Want to see the best the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro region has to offer? Hop on a bike and get ready for a new adventure. From peaceful wooded areas to beautiful vistas of the Mississippi River, here are the top trails in one of the nation’s best bike regions.

When the weather’s great and the bike paths are finally clear, it’s the perfect time to hit the scenic bike trails in Minneapolis-Saint Paul. We talked with some of the area’s most passionate bike enthusiasts to get their take on the best trails in the region. So grab your helmet and get ready to ride!

A whiff of lilacs in the breeze; white sails scudding across a blue lake; more than 97 miles of off-street trails — Lake Bde Maka Ska (formerly known as Lake Calhoun) hums with motion and energy on any given spring day. From visitors sightseeing on rented neon-green Nice Ride bikes to serious cyclists whisking through a 3-mile loop, the paved lakeside trail becomes a flowing parade of wheels and smiles.

“We are kind of a special metro in that we have so many opportunities to do all types of biking,” said CJ Lindor, education coordinator at Minnesota Bike Alliance.

When asked about the best off-street, road-biking trails, Lindor cited a network of more than 100 miles of single-track urban mountain biking, plus gravel-road biking within a 15-minute drive of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro region.

The trails and top-ranked urban parks feature a host of extras, including bike-share programs, bike maintenance stations, bike lanes, city bus bike racks and ample places to park and lock up. These pro-bike amenities keep Minneapolis on the list of best bicycling cities. In fact, it’s the only city in the U.S. to crack the prestigious Copenhagenize Design Company’s worldwide index of bike-friendly cities.

A bike ride across downtown’s stately vehicle-free Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi convinced Michele Molstead to move here. She now works at Nice Ride Minnesota, which offers more than 1,800 bikes at 200 stations across the metro region. It makes it easy for anyone to hop on two wheels and check out parks, lakes, the river, museums, restaurants and more from early April through the end of October.

“It’s just one of the most fun ways to see the Cities,” she said. “Your inner child tends to show up again.”

Here are some of the best places for a sweet ride and sightseeing.

1. Minneapolis’ Grand Round National Scenic Byway

Of the various western suburb bike trails, this is one of our favorites. Whether enjoyed in segments or the full distance of 51 miles, this beloved scenic byway links the city’s chain of lakes (including Lake Harriet and Lake of the Isles), Minnehaha Creek, multiple parks and the Mississippi River into a cohesive loop of green spaces. Highlights and attractions include St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge, Minnehaha Falls and Weisman Art Museum.

2. Gateway State Trail

This paved trail starts in Saint Paul and runs about 19 miles through Maplewood, North Saint Paul and Oakdale before linking to the Brown’s Creek State Trail in Grant. This additional 5.1-mile section takes you from Minneapolis-Saint Paul to Stillwater, ending in St. Croix River and Stillwater’s historic, lively downtown, known for its dining and bed and breakfasts.

3. Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail

This 16-mile, mostly paved trek lets suburban dwellers and visitors bike to the ballgame at Target Field, home of both the Minnesota Twins and occasional concerts. Even better, the Minneapolis trail connects to the limestone-surfaced Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail, which continues southwest to Chaska, and the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail, which rolls through Hopkins, Minnetonka, Excelsior and Victoria.

4. Minnesota River Bottoms

Mountain bikers can leave the city behind and lose themselves in one of several sections of single-track trails that parallel the Minnesota River. Multiple access points guide bikers through wooded areas stretching from Saint Paul’s Pike Island to Shakopee.

5. Midtown Greenway

A favorite with commuters, this 5.5-mile expressway from Minneapolis’ chain of lakes to the Mississippi River includes a trek on the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge as it crosses Highway 55/Hiawatha Avenue. The easy access to Lake Street offers a chance to hop off the trail to grab a morning coffee or a meal at one of the many standalone ethnic eateries or Midtown Global Market. The trail also connects to Hiawatha LRT Trail, which gets bicyclists to the West Bank and University of Minnesota campus and into downtown.

6. Lebanon Hills Regional Park Mountain-Bike Trails

This rolling, scenic park in the southeastern suburb of Eagan offers 12 miles of single-track trails, from easy loops for beginners to expert stretches with logs, bridges, berms, steep climbs and ledges.

7. Theodore Wirth Regional Park

Less than 4 miles west of downtown Minneapolis, the city’s largest park includes 7 miles of mountain bike trails and a rush of adrenaline. Single-track routes for intermediate riders flow and twist through woods, offering challenging climbs, a rock garden and a log skinny designed with the help of Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists.

Whether you’re visiting from out of town or a lifetime Minnesotan, these trails offer something for everyone. See you out there!