Explore the best rated trails in Charter Oak, 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 71 trails covering 451 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.
To the trail user, the West Irvine Trail and Peters Canyon Bikeway are one continuous trail with two names in three cities. The northern component of the Peters Canyon Regional Trail, both paths...
The Robert McCollum Memorial Bicycle Trail, also known as the Trabuco Creek Trail (East Bank), is a short paved path along Trabuco Creek in San Juan Capistrano. The trail begins at a junction with the...
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...
To the trail user, the West Irvine Trail and Peters Canyon Bikeway are one continuous trail with two names in three cities. The northern component of the Peters Canyon Regional Trail, both paths...
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,...
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...
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 Rio Hondo River Trail runs for more than 17 miles through Los Angeles County along its namesake waterway, a partially channelized tributary of the Los Angeles River. The trail extends northeast...
Open 24/7 and providing a crucial off-road route in Simi Valley, CA, the Arroyo Simi Bike Path is a flat and well-paved trail that provides a great route for commuting and recreation. The trail begins...
The San Gabriel River Trail extends from the base of the San Gabriel Mountains all the way to the Pacific Ocean. A key component of Los Angeles County's transportation infrastructure, the trail...
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 paved Los Angeles River Trail—also known as the Los Angeles River Bike Path, Los Angeles River Bikeway, Los Angeles River Greenway Trail and Lario Trail—is open in two disconnected segments along...
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 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...
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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 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 Bouquet Canyon Trail is open in two disconnected segments—both along Newhall Ranch Road—in Santa Clarita. The western segment runs along the south side of the road from Vanderbilt Way to Avenue...
A neighborhood trail of the first order, the Pacific Electric Bike Trail links well-kept middle class neighborhoods on either side of tree-lined Maple Street near downtown Santa Ana. The trail runs on...
The Walnut Trail shares a wide corridor with an active railroad line, a BNSF route, through a section of Orange County known for producing oranges and strawberries. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe...
The Browns Creek Bike Path is a paved trail that travels through the far northwestern Los Angeles neighborhood of Chatsworth. Running for nearly 1.5 miles, the path links Sierra Canyon School's Lower...
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 Oso Creek Trail offers just over four miles of paved pathway connecting Jeronimo Open Space Park and Oso Viejo Community Park in the suburban southern California city of Mission Viejo. Much of...
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 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 Rio Hondo River Trail runs for more than 17 miles through Los Angeles County along its namesake waterway, a partially channelized tributary of the Los Angeles River. The trail extends northeast...
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 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...
The San Francisquito Creek Trail features two parallel paved segments along its namesake waterway in Santa Clarita. The paths provide a useful north–south route, connecting neighborhoods with parks...
Running through large Los Angeles suburbs in both Los Angeles County and Orange County, the Coyote Creek Bikeway follows the channelized bank of the creek through residential and industrial...
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 Compton Creek Bike Path crosses Compton along the east bank of its namesake creek, offering access to precious open space for the urban neighborhoods along the way. Compton Creek itself is a...
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 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 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 Peters Canyon Trail, currently open in two disconnected segments, runs northeast from Bill Barber Community Park to Portola Parkway, with a small gap from Warner Avenue to an active rail line that...
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 North Redondo Beach Bikeway is a signed bike route that links Torrance to the Los Angeles Metro's Redondo Beach station (Green Line). Portions of the bikeway feature designated bike lanes, while...
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The Santa Clara River Trail follows its namesake waterway, one of Los Angeles County's last unchannelized rivers. The paved trail connects several of Santa Clarita's neighborhoods, including Canyon...
Yorba Linda's El Cajon Trail courses through the city on a former irrigation canal that was abandoned and filled in after a flood made it impractical to use. Paved with a parallel equestrian and...
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 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...
A neighborhood trail of the first order, the Pacific Electric Bike Trail links well-kept middle class neighborhoods on either side of tree-lined Maple Street near downtown Santa Ana. The trail runs on...
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 Shady Canyon Trail is an incredibly scenic route along Shady Canyon Drive in southern Irvine. Extending through the southern reaches of the historic Irvine Ranch and protected Irvine Ranch Natural...
The Arroyo Seco Bike Path runs about 2 miles between South Pasadena and northeast Los Angeles, offering views of the LA skyline and the distant mountains. It begins south of Pasadena Avenue and...
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...
Yorba Linda's El Cajon Trail courses through the city on a former irrigation canal that was abandoned and filled in after a flood made it impractical to use. Paved with a parallel equestrian 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 Santa Ana River Trail is a 12-foot wide path following the Santa Ana River, a waterway that is cement-lined through much of Orange County but free flowing in Riverside and San Bernardino counties....
The North Redondo Beach Bikeway is a signed bike route that links Torrance to the Los Angeles Metro's Redondo Beach station (Green Line). Portions of the bikeway feature designated bike lanes, while...
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...
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 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...
The Sierra Bike Trail occupies a sliver of land between active Metrolink commuter rail tracks and Sierra Highway, connecting the communities of Palmdale and Lancaster in California's Antelope Valley....
To the trail user, the West Irvine Trail and Peters Canyon Bikeway are one continuous trail with two names in three cities. The northern component of the Peters Canyon Regional Trail, both paths...
