Santa Monica Beach and South Bay Bike Path:
California
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Description:
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.
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Reviews: [1 trail ratings]
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osborn2ride
By osborn2ride in September, 2011
A few years ago I did a project for a company in Burbank and I was out there for six month and on weekends I would do this trial. I always did it on my road bike and this trail is a great ride as you are over looking the ocean most of the way. You ride on what the locals call the strand down though the middle of a few of the beaches. When I was looking at this trail it was hard believe that nobody has done a review on this great trail. It is one of the most scenic rides I have ever done. It is family friendly. It gets very busy on the weekends but you can always get though the high traffic areas. The high light for me was riding though Marina Del Ray and seeing all those high priced Sail boats. there is just so much to see in this 22 mile trip that all I can say is if you live in the L.A area you need to take a ride on this trail. Oh ya and you need to do a review. Like most of my reviews I just do not give out five stars but if I did this ride would get one.




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Trail Facts
Trail End Points: Will Rogers State Park to Torrance Beach
Counties: Los Angeles
Trail Length: 21 miles
Trail Category: Greenway/Non-RT
Trail Surfaces: Asphalt, Concrete
Trail Activities: Bike, Inline Skating, Wheelchair Accessible, Walking
TrailLink ID: 6453021

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