My two favorite bike paths in San Diego County are the San Luis Rey River Trail in Oceanside, north county, and the Silver Strand portion of the Bayshore Bikeway between Coronado and Imperial Beach in the south. The 2023 much needed winter rains not only filled reservoirs but created fantastic bursts of spring flowers. Some are genuine rare wildflowers while others are more of the invasive weed variety, but regardless the visual spectacle was a delight to the senses. Here are some views along the paths. If you want to see them in person, hurry up because they won’t last too far into May.
“Man and beast” enjoying the colors along the south end of the Silver Strand/Bayshore Bikeway near Imperial Beach.
Silver Strand/Bayshore Bikeway at Imperial Beach.
Colors along the south end of San Diego Bay from bike path
Wildflowers along San Diego Bay in Silver Strand State Beach
Least Tern Preserve from bike path. Naval shipyards in the distance.
Cyclist midway on the San Luis Rey River Trail, Oceanside
Daisies with green/yellow hills backdrop. Taken from dirt path below San Luis Rey River Trail, midway.
The only sport taking off faster than bicycling in Southern California is pickleball, that wacky, fun, addicting combination of tennis, badminton, racquetball and ping pong. While popular with all ages, it’s the senior citizens that are embracing it the most enthusiastically. With courts one quarter the size of tennis courts, it has a similar feel, but with less ground to cover, and the required underhand serve is much easier on the shoulder. It is more frenetic than tennis, however, and seniors have been getting injured fairly regularly, with pulled muscles and other injuries. That’s certainly not scaring too many away though, and pickleball courts are springing up everywhere to meet the demand.
Being able to combine your pickle with an easy scenic bicycle ride makes for the perfect day, especially if you bike to an al fresco lunch or brunch afterwards. It serves as a good cross training warm up for one’s muscles as well. Or, bring your bike with you and use it as a starting point for your ride. If one of you wants to ride and the other wants to pickle, knowing which courts are close to bike rides is helpful.
Pickleball courts are springing up everywhere as the demand from the public increases, and many parks now have at least courts with temporary nets available, with many permanent courts built as well. Most are free except where clubs have been established that collect membership dues or day use fees for visitors. Many community HOA’s have private courts not open to the public. Country clubs and resorts will either have courts open exclusively to members, or offer day use for a fee. This article highlights some of SoCal’s most popular pickleball facilities available to the public with notable easy scenic bike rides nearby. The courts are mostly outdoor, although you can also find indoor courts in public recreation buildings in many cities.
The bike rides are referenced from my book enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides (3rd Ed 2021) and many of the pickleball facilities are plotted on the downloadable maps available to book owners at enCYCLEpedia.net.
The DESERTS The Coachella Valley is overflowing with senior snowbirds starting late October, peaking in February-March-April, then fading into May through the hot summer. Year round residents still play in the hot seasons, but need to either start at the break of dawn, or try one of the several indoor public gym facilities.
Palm Springs (enCYCLEpedia Rides PS1,2,3): Demuth Park is the only game in town for outdoor play, with 12 permanent courts. It’s popular most mornings, especially Saturdays, and most late afternoons as well, making pickup games a cinch. It is located along Mesquite Blvd, east of El Cielo, along the Tahquitz Creek bike loop (PS3). In fact a new state of the art path, a CV Linker that will connect to the valley-wide CV Link path in the future, runs along Mesquite between El Cielo and Demuth Park, then adjacent to Demuth’s south perimeter (photo). There are also indoor facilities in the Demuth Park Community Gym and in North Palm Springs, with two courts at the Desert Highland Unity Center.
A post-pickle ride near Demuth Park on a CV Link section of the Tahquitz Creek Loop (PS3).
Rancho Mirage (Ride RM2): Two very nice new courts are located in Rancho Mirage Park along San Jacinto Dr north of The River center. This is more of a BYO player situation with no set open play times.
Great al fresco dining awaits at The River, a few blocks from the courts. How about a pickle, bike and brunch?
Palm Desert: Freedom Park is an excellent public facility with 8 courts located along Country Club Dr west of Washington. In peak season it’s easy to get a pick up game here in the mornings. There’s no specific enCYCLEpedia rides here, but it is easily accessed from other rides such as RM1,2 via the Country Club sidewalks or bike lanes. Across Country Club is Palm Desert Resorter, a private club that is the largest pickleball community in the desert, most popular with higher level players, but all levels are represented. Visitors are usually welcome for a fee. Palm Desert Community Center has a gym facility with indoor pickleball courts, available for a drop-in or modest annual fee. It is in Palm Desert Community Park, one of the highlights of Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert bike tours.
Riding around the Rancho/Mirage Palm Desert area gives you a choice of nicely landscaped sidewalk bike paths or boulevards with bike lanes.
La Quinta (Rides LQ1, 2, 3): The very popular Fritz Burns Park has 8 permanent courts located at the southeast corner of Eisenhower and 52nd, a few blocks south of Old Town La Quinta, and at the base of La Quinta Cove. Even if you don’t ride to here, bring your bike and enjoy a cruise up the Bear Creek Trail afterwards, or to other La Quinta locales, with lots of Bike ‘n Brunch options available in Old Town. One day in peak winter season it was so crowded I went for a 20 minute bike ride while waiting for my paddle to come up, and still had to wait 5 minutes.
Fritz Burns Park, permanent courts in La Quinta
Scenic Bear Creek Trail in adjacent La Quinta Cove.
Indian Wells (Ride IW1, LQ3, PD2): The world-renowned Indian Wells Tennis Garden offers pickleball drop-in play several days a week ($10). Either ride in on the paths off of Warner Trail to the west entrance bike racks, or if that entrance is not available, such as during special events, ride around on the north service road to the main entrance off of Washington to the bike racks across from the box office. The National Pickleball Championships are held in November and the BNP Paribas tennis classic is in March.
