Explore the best rated trails in Downey, CA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Southern Avenue Greenway and North Redondo Beach Bikeway. With more than 72 trails covering 453 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The short Upper Bay Trail arcs around the northern edge of the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve near the Newport Beach–Irvine city line. The protected estuary, home to six rare avian species, is...
The Santiago Creek Trail is a scenic urban ride up a portion of Santiago Creek northeast from the Westfield MainPlace Mall to Collins Avenue in Orange. From Collins Avenue, the trail heads south to...
The Orange Line Bike Path is an 18-mile rail-trail paralleling the Los Angeles Metro's Orange Line rapid busway in the northern neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Both the busway and the trail stretch from...
The short Castaways Trail has expansive views of the mountains, ocean, Upper Newport Bay and Newport Harbor. Much of the 1-mile path runs along the bluffs in Castaways Park and the trail offers...
The Burbank Channel Bikeway is a concrete multi-use path located alongside the Burbank-Western Flood Control Channel in LA County. The bikeway was built in two phases. The first, 0.3 miles between...
The Oceanfront Boardwalk begins in West Newport Beach at the end of 36th Street and runs nearly 3 miles down the Balboa Peninsula. Along the way, trail-goers will find restaurants, dory fishermen,...
The Peters Canyon Trail runs northeast from Bill Barber Community Park to Portola Parkway. The trail closely follows Peters Canyon Wash, a channelized tributary of San Diego Creek. Much of the...
The Hicks Canyon Trail is a short but scenic blacktop trail along the landscaped Hicks Canyon Wash. It starts at the Peters Canyon Trail near Hicks Canyon Community Park and climbs up the wash to end...
The scenic Huntington Beach Bicycle Trail runs along the Pacific Ocean waterfront of the most populous beach city in Orange County. Paved over its entire length and remarkably wide at some points, the...
Quintessential Southern California, the Marvin Braude Bike Trail—commonly referred to as simply The Strand by locals—is featured in hundreds of TV shows and movies. Whether you are here on vacation,...
Irvine's Jeffrey Open Space Trail, currently open in three disconnected segments, has won awards for its landscaping and innovative design incorporating a series of intaglio panels in the concrete bed...
The Woodbridge Trail, while short, is one of the most scenic in Irvine's extensive trail network. Views of two lakes and surrounding mountains unfold around each bend. It's a great route for families...
The Watts Towers Crescent Greenway is a short but pleasant rail-trail in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The trail's central attraction is the Watts Towers Art Center, home of the striking and...
The Victoria Avenue Bike Path parallels a scenic parkway dotted with palm trees that was built in 1892 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The northeastern end of the trail...
The Bellflower Bike Trail runs for more than 2 miles on the right-of-way of the old Pacific Electric transit system—also known as the Red Cars—across Bellflower. At its zenith in the 1920s, Pacific...
The Hoover Bike and Walking Trail is a utilitarian path adjacent to an active rail line in the western Orange County city of Westminster. Also paralleling Hoover Street for its entire distance, the...
The San Juan Creek Trail starts where the creek meets the Pacific Ocean at Doheny State Beach in scenic Dana Point. From there, it runs on the levee along the western bank of San Juan Creek to its...
The Whittier Greenway Trail occupies part of an abandoned railroad right-of-way in its namesake town, running parallel to Whittier Boulevard and Lambert Road between Mills Avenue and Pioneer Boulevard...
The Venta Spur Trail travels along the narrow corridor of a former rail spur that began serving the Frances Packing House—a major citrus processing facility—in 1916. Today, the popular trail serves...
The scenic University Trail begins at a connection with the San Diego Creek Trail and runs east along University Drive through southern Irvine. The trail stretches the length of William R. Mason...
The Bonita Canyon Trail is a sidepath along Culver Drive and Bonita Canyon Drive linking the Orange County cities of Irvine and Newport Beach. Near the trail's midpoint, pick up the Shady Canyon Trail...
The Burbank Channel Bikeway is a concrete multi-use path located alongside the Burbank-Western Flood Control Channel in LA County. The bikeway was built in two phases. The first, 0.3 miles between...
