Happy Valentine's Day! Here is a photo album of 10 romantic biking destinations known for their scenery, abundance of water vistas and most importantly, off road paths that let you hold hands with your honey.
1. Acadia National Park
Bar Harbor, Maine
Just off the coast of Maine lies Acadia National Park, home of several charming small towns, and the carriage road network of off-road trails that were built by the Rockefellers for the purpose of wowing their guests with natural splendor. It still works.
Rentals: Acadia Bike
Lodging: Mount Desert Campground, Bar Harbor Motel
Acadia Carriage Road
Acadia's Carriage Road bridges funded and built by Rockefeller. Photo by biciakblogspot.com
2. Netherlands' North Sea
The Hague to Dunes
With a stately park serving as your gateway out of the city, the LF1 bike path eventually runs you through the natural area of the dunes along the North Sea. The bike path is first-rate (of course... look where you are), the beach is just over the stairways that traverse the dunes, and plenty of paths cut inland, should you choose to head to a small town for food.
Rentals: Du Noord Bicycles
Lodging: Hotel Restaurant Duinoord
The Hague's Scheveningse Bosjes is a park providing a grand entrance to the Dunes.
Netherlands' Dunes. Photo by holland-cycling.com
Netherland's Dunes LF1 bike path along the North Sea. Photo by Holland.com
3. Great Allegheny Passage
Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC
Over 340 miles of car free path that takes you gently downhill from urban Pittsburgh, through Pennsylvania's wooded interior to urban Washington D.C. in quiet bliss.
Travel Guide: Bikabout's Guide to the GAP and C&O
Bike from Pittsburgh to DC completely off road on the Great Allegheny Passage.
Historic bridges along the Great Allegheny Passage.
4. Bay Shore Bikeway
San Diego, CA
13 miles of car-free riding along the beach, under palm trees, with plenty of food and drink options at your disposal.
Travel Guide - Bikabout's Best of Bikeable San Diego
Bike Maps - Stay Chocolatey, San Diego, A Day By the Border
Bay Shore Bikeway is accessible via a bike friendly ferry.
Silver Strand Beach lines the Bay Shore Bikeway
5. Twin Cities Greenways
Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN
Minneapolis has miles of "bike highways" making side by side riding easy peasy.
Former grain mill rail lines that have since been converted to intra-city greenways connect most everything to most everything else here, meaning you can easily bike together to a great meal, a microbrewery, and then home, all with minimal on-street riding.
Travel Guide - Bikabout's Best of Bikeable Minneapolis
Bike Maps - "2.5 Days to Wander by Bike", Craft Beer Bike Ride, Public Art & Public Parks, Cultural Meander, Artabout
Free cultural bike map and "2.5 Days to Wander" travel guide.
Green spaces and interesting architecture galore as biking eye candy in Minneapolis.
6. Canal de l’Ourcq
Paris, France
Beginning in the northeast of Paris, this path follows the Ourcq River for 67 miles out of town, taking you past Paris's industrial and suburban outskirts and into the quiet woods along the canal.
20 miles from Paris to Claye-Souilly
Travel Article - A Soft-Pedaled Escape from Paris
Rentals: Paris a Velo C'est Sympa
Return train station to Paris: Villeparisis
Canal de l’Ourcq
Canal de l’Ourcq. Photo by Pline
7. Sparta-Elroy Trail
Sparta to Elroy, Wisconsin
America's first rail-trail project, and still one of the best, this trail features easy grades, quaint towns, and three cool, dark stone train tunnels - the longest of which is over 3/4 of a mile long.
Rentals: Elroy Sparta Website
Lodging: Amil's Inn, Franklin Victorian B&B
One of three large tunnels that the Sparta-Elroy trail passes through. Photo by TravelWisconsin.com
Owners of the Amil's Inn located near the Sparta-Elroy Trail. Photo by David Reeck
8. La Route Verte
Quebec City & Montreal, Quebec
Over 3,000 miles of bike paths traverse Quebec, including Montreal and Quebec City. Everything is here - the mountains, farms, woods, and cities that are cultural gems in their own right.
Rentals: Cyclo Services (Quebec City), Fitz & Folwell (Montreal)
Lodging: Hotel des Coutellier (Quebec City), Le Petit Hotel (Montreal)
Quebec countryside off la route verte, an off road bike highway. Photo by velo-quebec.co
Quebec City is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
9. Vineyards of Sonoma County
Sonoma, Santa Rosa and Healdsburg, CA
Quiet back roads and an extensive bus network that has bike racks makes it much easier to cover Sonoma Valley by bike than most realize. The scenery is golden and perfect in a way that few places outside California can compete with, and the refreshing pit stops are world-class.
Rentals: Spoke Folk (Healdsburg)
Lodging: h2hotel (Healdsburg), Inn at Sonoma
Sonoma County is filled with the best wine and beer in America. Photo by winefolly.com
Relaxed biking through Sonoma. Photo by Inspirato
10. Danube River
Austria
Probably the most popular bike path in all of Europe, and for good reason. It connects Passau in Germany with Vienna, with the downhill direction (towards Austria) being the overwhelmingly popular direction. Probably the most scenic of all the routes we've listed.
Rentals: Danube Cycle Path directory
Scenic and stress free Danube River. Photo by macsadventure.com
Danube River biking. Photo by lovethybike.wordpress.com