Margaritaville National Pickleball Championships at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
THE MOUNTAINS
Big Bear Lake (Ride BB1, BB3) SoCal’s four season playground in the San Bernardino Mountains is the home of Snow Summit, the largest ski area in SoCal, which converts to a mountain bike park in summer. Winter brings cold weather and snow, and summer boasts beautiful sunny weather, a welcome respite from the heat of the lowlands. Monsoons with thunderstorms develop periodically, but they usually wait until after morning pickleball sessions. Spring and fall can bring the mixed bag that the 7,000 foot elevation dictates. Alpine Pedal Path is a beautiful 2.5-mile paved path along the lake’s northeast shore connecting most of the area’s campgrounds and RV resorts. It connects to new bike paths across the Stanfield Cutoff, and along Big Bear Blvd to Sandalwood (behind the Vons). Other on-road bike routes on side streets are marked around town, and in the future the Rathbun Creek corridor will contain a path from the lake to near Bear Mtn Ski area — a 1-mile section is completed from behind the Sizzler to near the new zoo location.
Along the Alpine Pedal Path, north shore of Big Bear Lake.
New path along Stanfield Cutoff is very scenic.
The active and friendly Big Bear Pickleball Club plays outdoors seasonally Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings at Erwin Ranch Recreation Center, located on Hwy 38 on the way out of town, east of the Sugarloaf neighborhood ($3 visitor fee, $20 membership). A bike route weaves through the east side of Big Bear, requiring a short stint on a dirt road, past the famous wild burros, to reach it from the main part of town. Another venue is Meadows Park, located along the southeast shore of the lake, easily accessible via pleasant bike routes. The city built four permanent courts on a tennis court here, and club members play here on their alternate days, with no fees for visitors. I have enjoyed many fabulous days combining pickleball at Meadows Park with a cycle along the lake on the Alpine Pedal Path in perfect summer weather.
At Meadows Park are four new (2021) permanent pickleball courts next to the lake. Afternoons can be breezy here.
Taking the backroads bike route to Erwin Ranch leads to a 1/4 mile of dirt paths where you may just meet some local residents!
THE COAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Coronado (Ride SD7): This is one of the ultimate bike ‘n pickle places, with scenic flat Coronado for great riding, and two pickleball options. The Coronado Marriott has six good permanent courts and two temporary courts. Check for open play mornings ($6), frequently Monday and Thursday. Otherwise it’s open to be booked by the court for $24. Fees include 2-hour validated parking. The waterfront bike trail passes nearby as well, about ¼-mile south of the ferry landing from downtown San Diego, so even if you don’t ride to here, bring your bike by all means. You can go for a short jaunt, a cruise down the Silver Strand rail trail (aka Bayshore Bikeway), or book it all the way around the bay using the ferry to return. The other facility consists of 8 courts in Coronado Cays Park, located along the Bayshore Bikeway across from Silver Strand State Beach, just south of Loews resort. The city converts 2 tennis courts to 8 pickleball courts with temporary lines. Open play fees are $9 ($6 residents) Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can join an organization that is lobbying for permanent courts in Coronado.
Bike/ped ferry connects the San Diego Waterfront with Coronado Island, near the Coronado Marriott.
Bayshore Bikeway south of Coronado Cays
Santee (Ride SD12): There’s a paucity of outdoor public pickleball in south San Diego County, so Big Rock Park‘s 8 permanent courts can get crowded at peak times. From here you can easily ride to the east entrance of Mission Trails Regional Park, west on Mission Gorge Road, without having to ride up and over the big hill to the main entrance. Mountain bikes give you the most options here. There are also trailheads at Big Rock Park itself into another section of the park, mostly for hiking though. Although not along bike routes, 8 popular new courts at Mackenzie Creek Park in east Chula Vista is only a few miles from Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, which is accessible via paved and dirt trails from San Diego Bay at National City.
Big Rock Park (when courts were temporary).
Encinitas:Bobby Riggs Racket and Paddle Club (drop-in’s welcome ($7) has 12 courts featuring clinics, lessons and organized play. However, it is over a mile inland from the coastal route (SDC1) in south Encinitas, at 875 Santa Fe Dr, with a so-so busy class 2 road to access it by bike. You could always bring your bike, then afterwards drive to the coast for that very scenic ride. Or take your bike on the Coaster and ride to the club.
The Vista at Swami’s Beach in Encinitas near the junction of Santa Fe Drive.
Carlsbad: (Ride SDC1) Poinsettia Community Park in Carlsbad has 6 new state of the art open-play permanent courts with no fee. From South Carlsbad State Beach, ride east up Poinsettia Road. After I-5 turn left on Paseo Del Norte, right on Camino de las Ondas, left on Hidden Valley Rd to the park on the left at #6600. This route is hilly but bike-friendly. Very crowded on weekends.
Poinsettia Park in Carlsbad
Also in Carlsbad, St. Michaels by-the-Sea Church near town center has two popular drop in courts, 2 blocks from the ocean. Enter off Beech west of Carlsbad Blvd. $4 donation ($2 members, $30/year). Open play days/times or reservations, see website. Along Ride SDC-1.
St Michaels church courts in Carlsbad.
You don’t want to miss the biking along the north San Diego County coast. It’s on-road but to me it’s worth the “danger.”
Oceanside (Ride OC1): Melba Bishop Recreation Center in east Oceanside is a very popular facility, with 11 courts used by members Mon-Sat mornings ($3 guests). It’s free to the public at other times. It can be reached from the fabulous San Luis Rey River Trail at the College Ave crossing. It’s across the river, then back to the east on North River Road. Ride to the beach in 8 miles from here, and in the afternoon, the breeze will most likely be with you heading inland to the courts.
The Melba Bishop courts during a sanctioned tournament in November 2019.
The San Luis Rey River Trail is a 9-mile bike highway to the Oceanside beaches. Note the rare snow in the local mountains.