On the southwestern outskirts of Los Angeles, the Laguna Dominguez Trail spans just shy of 3 miles, connecting the cities of Lawndale and Hawthorne (named for famed American author Nathaniel...
The Aliso Creek Riding and Hiking Trail passes through the heart of Mission Viejo from South Laguna to Rancho Santa Margarita along an 18.5-mile corridor. The trail features many parks in Orange...
The Pacific Electric Inland Empire Trail is a great commuter and recreation trail in western San Bernadino valley, with expansive views and connections to community centers and parks. The trail...
This urban trail travels along the side of North Colton Avenue and South Inland Center Drive, connecting San Bernadino and Colton. The corridor is an abandoned Southern Pacific rail line and will...
The San Diego Creek Trail is the spine of the City of Irvine's extensive system of trails and bike lanes. It begins in Newport Beach, joining the Upper Bay Trail near where San Diego Creek empties...
If you are looking for a quick escape from the smog and traffic of Southern California, take a trip along the Tustin Branch Trail. Currently open in two disconnected segments, the trail runs on the...
The Turtle Rock Trail meanders its way through the neighborhood of the same name in southern Irvine. The path is a short—but serious—aerobic workout, as it features climbs to the trail's high point at...
Hugging one of the most picturesque shorelines in Southern California, the San Clemente Beach Trail is one of the premier rail-trails in the area. The trail itself is technically a rail-with-trail, as...
The Whittier Greenway Trail occupies part of an abandoned railroad right-of-way in its namesake town, running parallel to Whittier Boulevard and Lambert Road between Mills Avenue and Pioneer Boulevard...
The Ballona Creek Bike Path follows the channelized Ballona Creek for 7 miles, from Syd Kronenthal Park in east Culver City (National Boulevard) to the Pacific Ocean, where it connects with the Marvin...
The Mount Lowe Railway was created as a scenic tourist line to bring visitors to see Mount Lowe and Echo Mountain. The railway opened in 1893 and stopped services in 1938. Interestingly, the railway...
The Woodbridge Trail, while short, is one of the most scenic in Irvine's extensive trail network. Views of two lakes and surrounding mountains unfold around each bend. It's a great route for families...
Open space is precious in South Gate, and the Southern Avenue Greenway—which runs under overhead power lines—provides an off-street walking and biking route, as well as play areas for the community....
The Duarte Recreational Trail is made up of paved and parallel dirt trails. Located in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley, Duarte is named for Andres Duarte, a Mexican soldier who was granted...
The scenic Huntington Beach Bicycle Trail runs along the Pacific Ocean waterfront of the most populous beach city in Orange County. Paved over its entire length and remarkably wide at some points, the...
The Watts Towers Crescent Greenway is a short but pleasant rail-trail in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The trail's central attraction is the Watts Towers Art Center, home of the striking and...
The Exposition Line, running from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, carefully integrates light rail, bikeway and pedestrian facilities. The second phase of the light rail line opened in 2017,...
The Orange Line Bike Path is an 18-mile rail-trail paralleling the Los Angeles Metro's Orange Line rapid busway in the northern neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Both the busway and the trail stretch from...
Hugging one of the most picturesque shorelines in Southern California, the San Clemente Beach Trail is one of the premier rail-trails in the area. The trail itself is technically a rail-with-trail, as...
The Alton Avenue Bike Trail runs adjacent to both Alton Avenue and an active railroad line through Santa Ana. The path primarily serves the recreational and commuting needs of local residents,...
The Burbank Channel Bikeway is a concrete multi-use path located alongside the Burbank-Western Flood Control Channel in LA County. The bikeway was built in two phases. The first, 0.3 miles between...
The Juanita Cooke Greenbelt is a wonderful escape from the often-busy streets and highways of Orange County. This 2.5-mile trail in Fullerton connects some of the area's quiet neighborhoods with the...
The Chuck Pontius Commuter Trail offers a direct route for cyclists and other trail users through the neighborhoods of Santa Clarita south of the Santa Clara River. While not as scenic as other trails...
