Santa Monica Beach and South Bay Bike Path

Quintessential Southern California, this trail is featured in hundreds of TV shows and movies. Whether you are here on vacation, or live nearby and want to feel like you are on vacation, it is a great way to explore the many personalities of the beach towns along the South Bay Strand. Starting under the cliffside houses of the rich and famous in Pacific Palisades, you can start out at Will Rogers State Beach and soon pass Temescal Canyon County Park. Travelling along the open beach, you arrive at the Santa Monica Pier where you can take a break for a ferris wheel, coaster or caurosel ride, eat some ice cream, or visit one of the Farmer's markets. A few blocks away is the 3rd Street Promenade with it's ultimate shopping experience. Once past the many attractions of Santa Monica, the trail leads into Venice Beach with it's Muscle Beach, skate parks, artists, and quirky shops. The trail continues and dead ends at Ballona Creek, so to reach Torrance you will need to take the bike lanes on Washington Blvd (across from Venice Pier) inland about 0.8 miles to pick up the trail around Marina Del Rey. The trail is well signed as it passes through parking lots in the marina area. Another on street section is on Fiji Way, which leads to the Ballona Creek Bike Path and back to the beach in Playa Del Rey. South from Playa del Rey the trail passes through Dockweiler State Beach and under the planes taking off from LAX before entering Manhattan Beach. Manhattan Beach is the birthplace of beach volleyball, so there will be some bumping and spiking to watch as you ride on past. After passing Hermosa Beach, another on street section is required around the marina in Redondo Beach, so use Harbor Way for this stretch. The trail ends at Torrance Beach where the cliffs to Palos Verdes begin.