San Marcos : Innovation Park has 4 popular permanent courts at 1151 Armorlite Dr. (No fee). Courts are open daily but for drop in try the designated mornings. The Inland Rail Trail (Ride SMR2) runs near the park, and there is a Sprinter train station nearby, which runs between Oceanside and Escondido. The rail trail is accessible from bike routes around Cal State San Marcos and the city’s bike trail system (Ride SMR1).
Cycling around San Marcos needs to include the short loop round Discovery Lake.
San Diego Come on San Diego, you should be included in this list already. A stalwart advocacy group has been fighting to get permanent courts somewhere in the city, with the most likely candidate now being on or near the tennis courts at Robb Field in Ocean Beach, along the San Diego River bike path (Ride SD3) with easy access to the Mission Bay loop ride (SD1). Currently San Diego Pickleball sets up 8 courts at Pacific Beach Tennis Club for foursomes ($32/court) with reservations, no drop in. It is located adjacent to the northeast corner of the Mission Bay loop ride (SD1).
ORANGE COUNTY
San Clemente (Rides DP1, SC1, 2, 3, SJ1): The active San Clemente pickleball community plays at San Gorgonio Park, up a big hill, which is no biggee if you have an e-bike. From El Camino Real at the San Clemente – Dana Point border, head up Camino Capistrano, and make your way UP Vaquero and Calle Vista Torito to the park in less than a mile. Don’t miss out on bike riding here, though, as trails connect from San Clemente through Dana Point to eastern San Juan Capistrano.
Great viewpoint at the west end of Dana Point Harbor behind the Ocean Institute.
San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point (Ride SJ1) At the northeast end of the San Juan Creek bike path at Ortega Hwy and Antonio Pkwy are the four permanent courts at Sendero Field, operated by the Rancho Mission Viejo HOA. The public is invited to play Saturday mornings and other times as described. You can park here, play some games, then ride all the way to the beach at Dana Point and San Clemente on a paved path. Or continue on to the public courts at San Gorgonio Park. Along the San Juan Creek Trail (photo) in Dana Point is Del Obispo Park which has several temporary courts near the Senior Center.
San Juan Creek bike path from Doheny State Beach to Sendero Field.
Laguna Beach (Ride LB1) Alta Laguna Park in the Top of the World district has 3 permanent courts, plus additional temporary courts. Bike around this area with fabulous views of the ocean and Aliso & Wood Canyons Park. Make a tricky connection to the Arch Beach Heights District along an ultra scenic but hilly fire road. Lang Park down on PCH and Wesley near the Montage resort has temporary courts available. I don’t bike on PCH in Laguna.
View from the Fire Road between Top of the World & Arch Beach Heights
Laguna Niguel (near Rides SV1, 2, 3, 4): Laguna Niguel Regional Park has four permanent drop in courts, but no organized play. Ride SV2 connects that park with Salt Creek Beach via a hilly route. SV2 also connects to the Aliso Creek Regional Trail (SV1) and Aliso & Wood Canyons road and mountain bike area (SV3,4). Perhaps drop off a non-pickling cyclist at the north end of SV1 (Aliso Creek Trail) at Cooks Corner and they can cruise all the way down to meet or join you. Many of the more advanced players in this area have joined the Nellie Gail pickleball club, not near our bike rides.
The reward for tackling a few hills is the beautiful Salt Creek Beach below the Ritz Carlton.
Irvine (New Ride IR3): The new Portola Springs Community Park in the Great Park district of northeast Irvine has 6 lighted pickleball courts with no fee. By bike take Portola Pkwy northeast from Sand Canyon (side trail or bike lane) to Pearblossom. Turn left on the road or take paths up to the park. This is a fairly hilly but not daunting route, though e-bikers will be happiest. There are also nine hybrid tennis and pickleball courts in Irvine located at at Heritage, Knollcrest, Los Olivos, San Carlo, and University Community Parks, most near Irvine bike routes.
Portola Springs Park during a spring 2019 tournament.
Great bike riding abounds in Irvine. Paths in the Great Park are part of a nice loop mostly on bike trails that can include Portola Springs Park.
Tustin (Near Rides IR1, TU1): The active Tustin Pickleball Club ($75/year membership) plays on 10 courts at a school facility Mon-Sat 7-10 am at 1302 Service Road. At other times the courts are open to the public with no fee. The closest enCYCLE ride of note is TU1-3, the Mountains to the Sea ride, but the connection to the courts is not the greatest. From Harvard in Irvine take Class II Edinger northwest, past the Metrolink Station. Turn right on Red Hill and a quick left on Service Road.
The Mountains to the Sea route ends up in scenic Irvine Regional Park.
Fountain Valley (Ride FV1): Pickleball is offered at the Fountain Valley Tennis Courts by Agape Pickleball at the north end of Mile Square Park every day ($fees vary). Also access the park via a one mile on-road connection from the the Santa Ana River Trail (SAR1) that begins at the Huntington Beach bike path (HB1).
Mile Square Park was home to the Western Regional Tournament in Sept 2019. I rode via the SART to the Huntington Beach and Newport Beach trails.
Santa Ana River Trail can be busy on weekend mornings. Take it between the beach and Mile Square Park.
Huntington Beach (RIdes HB1, 2): Four free outdoor lighted permanent courts hosted by Surf City Pickleball are located at Worthy Community Park, 1801 Main Street (at 17th Street). From the fabulous Huntington Beach coastal trail (HB1), take the bike route up 17th Street for less than a mile to the park. The August annual Surf City Pickleball Tournament is located at Murdy Park on temporary courts set up for that purpose, and is not as good to combine with a cycle, although you can access the pleasant paths around Huntington Beach Central Park (Ride HB2) via road or sidewalk from there. The newest facility is at Golden West College, with 24 lighted courts, morning or evening sessions ($5 drop in fee or memberships available), however it is only accessible via several miles of bike lanes on Golden West Blvd from the beach.