The Hoover Bike and Walking Trail is a utilitarian path adjacent to an active rail line in the western Orange County city of Westminster. Also paralleling Hoover Street for its entire distance, the...
The Victoria Avenue Bike Path parallels a scenic parkway dotted with palm trees that was built in 1892 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The northeastern end of the trail...
The Bonita Canyon Trail is a sidepath along Culver Drive and Bonita Canyon Drive linking the Orange County cities of Irvine and Newport Beach. Near the trail's midpoint, pick up the Shady Canyon Trail...
The Tracks at Brea Trail provides a 4-mile route across the city of Brea, which lies about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The trail consists of a two-lane paved bikeway for wheeled users and a...
The Venta Spur Trail travels along the narrow corridor of a former rail spur that began serving the Frances Packing House—a major citrus processing facility—in 1916. Today, the popular trail serves...
Experience the easy life of the West Coast on Orange County's Bud Turner Trail. Set in a quiet neighborhood in the city of Fullerton, the trail is ideal for all types of trail use and uniquely caters...
The Culver Boulevard Bike Path is a short rail-trail located in a nicely landscaped median park in Culver City and Los Angeles. The trail was built on a former Pacific Electric interurban...
In the hustle and bustle of the greater Los Angeles area, the Hermosa Valley Greenbelt provides a cool, peaceful escape that is just minutes from the beach. This 3.5-mile trail nestled in a greenway...
The Harvard Trail is a short sidepath along Harvard Avenue in Irvine. Beautifully landscaped, lit and featuring smooth concrete, the trail is a much more pleasant experience than your average roadside...
The South Fork River Trail follows the dry waterway through Santa Clarita, providing many of its residential communities with access to the area's great trail network. Easily accessed from Placerita...
If you believe the setting makes the trail, you won't quibble with the brevity of the path through Seal Beach's Electric Avenue Median Park. Ensconced in a beautifully maintained linear park, the...
The Woodbridge Trail, while short, is one of the most scenic in Irvine's extensive trail network. Views of two lakes and surrounding mountains unfold around each bend. It's a great route for families...
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The Salt Creek Trail, with more arms than an octopus, offers a variety of experiences for trail users of all types in Dana Point and Laguna Niguel. Featuring two sections, several branches and a mix...
The Whittier Greenway Trail occupies part of an abandoned railroad right-of-way in its namesake town, running parallel to Whittier Boulevard and Lambert Road between Mills Avenue and Pioneer Boulevard...
Want an enjoyable loop hike through a new preserve and three parks with stunning ocean views throughout? Check out the trail system in the Dana Point Headlands, a scenic coastal area in Orange...
It was nice and shady, took the bike and dogs ¿
The JCT is a 2.5 mile dirt (mtb) trail that is perfect for newbies and family. The address is 360 W Valley View Dr. Park in the south section behind the Fullerton Courthouse where the trail starts. You will see the trail in front of you. Once you're set get on the trail. There will be several street crossings and you'll be sharing the trail with walkers, joggers, and horseback riders. Always give the horseback riders plenty of leeway, always! You start with a moderate uphill. The trail is rather smooth with a few bumps. Whenever passing others remember to call yourself out to let them know where you'll be passing. There will be a few spots with gravel so take care. Halfway through you'll come to a staircase. You can try to ride down it lightly tapping your brakes. Don't be embarrassed to walk it. Nothing wrong with being safe, than sorry.
The second half starts when you cross Bastanchury Rd. and continuing on Morelia Ave. in front of you. After about a quarter mile it tees at the end and JCT continues on your right in front of you. It gets a little more bumpy with mild runts here and there. JCT ends when you see Laguna Lake to your left and a rest area in front of you with a couple of benches. Feel free to explore the lake and return by backtracking. Do this several times to get familiar riding on dirt and gravel with bumps and runts. After that you may want to get on the Hiltscher Trail which will be a little more demanding. Remember to always wear a helmet and show courtesy to others.
