community Church), Women on Wheels (a safe expedition around the Dungeness River Nature Center), and Thursday Night Gravel Rides (20- to 30-mile excursions hosted by the Sequim Bike Studio). The Alliance even organizes many days of activities for National Bike Month in May. See what they have in store for next year.
Ellensburg
Ellensburg earned a Silver designation from the League of American Bicyclists and made Redfin's list of the 10 most bikeable cities in Washington. It is home to about 19,000 people, a significant portion of whom pedal to work thanks to the bike-friendly infrastructure. In 2017, Ellensburg became one of the smallest communities in America to build a neighborhood bikeway. The 7th Ave Bike Boulevard spanned 1.7 miles and connected several neighborhoods upon completion. Of course, Ellensburgians also pedal for recreation and have many paved and rustic paths to choose from. These include the Manastash Ridge Northface Ride, Reecer Creek Road, and Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail.
Coupeville
Despite being a town with roughly 2,000 residents, Coupeville was named the third-most bikeable Washington city by PeopleForBikes. Even more surprisingly, Coupeville sits on a legitimate island well off the coast. Yet Whidbey Island is Washington's largest and arguably prettiest isle, so Coupeville is a hub for people looking for an off-shore paradise to pedal. It not only has relaxing waterfront routes lined with quaint shops like the Kingfisher Bookstore, but it neighbors some of the wildest inland trails calibrated for expert riders. Many of them wind through the Fort Ebey State Park/Kettles Trail system totaling dozens of miles. Moreover, Coupeville is one of the waypoints on the Tour de Whidbey, an annual event that takes cyclists all around Whidbey Island. They can choose from six routes starting from a 10-mile "Family-friendly" tour of Coupeville and its surroundings all the way to a 162-mile "Whidbey POWER" adventure across the entire isle.
Blyn
Though located just seven miles from Sequim, Blyn deserves separate recognition as the home of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe (or should that be reversed?). In 2015, Jamestown S'Klallam became the first tribe in America designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Like Sequim, it earned Bronze largely because of the ODT. "Our regional trail system, the Olympic Discovery Trail, is seamlessly incorporated into our tribal operations and we welcome the public to enjoy the tribal trail sections," Jamestown S'Klallam chairman W. Ron Allen told the Peninsula Daily News. While riding on the ODT through Blyn and tribal lands, make sure to stop for some cultural sightseeing at the Northwest Native Expressions Art Gallery and numerous totems.
Port Townsend
Yet another community on the Olympic Discovery Trail, Port Townsend, is the highest-ranked Washington city on PeopleForBikes' 2024 list. It also ranks as the 33rd most bikeable American city and the 95th most bikeable global city. Besides being the start or end point of the ODT, Port Townsend's bike-ability derives from downtown infrastructure, such as the Larry Scott Memorial Trail and traffic light bike detectors, plus cycling businesses, such as The Broken Spoke and PT Cyclery. Port Townsend also earned a Silver distinction from the League of American Bicyclists. With a population of roughly 10,000, this "city" is the smallest in Washington to win that award.
Though Washington is a well-established biking mecca, its big cities like Seattle and Bellingham cycle much of the motorless traffic. However, bikers would be wise to skip suburban sprawl for the sundry roads of rural Washington. From the Foothills National Recreation Trail in Buckley to the Tour de Whidbey in Coupeville to the Olympic Discovery Trail in Port Townsend, small-town Washington can provide all the charm of big-city biking with a fraction of the traffic.