A great rest stop along the Huntington Beach path above the dog beach, north of the pier.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Hermosa Beach: Located a few blocks from the South Bay Beach trail, the four courts here are crowded, competitive, and subject to prior reservation by city residents. From The Strand (Ride LA2) take 8th or 10th Streets east toward the Kelly Courts off Valley Drive. Don’t come here to just pickle with one of the best, most scenic bike trails in the country a few blocks away.
The south half of the Marvin Braude Bike Trail along the LA County beaches spans the South Bay region.
Los Angeles There are no stellar pickle/bike combos in LA. Here is a summary of where courts are. Pending are fee-based courts at Balboa Sports Complex, along our Sepulveda Dam Rec Area paths ride (LA5). In Burbank, the four Maxam Park Courts at Hollywood Way and Pacific Ave (open play every day) are 1.5 miles north of the Chandler Bikeway (LA7).
Long Beach and Seal Beach Some of the best easy scenic cycling is around Long Beach and you can combine it with a pickle at the three waterfront Bayshore courts at 54th Place and Ocean Blvd during open play 8am-12pm Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun. It is at the junction of rides LO1 along the beach to downtown and the Queen Mary and LO2 through Naples Island to Seal Beach. Also, From the San Gabriel River Trail (SGR1) you can take the south Spring St sidewalk across the river to El Dorado Tennis Center for open play Tues & Thur 8-11am and Fri 6-9pm ($5). Or, from the Belmont Shore area (LO2) ride north from Marine Stadium to Billy Jean King Tennis Center with drop in play Sat & Sun 2-6pm ($5).
Lots of scenic treats riding the paths of Long Beach, that can lead to the Bayshore pickleball courts.
In Seal Beach (Ride SE1) four new permanent courts are in Marina Park open all the time for free open play. It is located at the corner of Marina Dr and 1st St, a block from the San Gabriel River Trail (SGR1) and the bridge to Long Beach (LO2). Seal Beach is actually in Orange County.
Santa Clarita: The main pickleball facility is at Bouquet Canyon Park, located about 2.75 miles northeast from the Santa Clara River bike path (up Class II Bouquet Canyon to Urbandale). It is always available for open play with no fee.
VENTURA COUNTY
Ventura and Ojai: Ventura is one of the best places for SoCal easy scenic cycling between its beach paths (VE1, VE4) and its rail trails inland to Ojai (VE2, VE3). There’s not a lot to pickle about yet, but Harry A. Lyon Park offers Sat 9am-12pm and Thurs 3:30pm-dusk open play and is located a few blocks off of the Ventura River rail trail (VE3). Juanamaria Park, that has Sun & Thurs afternoons available is not near the bike paths.
Ventura waterfront path (VE1) with an easy connection to Ventura River Rail Trail (VE3)
Ojai has four dedicated courts located near City Hall a block south of the rail trail (VE3) via Ventura St. It is all open play with no fee and morning and afternoon sessions, but “green zone” quiet paddles are required, and the city has some for lend. You can bike up from Ventura on the rail trails, play some games if you arrive at the right time, have lunch since the courts are closed mid-day anyway, and enjoy a mostly downhill cruise on the way back.
Simi Valley: The Arroyo Simi Bike Path aka Greenway extends along the wash about 6.5 miles between Madera Rd (south of Easy St) east to Cochran Ave (between Fig and Ralston Streets). Of the three public pickleball facilities, only Duck Park at Rancho Simi Community Park is located near the path at 1765 Royal Ave at Erringer Rd, with six dedicated courts available every day. The other locations with dedicated courts are farther away in the city; Lemon Park at Rancho Tapo Community Park, 3700 Avenida Simi (4 permanent, 2 shared, open everyday) and Sinaloa Middle School, 301 Royal Ave, with 12 permanent courts available Sat & Sun.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Santa Barbara: The active Santa Barbara facility ($5 fee) is situated adjacent to the noisy 101 freeway. From the beach trail (Ride SB1) take Cabrillo Blvd east, under the freeway and just past the ramps (caution through here!) look for a short paved path across the road and before the traffic circle that cuts up to Old Coast Hwy. Ride left on the sidewalk (or bike lane across the road) for a mile to the first left on Park Place to the 12 dedicated courts.
Combine a pickle with a delightful pedal along the Beachway waterfront path, ride into town, or do a more extensive ride up or down the coast. Amtrak stops nearby.
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY Pismo Beach (Ride PB3): Palisades Tennis Courts at 3990 Shell Beach Rd in Shell Beach/Pismo Beach has four popular free pickleball courts with an ocean view. Along the Class II / Class I scenic north Pismo Beach bike routes near Avila Beach. E-bikers will enjoy the routes that go back and forth to the cliffside coastline. Private Pismo Beach Athletic Club near downtown and all PB rides has four courts and offers a $10 day pass.
View of Pirates Cove from walkway in the Shell Beach district of Pismo Beach.
Morro Bay (Ride MB1): Four very nice permanent courts ($1 fee) are located in Del Mar Park. From the north end of town, cross Hwy 1 either on Yerba Buena or Sycamore. Ride on Class II Main Street right or left (respectively) to Island Street. Ride UP the hill a couple blocks to road’s end and turn right to the park. Take the park path over to the courts on the right.
Biking around Morro Bay on a sunny day can be heavenly. You may want to pickle when it’s overcast and bike when it’s not!
Cambria (Ride CA1): Cambria’s six excellent courts are at the Old Cambria Grammar School, 1350 Main St, between the east and west villages on the west side of the road. The venue is popular with upper-level players but all are welcome ($3 guest fee in AM, free in PM, memberships available).
Cambria’s pickleball facility.
Don’t miss out on cycling around Cambria if you come to pickle. This is the Moonstone area.