The trip starts at my house getting on PET from Campus Ave. in Upland. The distance is 17.5 miles one way from where I start. The trail goes east and at about two miles into the trip there are two brief climbs and from there on it's pretty much level. At the Foothill Blvd. trailhead there is restroom access. It's important to mention that unlike the Santa Ana River Trail,, there are many intersections you have to cross. With some short and some long stretches. After about nine miles, starting from the under the 15 fwy you will be on a mile stretch that is very bumpy with the concrete slabs. Not very pleasant at all for road bikes. This section ends with a rest area in Rancho Cucamonga. I look at this portion as the first half of PET. It's now mile 10.
The second half of PET begins across Baseline Rd. where you enter Fontana. You are now going southeast. The trail takes on a different character where you are in a community setting and many portions of the trail have a neat accent to them. There's a park at Oleander Ave. with a nice restroom right off PET to your left. Other parks and exercise equipment are alongside the trail, along with a number of historical buildings. Once you enter the city of Rialto, you see neat signs telling you you're at Rialto with numerous cement benches and water fountains. The trail ends at Cactus Ave. at mile 17.5.
I gave this trail a four because in Fontana and Rialto I noticed that the trail isn't being kept up regarding weeds growing inbetween the concrete slabs you're riding on. Those weeds often have thorns that can puncture tires. I recommend you check the weather forecast for wind. Cucamonga, Fontana, and Rialto are know as "wind tunnels" so better to be safe than sorry. On my second trip, I did notice signs of the homeless with trash and other items associated with them. It wasn't much but I suspect it's going to get worse because on my first trip I didn't see anything. That's not good. Hope it doesn't get too bad!
My experience with this route is excellent. Going up and back is approx. 30 miles. The trailhead is at 4995 Green River Rd., Corona. It has ample parking. I hit the path going south with the river to my right and the 91 fwy to my left. Once I get to the first park, Featherly Regional Park, you end up looping so that the river is now on your left and riding alongside E. La Palma Ave. for a couple of miles.
Shortly after you cross Yorba Linda Blvd. going south, you're now led to the dedicated bike path for the remainder of the ride and much closer to the river. The riding surface is in very good condition. Yorba Linda Regional Park is on your right. It's a long beautiful park. You may want to stop and explore it. Right after the park ends you cross a bridge with a wooden surface and now have the river on your right. You're now at approx. mile 5.
As you proceed south, you go under several overpasses and there are some nice wide curvy sections with beautiful vegetation on both sides. At approx. 12 miles there's a mini park rest area with benches and water fountain on your right. It's a nice place to stop and have a snack for a few minutes.
It starts to gets more barren as you go further south. Looking ahead you can now see the Honda Center, Anaheim transportation center, and Anaheim Stadium a few miles away. When I get there its mile 15 and I turn back.
As I end, I do want to say that it's best to check out the weather forecast mainly for wind. There have been a couple of times when I had to turn back because of strong winds! I recommend you start in the morning around 7-9 am. From the trailhead at Green River to the Honda Center it's mainly going downhill. So, just keep in mind that you'll be returning going uphill. But it is a moderate climb. During my rides I did not see any homeless encampments. If you prefer it on the quiet side, it best to ride the bike path on weekdays. I did go on it one Sunday and it wasn't too bad but there was noticeably more traffic with bikers and walkers. Well, I hope you enjoyed my review of the Santa Ana River Trail from Green River to the Honda Center.
I've been riding this path for years and it's become unsafer each and every year. There are several homeless and at times have confronted me while riding the path. It's extremely dirty and need of many repairs.
If you do choose to use this path I would highly advise NOT to ride it alone. This is a dangerous area and certainly do not ride this at night. The city/state needs to maintain this historical bike path and make it safe for all users. It's a sad state of affairs....unfortunately.
My husband and I rode this trail again today for the fourth time. It was cold and windy. 25 mile ride from Aliso and Wood canyon nature preserve to cooks corner and back. Not much bird activity along the creek yet. Too cold I think. The parks were all full of soccer and Little League baseball activity. The trail is still closed at the I-5 due to construction. Be sure to take your GPS so you can navigate the detour through Lake Forest.
