Explore the best rated trails in Lompoc, CA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Bob Jones City to the Sea Trail and Santa Maria Valley Multi-Purpose Trail. With more than 10 trails covering 29 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 Bob Jones trail has become dangerous. Electric vehicles now seem to outnumber bikes. Walkers, some elderly, some pushing strollers, some with small children or dogs of all sizes, and regular bicyclists now have to compete for passage with electric vehicles. I have seen: electric bikes, electric scooters, electric skateboards (some with beach chairs mounted on them), a moped, and one speeding electric unicycle whose rider used ski poles for balance. Sometimes the scooters and bikes come in packs of half a dozen, rented by a group, the bikes blaring good-times music. The electric bikes come in various sizes, and at you at various speeds. With my dog on a tight lead, I have been yelled at to get out of the way. With pleasure. Soon someone is going to get hurt seriously and the city will be sued.
Jan 2022: Parked at the Broadway (exit 173) access. Tight entrance gate to get bike through. The levee is very wide with a gravel surface. We only rode from our access point to the West end of the trail where the levee is fenced and signs indicate end of access. Returned to our access point and called it quits. Saw no reason to go further. Nothing special about this trail, flat and wide.
Such a beautiful walk. Add a walk along the pier and lunch in Avila and you have a fantastic day.
Location: San Luis Obispo (North Segment) and Avila Beach (South Segment), CA
Parking: Pardo Road area (SLO segment) and parking area off of Ontario Road for Avila Beach segment. The Ontario Road parking lot is large and well used…a lot of cars parked on Friday afternoon.
Trail Condition: Surface is good throughout the trail. SLO segment had a couple areas of repair work and crack sealing. SLO is wide enough for riding two abreast. The Avila Beach segment trail width varies with two abreast wide and two lane road wide. Trail surface is smooth.
Signage: Usual regulatory signage on both sections. Along the SLO segment there were a number of signs explaining the sewage plant process and variety of equipment used. The Avila Beach segment had interpretative signage explaining geology, plants, and history. The Avila Beach segment had sufficient directional signs.
Comments:
SLO segment – Don’t be surprised…starting from Prado Road within a very short distance will encounter an encampment right on the edge of the trail. The encampment is up close and in the face. Once passed that the trail follows along the sewer plant fence line (a number of signs on the fence explain the process and equipment used) on one side and the creek on the other. Plenty of trees and greenery away from traffic. Further on the trail twists through grassy area, trees, marsh land and ends at Los Osos Valley Road. We completed this segment and no need to return.
Avila Beach Segment – Many trail users, mostly walkers with a few bikes. Trail is away from traffic, through the trees, along the creek, past some quiet housing developments, and crosses a golf course before arriving about a block from the beach. A lengthy section of the trail is a two-lane road leading to a gated residential area, no cars were encountered on this part of the trail. This was a nice trail and worthy of a visit if in the area.
The Bob Jones City to the Sea Trail is a nice, pretty, easy ride but sadly too short! Be prepared to do a bit of on street biking if you want to go all the way to Avila Beach and the pier.
This trail is worth exploring if you want to venture into the neighborhoods of Goleta. It must be especially awesome for the residents of Goleta to be able to jump on their bikes and head to the beach or UCSB via this path and the Obern Trail!
If you ride this trail, do it in conjunction with the Goleta Beach Trail or Maria Ygnacio Bike Path since it's so short. The locals must love this since for the most part it's quiet, away from roads, and leads to the beach. It seems ideal for the neighborhoods that back up to it for the last couple of miles. If I lived there I'd probably be on it most every day headed for the beach!
Over the years on our visits to the Santa Barbara area, we've ridden the Goleta Beach Trail. Utilizing the probably now somewhat obsolete Santa Barbara County Bike Map (copyright 2000), we followed what was called the Coast Route. The Class I bike path starts near the corner of Storke and El Colegio, so that's where we would park and unload the bikes. In the summer months it's a great place to start your Goleta Beach ride since you add some distance to it, plus you can peddle through the nearly deserted UCSB campus to the Goleta Beach Trail trailhead.
After riding down to Goleta Beach County Park and Goleta Pier, the Coast Route turns inland allows you to pedal alongside Atascadero Creek. Today that trail is called Obern Trail, a lovely ride in itself. Another option is a spur off the Obern Trail just beyond Patterson Avenue called the Maria Ygnacio Bike Path. This will give you some uphill and through the neighborhoods of Goleta.
The Goleta Beach Trail is a beautiful, ridiculously short ride with sensational ocean and mountain views. If you are going to ride this trail, you might as well combine it with Obern and/or Maria Ygnacio and burn a few more calories!
We rode this trail between the marina and bird refuge a few years ago. The photo op highlight was peddling our bikes between the rows of giant palm trees for that stereotypical California beach scene, but for a couple of native southern Californians palm trees are no big deal. In addition, the ride is so short it just wasn't worth getting the bikes out of the SUV.
This trail feels most appropriate for tourists, walkers, joggers, skateboarders, and vendors renting those quadcycle things to families.
Connected to this path from the Obern Trail (see comments for that trail). Rode to end of trail. Trail follows along creek and through residential areas, although stays within the green space. Trail is paved and like others in area not real wide but does the job. Noted a number of connector trails and would have been fun to have more time to explore these connections. Maybe next time.
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