San Luis Obispo: Although not on a best featured ride, bike paths run through French Park, where the city’s permanent courts are located, then through nearby neighborhood greenbelts and Islay Park. Temporary courts are set up at Meadow Park, which has bike paths and an on-road connection to the rail trail that starts at the Amtrak station.
INLAND EMPIRE
Claremont (Ride CL1, PET): The Pacific Electric rail trail starts in Claremont and runs about 21 miles east through Montclair, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana ending in Rialto. It is serviced by Metrolink trains. About 1 mile south of town and the enCYCLE bike routes, locals play at Wheeler Park’s 5 lighted courts with permanent nets, open every day, morning through evening. Find bike lanes south on College and west on San Jose.
Rancho Cucamonga (Ride PET) Red Hill Park has three new permanent courts. From the Pacific Electric Trail exit onto Vineyard and take it a few blocks north to the park. There’s also temporary courts at Rancho Cucamonga Sports Center, located on Rochester 1.5 miles south of the PET.
Pacific Electric Trail, Rancho Cucamonga
Riverside (Ride R2) From the historic Victoria Ave citrus country bike ride, Riverside Pickleball hosts play at Shamel Courts with established play times, 1 mile north on Mary St then Brockton St under CA91; and at Viegas Community Center, 3091 Esperanza St, temporary courts, a half mile to the north of Victoria Ave via Madison St then east.
Europe is known for it’s extended bike trail systems like EuroVelo 6 through lovely villages, pastoral countryside, and medieval cities. The routes along pretty rivers such as the Danube attract thousands of cyclists, and easy access to rail enables hopping from place to place. Although Southern California does not offer the same wealth of cycling infrastructure, it does have its fair share of bike trails and pleasant bike routes that are conducive to touring the region on two wheels. Using its bike friendly rail system, cyclists can experience a Euro-style holiday, particularly along its spectacular coastal region that attracts visitors from the world over to its beautiful beaches and charming towns, many with Spanish-influenced architecture. A trip can last a weekend or a month, depending on schedule and budget. If being away from your car is too inconvenient, you can still use the trains to cover more ground on day trips.
My guidebook enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides (3rd Ed, 2021) contains detailed ride descriptions through the most scenic areas, referenced throughout this article. enCYCLEpedia‘s rides are geared for the average cyclist who prefers to stay away from traffic whenever possible, and avoid high speed, dangerous, or very hilly roads.
The goal of this journey is to use the train to access the most desirable areas, and skip over the parts that are overly difficult, dangerous, or uninteresting. Based on our experiences, the zen of taking a bike on the train adds to the excitement of it all. Options are also mentioned for more advanced riders who may prefer to ride through some of those areas anyway rather than taking the train past them.
You’ll find lots of accommodation options in the featured locales, and if you prefer bike camping, many of the coastal State Parks have reservable tent sites, but they fill fast at peak times, so advance planning is required. A few also have non reservable bike-in campsites, although spaces are not guaranteed, especially on summer weekends.
The northern part of our trip (San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles) is serviced primarily by the bike-friendly Amtrak Surfliner line that runs from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, stopping at many of the lovely locales described. To travel on the Surfliner, you will need some advance planning, since a free reservation is required to bring your bike along. The good news is it doesn’t have to be boxed like on other Amtrak lines. From LA’s Union Station and south, lots of options open up for less expensive and more bike-friendly commuter lines.
Amtrak Surfliner on rebuilt “trestles” next to San Clemente’s famous Trestles surf beach (SC3).
Whistlestop 1: San Luis Obispo (SLO)
Taking the Amtrak Surfliner north from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo, or SLO Town, is a world class spectacular ride, with California coastal scenery on display between Ventura and Pismo Beach, much of which is not even accessible to the public past Santa Barbara. If you arrive in SLO from the north via Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train, it is also scenic but is not along the coast, as that would mean it would be along the Big Sur coast, which can barely handle a roadway. The Coast Starlight (between LA and Seattle) is not as bike friendly, since bikes need to be boxed and incur baggage and box fees.
View of the Santa Barbara County coastline from the Surfliner.
SLO Town is a charming university city about 13 miles inland from the coastal town of Morro Bay. While SLO Town does not have much in the way of bike trails, it does have bike friendly streets and plenty of desirable places to sleep and eat in the vital downtown sector west of the train depot. It is a good place to spend some time to explore, provision and get oriented. You can try a wine country tour, or a popular bike route to the coast at Los Osos/Morro Bay via Los Osos Valley Road.
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, downtown SLO
At the coast you can explore Morro Bay, which offers some delightful coastal riding (enCYCLE Ride MB1), and lots of accommodations (reserve for best selection in summer) and popular waterfront seafood restaurants. To its south is Montana de Oro State Park (Ride MB2), a coastal gem with a couple of great easy rides on packed dirt, some more challenging mountain biking, and spectacular hiking trails. Bike-in or reservable tent camping is available at Morro Bay, Morro Strand, and Montana de Oro State Parks.
Bike path to Morro Rock in Morro Bay (MB1)
Whistlestop 2: Grover Beach/Pismo Beach
Pubic passage south down the coast from Morro Bay is blocked by the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant property, so you’ll need to ride back to SLO. Continuing south from SLO you can either ride along Class II roads adjacent to Hwy 101 (or a steep route over the hills on dirt roads) or take the Surfliner to the next stop in Grover Beach/Pismo Beach. If you cycle, your next destination can be the small, quaint beach community of Avila Beach, with the last few miles along the lovely creekside Bob Jones Trail, that will someday connect to SLO, making that a must-do stretch by bike (Ride AV1). Continue riding south to the Pismo station from Avila Beach. You can also reach Avila Beach on a scenic coastal Class II bike route north from the Pismo station if you choose that option.
