Some of us are hard-core, year-round bikers.
But the arrival of fall brings cool, crisp weather that brings out even the casual biker in all of us.
Whether you’re a hard core biker or an occasional cruiser, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better place to ride your bike than metro New Orleans.
And as though things couldn’t get much better, the City of New Orleans just announced a brand new 11 mile bike path through Algiers.
We can’t wait to ride it! So let’s celebrate by going through our favorite bike paths in metro NOLA!
Here Are Our Favorite NOLA Bike Paths:
#1: The Lakefront – Lakeshore Drive
For pure cycling fun, nothing beats the Lakeshore Drive bike path. The Lakeshore path is traffic free and covers 15 miles, so you can go as long and as fast as you like.
Plus, you get the unbeatable views of Lake Pontchartrain the entire way!
#2: The River Levees
If your local bike path isn’t long enough for you, take a ride along the Levee Bike Paths which stretch from NOLA to the Mississippi River headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota!
But don’t worry, you don’t have to ride that far – unless you want to!
The NOLA portion of the trail covers roughly 27 miles through the city and offers great views of the river and plenty of places to get on or off.
#3: Uptown Bike Path
It’s hard to beat a bike path that allows you to stop & sample some of the best coffee spots, restaurants & bars New Orleans has to offer.
The Uptown Bike Paths might be the least strenuous of the group, but they’re arguably the most fun & unique.
You can bike from the Warehouse District up St. Charles, Prytania or Magazine Streets and explore the best of NOLA’s most interesting neighborhoods.
#4: City Park Bike Path
You really haven’t experienced New Orleans until you’ve ridden your bike through City Park. The City Park bike path will give you literally everything New Orleans has to offer… live oaks, the brand new Children’s Museum, Storyland & Botanical Gardens.
The City Park bike path is accessible from many points in the city given the sheer size of the park itself. You can easily ride from Bayou St. John to Lake Pontchartrain, or take a different path around Big Lake and the Festival Grounds.
#5: The Tammany Trace
We know, St. Tammany isn’t technically in New Orleans, but no bike path list is complete without mentioning the Trace!
The Tammany Trace is a rail to trail project built on a former railroad line connecting all of St. Tammany Parish. The great part about the Trace is that you can take a short ride between towns like Mandeville, Abita Springs and Covington or opt for a longer ride through unspoiled forest.
And, if you live in NOLA, you don’t even have to bring your bike because bike rental shops are everywhere along the route.
#6: Lafitte Greenway
The Lafitte Greenway is actually in New Orleans (not Lafitte) and connects the neighborhoods from Treme to Lakeview. Among the shorter bike paths at just 2.6 miles, it winds through some of NOLA’s oldest & most diverse neighborhoods along the way. It’s central location makes it popular among locals.
#7: Audubon Park
The Audubon Park bike trails wind through some of the prettiest oak trees you’ll ever see. Take in the sights & sounds of Audubon Park and get access to Tulane & Loyola, the zoo & surrounding neighborhoods all from a well-paved and central location.
This list certainly doesn’t cover EVERY biking trail in metro NOLA, but they’re our favorite.
Now, we’d like to hear from you… what’s YOUR favorite place to ride a bike in the city?