My husband and I rode from Aliso Wood Canyon nature preserve to Cook’s corner and back today. 25 miles total. It was a cold and windy ride today but this is still one of my favorite trails. Because it was Saturday, and we hit the trail at 9 AM, we ran into a 5K run, lots of walkers, and other bike riders. It still felt like winter along the trail. Not much bird activity on the creek yet. The trail is still closed at I-5 due to construction. Be sure to take your GPS to maneuver the detour through Lake Forest.
I ride it quite often, by often I mean almost every sunday morning year round...
But I ride the north portion only and not all the way for a combination of reasons.
First reason is, because of the river and the freeway, the path is pretty much a wind tunnel, so you waste a lot of energy when you have crosswind or front wind just fighting the wind.
Second reason is the fact the only shades you have on most of the path are from the bridges you cross, otherwise prepare to be frying specially between June and August.
Third reason are the homeless, I never had problems with them, but probably because Sunday mornings are relatively busy so they stay put, some are not even there by the time, but I wonder if that's the same on different hours with less traffic.
So what do I do them? First I stay on Riverside and ride the Zoo Drive all the way to the Crystal Spring Dr. until I reach the Los Feliz Blvd. and that's where I join the path, yes you have to share the road with some cars trying to reach the I-5, but if you use the crossing paths on traffic light and pay attention it's all good.
From there I ride to the end of the Greentrail (Near the Dodger Stadium) and return... On my way back I always stop by the Spokes Cafe around Atwater Village area. It's a nice cafe/bike shop focused on cyclists, not the cheapest place to stop by, but the food is high quality and the environment and staff are really nice and is a great place to meet other cyclists (before the pandemic was even better to share experiences and talk about cycling and making friends).
People that drive to the path, can park by the Griffith Park or another suggestion I would give if you wanna add some miles to your ride (specially if you have a EV this tip is golden cause that's what I sometimes do when I have to charge my car), park at Burbank Town Center (so you can leave your car on one of the chargers or superchargers for tesla owners) and ride from there through the bike lanes on San Fernando Blvd. to Riverside Dr. bike lane and them join the Bike Path or do as I do going thru the Griffith Park on Zoo Dr.
I use this bike path quite often to "save legs" on my bicycle rides when heading to Santa Monica Mountains or the Valley Circle loop. Since it's mostly flat.
It's good but not perfect, for families with kids riding recreational it's great, for road cyclists not much, the asphalt have some big cracks on some areas specially near the beginning at Chandler all the way to Sepulveda Blvd area.
Some areas like the Burbank Blvd where there is the Valley Community College crossing can be annoying due to the really slow traffic lights (and traffic lights are a constant and take really long times to change).
Between Van Nuys Blvd and Lake Balboa you have some areas that I personally would avoid in less busy hours with many homeless on the surrounds and some really desert spots (it was worst in the middle of the pandemic, today is a bit better but still I would not ride too late or after sun is down around that area).
Not Water stations thru the path but many Gas Stations and Liquor Stores you can buy water on the way...
Tip: After Canoga the Bike Path goes up the Valley so if you plan to go West towards Calabasas, I recommend not going the Victory Blvd (specially on the Westfield area the asphalt is terrible, drivers don't respect and the sidewalk is completely destroyed, go South on Canoga to Ventura Blvd and use it's bike lane... Not ideal but much better and relatively safer.
We started at the Simi Valley Metrolink. Parking on a Saturday was easy and plentiful. If it's a hot day, park in the shade. The path itself is nice. A bit rougher at the beginning, but when you hop over to the improved side, much, much nicer (that's at Vista Del Arroyo Park. Which has bathrooms and water BTW.)
The work they're doing to the river is looks great. If you're travelling from the Metrolink, you've got a few miles of river that's being worked on. It gets nicer as you go. We ended up at Stargaze Park, which is an open green space, great for a snack, but a little sparse on the shade. On the ride back, we decided to go past the Metrolink, but will skip it next time. At that point the river looks terrible (just concrete and trash) and the path is dirty. It really only adds an extra mile or so.
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