Avila Beach Pier (AV1)
Pismo Beach is the southern end of our recommended exploration in SLO County, and the train station is just south of town in Grover Beach. There’s no bike trails in town, yet, so hop on the bike lanes along Hwy 1 and head north into town (Ride PB2), past several public campgrounds, and the spot where the Monarch butterflies congregate in winter. The delightful downtown has a bunch of restaurants and accommodations. At lower tides, you can ride on the compact sands of the wide beautiful beach here, our only recommended SoCal beach ride (Ride PB1). The route north of downtown (Ride PB3) is on Class 2 lanes of a fairly busy roadway, but the ocean vistas are spectacular in places and you can detour to the waterfront and ride on some parkside trails. If you chose to ride all the way south from SLO, you’ll be southbound on that route toward downtown and the Pismo station. And now, back to the Surfliner for our next destination.
Riding the compact sands of Pismo Beach (PB1)
Whistlestop 3: Surf Beach/Lompoc, Santa Barbara County
An optional stop, Surf Beach is the loneliest Amtrak stop along the coast, located in a beach parking lot adjacent to Vandenberg Air Force Base. You can walk for miles along the beautiful beach, but signs warn against swimming here due to two fatal shark attacks. Amtrak doesn’t stop here often, so schedule carefully.
The lonely Surf Amtrak Station, 9 miles west of Lompoc (LOM1)
From here you can easily ride to pretty Ocean Beach County Park at the delta of the Santa Ynez River. For grub and overnight accommodations, including hotels, B&B’s, and camping (River Park), the city of Lompoc awaits (Ride LOM1). The City of Arts and Flowers with murals on its downtown buildings is reached via a flat 9 mile ride along Class II Ocean Ave (55 mph speed), an interesting stretch when the fields of cultivated flowers are in bloom in spring and summer. Lompoc is not as appealing as some of the other coastal towns, but is a good place to restock and refresh.
Those in tip top condition may consider a road trip over substantial and steep hills and windy rural roads, to isolated Jalama County Beach, where there is a beach campground and general store and grill. If you took the Surfliner northbound you would’ve gone right by it. This would make an epic weekend trip on its own from the big city.
Another option, though risky logistically, is to take the Wine Country Express bus from Lompoc to the Danish tourist village of Solvang, and explore the beautiful Santa Barbara Wine Country in Los Olivos and Santa Ynez by bike (Ride SO1). Buses have bike racks, but can take only a couple at a time. You could also leave your bikes at your Lompoc accommodation, take the bus, and rent bikes in Solvang.
Whistlestops 4, 5, 6, 7: Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ventura
The ride between Lompoc and Santa Barbara is very hilly and/or along the 101 Freeway, only for the most advanced riders. So, all aboard the Surfliner at Surf! The corridor between the next stops of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Ventura is rideable by most cyclists, so you can pick and choose where you’d like to explore, how far to ride, and when to use the Surfliner to help you out.
From the Goleta Station, ride to the coast and explore the beautiful paths along the University of California at Santa Barbara (Ride SB2).
Paths around the UCSB Lagoon (SB2)
Class I and II routes connect to the downtown and waterfront district of Santa Barbara (Ride SB1). A scenic beachfront path passes a multitude of restaurants and accommodations there, although there is no bike camping in town. The Amtrak station is in the center of town, so if you disembark there, you can easily explore the extensive Spanish-influenced downtown and beautiful waterfront.
Cabrillo Beachway, Santa Barbara Waterfront (SB1)
A Class II route, very doable but not the most wonderful, leads through the tony community of Montecito, then Summerland, to the lovely low-key beach town of Carpinteria, and the next Amtrak station (Ride SB1, Option 2). Find lots of great restaurants and choice of accommodations from B&B’s to bike-in and reservable campsites at Carpinteria State Beach.
Someday there will be a bike path connecting Carpinteria to the new path to Ventura, but for now there is only a 3-mile fairly hilly on-road route. If you are willing to tackle that, the reward is the new waterfront bike path adjacent to the 101 Freeway that leads to the north end of Ventura (Ride VE4). You could also access it if you take the train directly to Ventura and ride north.
Rincon Bike Path along US 101 between Carpinteria and Ventura (VE4)
The bike path ends on the Old Rincon Hwy, a popular bike route that leads to the Ventura waterfront trail system (Ride VE1). Via that path you can access the historic downtown center, enjoy the beautiful coastline and pier, and find all sorts of restaurants and accommodations. The depot is downtown between the beach and Main Street. Bike-in and reservable camping are available at McGrath State Beach nearby in Oxnard.
Path through San Buenaventura State Beach near downtown Ventura (VE1)
From Ventura consider riding up a scenic rail trail about 16 miles inland to the lovely spa resort town of Ojai, either as a day trip and lunch stop or an overnight destination (Rides VE2 and 3). Camping is available at two county parks near the route.
Rail trail through the Ojai Valley (VE3)
Ventura is the last stop for the northern part of our adventure. Cycling south from Ventura is only for very experienced cyclists. The subsequent 50-mile coastal route first passes through the city of Oxnard, while the last 35 miles is along the busy, hilly, speedy, Coast Highway to and through Malibu. The reward is that it ends up on the fabulous 22-mile Los Angeles beach trail. But you can also access that path by taking local rail from downtown, along our rail route. So, most of you will want to hop on the Surfliner in Ventura and head to downtown LA. Or, make your way across town to Oxnard and take the more bike friendly Metrolink commuter train from that route’s western terminus (weekdays only).
Whistlestop 8: Los Angeles Union Station
Historic Union Station is an attraction in itself, but riding in downtown LA is not for the faint of heart, except perhaps early on a Sunday morning. However, if you can very securely lock up your bike and belongings, or find an accommodation nearby, it is a worthwhile area to spend some time exploring on foot, with attractions such as the touristy Olvera Street, El Pueblo de Los Angeles, Chinatown, and lots more.