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 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 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 paved Los Angeles River Trail—also known as the Los Angeles River Bike Path, Los Angeles River Bikeway, Los Angeles River Greenway Trail and Lario Trail—is open in two disconnected segments along...
Rode from Centennial Park to downtown Huntington Beach. Nice trail with lots to see. Trail dumps you right into huntington beach.
Great beautiful trail to ride It can get difficult if the beach is very busy. You may have to ride around and through crowds but it is part of the fun a bit. Bathrooms and food is available all along the trail. Great scenery and mostly flat.
You can park for free in the lot next to the bus roundabout. If you come in at the north end of the trail (off of Warner) and turn right after the jack in the box you'll see a parking lot on the left. There's no fee to park there! 😉
Nice route to log in miles, pretty flat with some mild inclines. Great clean ride
A friend and I both have new e-Bikes. Both are city urban commuter type bikes and both of us over sixty-five. We used to ride years ago but for various reasons we stopped. Now we’re back on the road enjoying a lovely trail with wonderful sights. There are little parks and kiddy play areas along the way. We only managed nearly half this time around with a plan to finish the second half in the near future.
Breath taking - separate pedestrian and bike paths - Queen Mary, Marina, and an island with a bunch of man made waterfalls that turn into a light show at night
It's been a few years since my wife and I biked this path, but I always think about it this time of year whenever I smell the orange blossoms in my southern California neighborhood.
This is most certainly a slow, easy, ideal ride for a spring day. It's not too hot yet, the narrow path passes by some stately historic homes, and the aroma of the orange blossoms are absolutely intoxicating!
Consider leaving the path on the way back and riding up one of the side streets through the groves.
I suspect this trail is especially popular with the surrounding community. I know if I lived there I'd be cruising down to the beach every day on it! For a couple of out of towners, it was well worth the time we put into exploring it.
After spending the night in Dana Point's bluff hugging Blue Lantern Inn, we parked the car and unloaded the bikes in Dana Point Marina's Baby Beach parking lot so we could enjoy pedaling around the quiet marina streets as well as the San Juan Creek Trail.
After cruising over to Doheny State Beach to the trailhead, we began our trek along the bank of the creek. For the most part it's a nice, fairly quiet ride. On the way up, we took a detour and explored the Trabuco Creek Trail as well as Old Historic San Juan Capistrano.
The San Juan Creek Trail eventually concluded in a somewhat rural area of ranches and equestrian centers. After cruising back down to the trailhead, I must say it's pretty cool to relax on the beach in the cool, salty air and to bask in the sun.
I first rode this trail over forty years ago when it was one of the first Class I trails in southern California, and I must say it was so cool to go from the Inland Empire all the way to the OC beaches! In recent years I've also ridden the upper portion which is a completely different experience but still worthwhile. The lower portion is nice and flat with cool ocean breezes, while the upper portion is hilly in places and much warmer in the summer. Lower: 5 stars. Upper: 3 stars.
As a lifelong resident of the Inland Empire and a Rancho Cucamonga homeowner, I've ridden this trail dozens of times over the years. It's extremely popular with locals and families for bicycling, walking, and jogging. For an urban area it has a great deal of good things going for it. There are also some not so great things.
THE GOOD: Off street, Class I trail following along the historic route of the extinct Pacific Electric Rail Line; some pretty views of the San Gabriel Mountains; historic, one hundred year old homes near downtown Upland; riding between Base Line Road in Fontana to Route 66 in Rancho Cucamonga.
THE BAD: The trail is frequently intersected by major thoroughfares and other streets so there are lots of stops and starts; you're essentially riding your bike between the block walled backyards of neighborhoods for much of the time or behind businesses; going uphill between Route 66 and Base Line Road in Rancho Cucamonga (according to my wife); downtown Fontana homeless.
THE UGLY: When heading west, don't bother going beyond Euclid Avenue in Upland since for the most part there's nothing but some sketchy apartments, warehouses, and industrial complexes the rest of the way.
CONCLUSION: I've traveled thousands of miles in the United States to ride my bike on beautiful, historic, once in a lifetime, bucket list worthy trails. This ain't one of 'em. As a Rancho Cucamonga resident I was excited when they constructed this since it's great, local urban bike riding, and an opportunity for walkers to get in their ten thousand steps or joggers their miles. However, don't plan a big vacation around this one (unless you're coming to visit friends or family and you need to get a bit of exercise).
Looking through the preceding 47 reviews, a title from May of 2013 sums this trail up best: "Better Than Riding a Stationary Bike".
CONSIDER: Just west of Vineyard Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga is a connecting trail called Cucamonga Creek Trail which goes north about six miles into the foothills of Rancho Cucamonga. It's a Class I asphalt trail, and the first few miles are moderately difficult and not especially well maintained, but the last few miles travel diagonally across the foothills and are easy and well maintained as you travel through neighborhoods of million dollar homes and ranches full of horses. Eventually you get to the crown jewel park in our city, Heritage Park, where you can enjoy valley and mountain views and have a picnic lunch. (I've taken my kids when they were little and my 10 year old granddaughter in recent years up this trail). Best of all, you can coast almost all the way back to the Pacific Electric Trail!
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