The San Gabriel River Trail is 38-miles one-way. It starts at the Base of the San Gabriel Mountains, passes through the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, and ends at Seal Beach on the Pacific Ocean. The route is a nice, flat paved bike trail that takes you on the Rio Hondo bicycle path and the Los Angeles River bank path south to Long Beach. The upper part of this trail is surrounded by an urban concrete landscape and passes over the Santa Fe Dam as well as a nearby recreation area with several park facilities. The lower section of the trail passes through many parks such as El Dorado and Liberty Park.
What Makes It Great
This is a great bike path for those hoping to ride through the many different landscapes of the greater Los Angeles area. From natural settings to the north to more urban concrete landscapes in the middle. This is definitely one of the most diverse urban rides this city has to offer. It has been classified as a class 3 difficulty because of its length, but really, you can hop on it wherever you want and tailor a ride to suit your needs/ desires.
Who is Going to Love It
This truly is a path for everyone. An out and back can be a full day's ride, while it can be equally as useful for a 20 minute spin.
Directions, Parking, & Regulations
There are many places to jump on the bike path, but for the ocean-side start, Eisenhower Park at Seal Beach is a good place to begin. Head towards the beach on Seal Beach Blvd. which turns into Ocean Avenue. You’ll see the pier on your left when you reach Main Street. (Or you can turn right on Pacific Coast Highway from Seal Beach Blvd. and turn down Main Street. Enter the south parking lot from 10th Street. Enter the north parking lot from 8th Street.