Historic Olvera Street near LA’s Union Station
From Union Station you have a choice, depending on your timing and preferences. Logistically, the easiest thing to do is hop on Metrolink’s Orange County Line, and head south to our next stop, San Juan Capistrano. Or, if you would like to experience LA and Orange County’s best and most fabulous coastal trails, joining up with the train route further south, make the following extra trip using local Metro Rail:
Extra Trip: The Urban LA and OC Coastal Paths
LA County’s world renowned beach trail runs some 22 miles through Santa Monica and Venice, Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beaches (Rides LA1 and 2). Metro Rail’s new Exposition Line can get you there: Take the Red or Purple lines from Union Station to meet the Expo Line, and get off at its terminus in Santa Monica. There’s no tent camping along the coast, so you’ll need hotel accommodations near the beach communities, preferably as close to the beach as possible to avoid some dicey areas and possibly dangerous street riding
North end of LA coastal bike trail aka Martin Braude Trail (LA1)
Believe me you don’t want to ride between the LA beach trail through the industrial districts to Long Beach, so head back to a Metro Rail train, either the Expo Line in Santa Monica or the Green Line accessible further south. Connect to the Blue Line southbound and get off in downtown Long Beach, a bike-friendly city. Explore the world class rejuvenated waterfront area and visit the Queen Mary or Aquarium of the Pacific (Ride LO1). There’s no tent camping but find oodles of accommodations, dining and shopping.
Bike path through Long Beach’s Shoreline Village restaurant area (LO1)
A state of the art bike trail runs along the beach to the Belmont Shore district, a great place to stroll and dine. Explore the canals of Italian-inspired Naples Island (Ride LO2), and ride across the San Gabriel River and into Orange County and the delightful beach community of Seal Beach (Ride SE1). Carefully navigate a couple miles on the Class II Coast Highway into the community of Sunset Beach, taking the parallel residential street when able, that leads to the fabulous 8 mile Huntington Beach coastal trail (Ride HB1). Camping along here is only for self contained RV’s, so find accommodations and restaurants in Sunset Beach or halfway down the trail in the revitalized downtown core near the pier.
Huntington Beach path near the pier (HB1).
From the south end of the beach path connect via residential streets to the Newport Beach coastal trail that runs along the Balboa Peninsula, where you’ll find plenty of accommodations and food (Ride NB1). Take the cute 3-car ferry across to Balboa Island to continue the ride south. An expensive tent-camping option is at Newport Dunes resort in the Back Bay, a great place to get some fun riding in (Ride NB2).
Newport Beach’s oceanfront path.
Only very experienced cyclists should do the through-ride south along the coast from here. It is indeed a scenic journey, however, perhaps warranting an up-and-back ride for the first few miles. It starts with the Corona del Mar waterfront, connecting to the spectacular Crystal Cove State Park with its blufftop oceanview bike path (Ride NB3) and option to stop at the historic Crystal Cove district for lunch on the beach. Mountain bikers may be able to access a primitive campsite in the inland section of the park. The hilly coastal highway into Laguna Beach is a busy 4 lane road. Once in town, alternate routes are available through most of it (Ride LB2), but in South Laguna there are no good options to get off of the highway until you reach Dana Point, where bike lanes widen as you pass beautiful Salt Creek Beach Park, the Ritz Carlton, and the main business district. From Dana Point you can access bike trails to the San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente train stations.
Laguna Beach is the jewel of Orange County, with its rocky coves, sandy beaches, and lovely downtown right on the beach, but it can be a bitch to bike through (LB2).
Those who prefer bike paths to busy roadways should skip the route through Laguna Beach and follow the excellent paths along Newport Back Bay (Ride NB2) connecting to the San Diego Creek path inland through Irvine (Ride IR1) and end up at either the Tustin (Ride TU1) or Irvine train stations. From either station, take the Metrolink train south to San Juan Capistrano, joining those who skipped the urban coastal section and took the train directly there from Union Station, or braved the ride through Laguna Beach.
Whistlestop 9: San Juan Capistrano
The Santa Fe Depot is in the center of the restored historic Spanish downtown that includes the popular and beautiful San Juan Capistrano Mission and the Del Rio district, the oldest neighborhood in California (Ride SJ1). Bike paths lead one way into horse country, and the other way to the sea at Dana Point, another area to explore at its harbor (Ride DP1). A coastal bike trail connects to San Clemente, and coastal tent camping is available in Dana Point at Doheny State Beach and at San Clemente State Beach, atop a bluff at the south end of its lovely beach trail (Ride SC1).
San Juan Capistrano’s historic Los Rios District next to the train depot (SJ1).
Most cyclists will want to hop on the Metrolink at San Clemente’s North Beach Station for the scenic oceanfront trip south to Oceanside. More adventurous cyclists may enjoy the ride past classic surfing beaches like Trestles (Ride SC3) and perhaps ride into San Diego County through Camp Pendleton all the way to Oceanside. However getting an advance permit to ride through the Camp Pendleton roadways has become quite an ordeal. An option is to ride along I-5 for that stretch which is permitted, if you dare. Tent camping is available near the north end of the route at San Onofre State Beach’s inland San Mateo or summer-only coastal Bluffs campgrounds.
Elevated portion of San Clemente’s Beach Trail (SC1).
Whistlestop 10: Oceanside
Oceanside is a transit hub, where LA’s Metrolink ends and San Diego’s Coaster and Sprinter train lines begin. Amtrak’s Surfliner also stops here. You can ride inland on the 9 mile San Luis Rey River Trail, visit California’s largest mission en route, and access camping at Guajome Regional Park at trail’s end. Oceanside’s waterfront has a bike lane along its beach promenade, a pier, and a revitalized downtown core.
Oceanside Harbor, a great place to stop for a meal after the ride through Camp Pendleton from San Clemente (SC3) or just riding around town (OC1).
Those who prefer to stay off of busy roadways should continue on the Coaster train to the San Diego stations. Otherwise, make your way down the very scenic Class II coastal highway through the lovely beach cities of Carlsbad, Encinitas and Solana Beach. We do this ride frequently, it’s one of our exceptions of road riding since it’s so much fun (Ride SDC1). Tent camping is available at South Carlsbad and San Elijo State Beaches. Advance reservations are needed at both, and they do not have bike-in sites.
