Find the top rated running trails in Santa Barbara, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
This is one of our favorite rides that we have done a number of times over the years when vacationing in the Ventura area. We've always ridden this trail in the summer when inland temps are sizzling, but you can count on cool, refreshing breezes and beautiful ocean and coastal views on this easy trail.
The official trail from San Buenaventura State Beach to Emma Wood State Beach is only 4.1 miles long which is why we extend it. Don't stop at Emma Wood! Continue north on Pacific Coast Highway. I know, you have to ride on the road with only a white stripe to separate you from the motor vehicles, but it seems like the only traffic is the occasional lumbering RV slowly headed to their campsite along PCH. If you take my advice, you'll definitely burn more calories and be rewarded with spectacular views of the Pacific, gawk at multi-million dollar beachfront homes, and envy relaxed vacationers enjoying their RV's.
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!
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.
Way back in June of 1998, the Los Angeles Times had an article entitled "Joy Rides - 10 scenic bike trails for real people." Coming in at #8 was "The Milk Run." It was a 16 mile round trip through the Ojai Valley starting at Foster Park. Being the real people that we are, my wife and I rode it a year or two later during a vacation to Ventura.
Today that trail is known as the Ojai Valley Trail, and from the photos on the Rails to Trails site it looks just as beautiful as twenty years ago and appears to have had some nice upgrades added too.
I recall lots of trees, a rural atmosphere, a gentle incline, and being able to pretty much coast much of the way back to Foster Park!
(BTW: I've racked my brain and done some research, but I can't remember or find why it was referred to as The Milk Run)
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.
After a short warm up on the Goleta Beach Trail (see comments for that trail), started ride from Goleta Beach Park and rode to end at Arroyo Road. Signage for the trail indicates this as Obern Trail, didn’t seen any signage for Atascadero Creek. The trail is paved, most of it is just wide enough for travel both directions but not a wide trail. The trail is older needing some overdue maintenance. We encountered a number of walkers and other bikers using the trail. Wasn’t a problem navigating around them. Trail is along the green space next to creek and away from traffic. Nice to have a quiet place without traffic. We connected to the Maria Ygnacio Bike Path from the Obern Trail (see comments for that trail).
Began ride at Goleta Beach Park and rode trail to UCSB and back. Trail is short and fine for connecting to UCSB. Otherwise not anything to brag about. We used this as a short warm up for the next trail starting from the park. See comments for Atascadero Creek Trail (Obern Trail).
Started our ride at west parking lot of Shoreline Park. Needed to ride the bike lane on the street before connecting to the actual bike path at east end of park. The bike path is paved but not real wide but does work, a wider path would be better for walkers and bikers. We rode to the end of the path at the bird refugee. This path is nice for a slow cruise along the beach front. Plan to dodge the many walkers on the bike path, a number of them aren’t paying any attention to the bike traffic. It seems like maybe the planners got the main section of the path reversed. All the walkers want to be on the bike path which is closest to the beach rather than the wide sidewalk 25 feet further away from the beach. If needing to ride fast, there is a nice designed bike lane on the street.
The Ventura River Trail and the Ojai Valley Trail combine to allow a bicyclist to ride from downtown Ventura to downtown Ojai. It is a very nice ride. The trail goes slightly uphill from the coast to Ojai (approximately 800 feet of elevation gain). Suitable for all ages and abilities.
The trail section through Ventura goes through the industrial area initially constructed during the heyday of the oil boom of the 1920s. Not beautiful; but still interesting. Foster Park, approximately 6 miles from the start in Ventura, is an excellent rest stop (bathrooms, water, views of the Ventura River). Just above Foster Park is a very cool bike bridge at the Ventura River. The remainder of the trail to Ojai offers beautiful views of the mountains, the river valley, and broad landscapes. Libbey Park in Ojai has water, bathrooms, shade, and playgrounds for kids.
The coast end of the trail connects to the Omer Rains bike path which will bring cyclists to the beach. Plenty of options for a full day of cycling and enjoying the Ventura and Ojai areas.
The bike trail is Class I and car-free. However, there are streets that cross the trail and cyclists must be cautious and stop at every crossing if there are cars.
This trail is heavily used by so many people and visitors from outside the City. I give it a rating of 10/10 because of how it was built with so much engining thought. The trail runs next to Calleguas Creek from Upland all the way to the Pleasant Valley Field complex on the west side of the 101 freeway. The enterances to the path are so well posted and easy to enter with a trike. There are a lot of other cyclist with all types and class, and along side there path is filled with the usual dog walkers and runner. I love the way the path crossess the roads by building a path underneath the road, and this allows it to be very safe for everyone! The bathrooms are at the Pleasant Valley Fields and at Pitts Ranch Park and are very clean. I ride a trike and sometimes I find myself zoning out as I peddle down the path because it is so relaxing. I am sure you will too!!!!
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