A typical view heading south along the north San Diego County coastal highway (SDC1).
Whistlestop 11: Solana Beach
I recommend for those who rode down the coast to hop on the southbound Coaster train in Solana Beach. After Solana Beach the train bipasses the next city, Del Mar, then heads inland. If you choose to cycle to San Diego, the route becomes extremely hilly past Del Mar, recommended for experienced and top-shape riders, or those on e-bikes with plenty of battery power left, who can make their way through La Jolla and reach the Mission Bay area.
A Coaster station in north San Diego County
Whistlestop 12: San Diego Old Town
This major transit center is adjacent to San Diego Old Town State Historic Park, a restored settlement and mega tourist attraction with lots of museums and Mexican restaurants in and around it. You’ll need to lock up and walk or wheel your bike through here, but it’s worthwhile to do so. From here, you can connect to the fabulous bike trails around Mission Bay and the boardwalk along Mission Beach/Pacific Beach, and also access Sea World by bike (Ride SD1). Tent camping is available at private Campland-on-the-Bay.
Scenic north end of Ocean Front Walk in Pacific Beach (SD1)
From the Mission Bay area you can ride to ritzy La Jolla (Ride SD2) and laid back Ocean Beach (Ride SD3). A Class II route leads to the stimulating bike trail along San Diego Harbor (Ride SD4). From there, a bike/ped ferry accesses the beautiful bike riding on the Coronado peninsula (Ride SD7: Cover photo – Hotel del Coronado). And, on-road bike routes lead up to the very European Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo (Ride SD6).
The amazing San Diego Zoo (SD6).
Whistlestop 13: Downtown San Diego Santa Fe Depot
The historic downtown depot, just a couple of blocks from the harborfront trail, is our final stop, and the best station to access the harbor ride (SD4), Coronado via the ferry (SD7) and Balboa Park/Zoo (SD6). More advanced riders or e-bikers with battery to spare can continue UP the hill to the spine of the Point Loma Peninsula to visit the spectacular Cabrillo National Monument at its tip (Ride SD5).
A moving bike statue along Coronado’s scenic waterfront path (SD7)
Return to your origin from downtown San Diego, either taking the Coaster, transferring to the Metrolink in Oceanside, or Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner the entire way.
Southern California is serviced by Amtrak and several bike-friendly regional rail lines. I wrote an article for Southern California Life Magazine’s July-August 2015 issue highlighting the best easy scenic bike rides accessible along Amtrak’s Surfliner coastal route, as well as the local Metrolink and Coaster lines that use the same tracks between Ventura and San Diego Counties.
Of the places that I cycled while doing the research for enCYCLEpedia in 2012-2013, Oceanside held one of the biggest surprises. In fact, for an easy scenic cycling destination, it had enough great features to earn a high rating in the book. The highlight is the 9-mile San Luis Rey River Trail that mostly follows a levee along its banks. Reach it from Pacific Street just southeast of Oceanside Harbor, or from the northwest end of Cleveland Street (west on Neptune) downtown. Like most SoCal rivers you won’t see much water in the San Luis Rey most of the year except for the tidal delta and after heavy rain periods, but it traverses a lovely riparian corridor through a low density residential valley.
San Luis Rey River Trail, looking north
The trail’s high 20 mph speed limit means that you can get a great workout as long you’re careful around pedestrians, and many do just that. On-shore breezes can make your return to the coast strenuous, typically more towards afternoon. A highlight about halfway along the path is the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, the largest in California, accessed via a detour south on Douglas Drive then east/south on Pala (the first light).
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
Guajome County Park, just past the east end of the trail, has RV camping, dirt trails, lakes, and facilities. Both dirt trails and highway bike lanes connect it to the river bike trail. Mance Buchanan Park at College, the skateboard park at Foussat, and the Mission contain the only other public facilities along the route.
Guajome County Park
The delta near the southwest trailhead is a beautiful tidal region with plenty of shore birds to watch.
Delta of the San Luis Rey River
Oceanside Harbor and its enticing nautical village is a great place to stop for a meal on your ride, and then cycle the 1.5 mile sharrowed road around the harbor, very popular with cyclists. Seasonal Sea Lion Island makes a fun, amusing (and smelly downwind) stop near the OCEANSIDE sign.
Oceanside Harbor
Saving the most scenic for last, you can take Class II Pacific Street south, and make a right on Breakwater that leads to The Strand along Oceanside’s beautiful beach and pier.
The Strand, north end
The 2-mile ride along the beach is best done when not crowded because of the odd mix of one way slow vehicle traffic and two-way bike lanes. Despite the crowds, it is a very worthwhile cruise, being able to ride so close to the ocean and the beach, watching the surfers and the waves. Steep Seagaze and Surfrider streets connect the waterfront road with Pacific Street in downtown, where restaurants are centered around Tremont and Mission.
The seaside promenade/road ends at Wisconsin to the south, where you can ride up the small hill and continue the route south toward Carlsbad on sharrowed Pacific St or the Coastal rail trail next to the tracks. Another important feature of Oceanside is its transit center, located downtown south of Seagaze. Four rail lines converge here – Amtrak’s Surfliner, LA’s Metrolink, and San Diego County’s Coaster and Sprinter, creating great opportunities to combine a train ride to elsewhere with ride with an Oceanside bike ride.
The easy scenic cycling adventures of Richard Fox, author of the 2014 (2nd Ed 2017, 3rd Ed 2021) guidebook "enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides."
My guidebook enCYCLEpedia Southern California – The Best Easy Scenic Bike Rides (3rd Ed, 2021) contains detailed ride descriptions through the most scenic areas, 
enCYCLEpedia Bicycling Blog 