California Fishing Trails and Maps

1540 Reviews

Looking for the best Fishing trails around California?

Find the top rated fishing trails in California, whether you're looking for an easy short fishing trail or a long fishing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a fishing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

City Trails and Maps in California

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
32 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Alameda Creek Regional Trails

22.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Gravel

Arroyo Simi Bike Path

8.6 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail

25.3 mi
State: CA
Dirt, Gravel

Crystal Springs Regional Trail

15.3 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Eagle Lake Trail (CA)

5.2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Huntington Beach Bicycle Trail (Coastal Trail)

8.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Lake Almanor Recreation Trail

11 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Lake Merced Loop (San Francisco)

4.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

MacKerricher Haul Road Trail

3.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail

19 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Sacramento River Rail Trail

11.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Sacramento River Trail

11.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Francisco Bay Trail

328 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel

Union Valley Bike Trail

5.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Valley Loop Trail

7.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Walker Preserve & River Park Trail

3.3 mi
State: CA
Crushed Stone

Almanor Rail Trail

13 mi
State: CA
Ballast, Dirt, Gravel

Eureka Waterfront Trail

6.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Boardwalk
Accordion

Merced River Trail

4.9 mi
State: CA
Gravel

Morro Bay Harborwalk

0.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Napa River Trail

4.3 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Omer Rains Coastal Bike Trail

4.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

San Clemente Beach Trail

2.3 mi
State: CA
Boardwalk, Sand

San Diego River Trail

11.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Walter S. Ueda Parkway Trail

3.6 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

West Cliff Drive Bicycle Path

3.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Two Rivers Trail

1.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Grimshaw Lake Watchable Wildlife Trail

1 mi
State: CA
Dirt, Gravel

Palo Alto Baylands Trails

10.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Gravel
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview  The two sections of the Alameda Creek Regional Trails run for roughly 12 miles each between Niles Canyon in Fremont and San Francisco Bay. The trails connect Bay Area neighborhoods with...
CA 22.8 mi Asphalt, Gravel
Closure notice: The lower portion of the trail is closed from the Campus Commons Golf Course to the H Street Bridge and from the Route 51 Bridge to the Union Pacific Railroad Crossing. See...
CA 32 mi Asphalt
The 8.6-mile Arroyo Simi Bike Path traverses Simi Valley in Ventura County. The majority of this rail-with-trail follows the Arroyo Simi, the creek for which the trail is named, and which serves as a...
CA 8.6 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
Overview An outing on the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail rewards trekkers with eye-catching Northern California scenery and signs of wildlife. The 25.3-mile packed gravel-and-dirt trail...
CA 25.3 mi Dirt, Gravel
Overview The Crystal Springs Regional Trail offers tranquil views of two long, narrow reservoirs and a lake that sits atop the San Andreas Rift Zone, a geologic fault that shook violently in the...
CA 15.3 mi Asphalt, Dirt
The Eagle Lake Trail provides a pleasant ride through pine and sage trees along the south shore of the second largest natural lake in California. The trail is located in Lassen National Forest and...
CA 5.2 mi Asphalt
Overview The scenic Huntington Beach Bicycle Trail runs 8.4 miles along the Pacific Ocean waterfront of the most populous beach city in Orange County. Paved over its entire length and remarkably...
CA 8.4 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Lake Almanor Recreation Trail is much hillier than the simple, flat shoreline hike its name might suggest. The lake is a hydroelectric project that dates back more than 100 years to 1914 and is...
CA 11 mi Asphalt
This 4.5-mile paved trail encircles Lake Merced in southwestern San Francisco. The western leg of the loop is also referred to as the Lake Merced Measured Mile and is part of a larger, regional effort...
CA 4.5 mi Asphalt
The scenic MacKerricher Haul Road Trail, previously known as the Ten Mile Beach Trail, is part of an old road used to transport lumber from the Ten Mile River watershed to a mill in Fort Bragg. It...
CA 3.8 mi Asphalt
Overview Winding along the Pacific coast, the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and a great way to tour Monterey and adjacent communities while...
CA 19 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The northern endpoint of the Sacramento River Rail Trail offers views of the country’s eighth-largest dam and California’s largest reservoir—Shasta Lake—and the often snowcapped Mount Shasta. Before...
CA 11.1 mi Asphalt
Overview Tucked away in Northern California's Shasta County is the charming town of Redding, which over the years has worked diligently to become one of the premier trail destinations in the West....
CA 11.5 mi Asphalt
Overview The San Francisco Bay Trail is a colossal effort to create a 500-mile multiuse trail encircling its namesake bay. Along its course, the trail links 47 cities through 9 counties, providing...
CA 328 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt, Gravel
Overview The Tahoe City Public Utility District (TCPUD) Multi-Use Trail System meanders along the scenic west shore of Lake Tahoe and weaves through pine and aspen trees along the Truckee River....
CA 22.4 mi Asphalt
The Union Valley Bike Trail is a two-lane, paved route that connects the campgrounds on the east side of Union Valley Reservoir in the Eldorado National Forest. The trail skirts the shores of the...
CA 5.8 mi Asphalt
The spectacular Valley Loop Trail is steeped in history and beauty. This easy, paved pathway takes you past some of the most beautiful spots in Yosemite National Park and follows some of Yosemite...
CA 7.5 mi Asphalt
Meandering through the Walker Preserve and Lakeside's River Park Conservancy, this multiuse trail follows the San Diego River from the City of Santee to the community of Lakeside. This 3.3-mile...
CA 3.3 mi Crushed Stone
This 13 mile, non-motorized, multi-use trail is currently being improved to create a smoother tread surface for equestrians, hikers and bikers. It extends from downtown Chester where it crosses Main...
CA 13 mi Ballast, Dirt, Gravel
The Eureka Waterfront Trail traces the shorelines of the Elk River and Humboldt Bay for 6.5 miles in this Northern California town. The wide, paved trail, with access to public fishing and water...
CA 6.5 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk
Accordion
About 20 miles southwest of Yosemite National Park, the scenic Merced River Trail functions as both a bike/pedestrian trail and a lightly trafficked vehicular road used to access campsites and...
CA 4.9 mi Gravel
The Morro Bay Harborwalk has all the beauty you'd expect from a southern California trail: sparkling surf, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs in the distance. But the best sight is unique to the city:...
CA 0.5 mi Asphalt
Overview The Napa River Trail parallels its namesake river through the City of Napa between Kennedy Park and just south of Trancas Crossing Park. It is currently open in two disconnected segments...
CA 4.3 mi Asphalt
The Omer Rains Coastal Bike Trail, named after a popular local politician and environmentalist, is an incredibly scenic route along Ventura's Pacific coast. Much of the trail offers dramatic views of...
CA 4.1 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Overview Hugging one of the most picturesque shorelines in Southern California, the San Clemente Beach Trail is one of the premier rail trails in the area. The trail is a rail-with-trail, as it...
CA 2.3 mi Boardwalk, Sand
Overview The 11.4-mile San Diego River Trail is a network of paths that lead along the San Diego River channel and mud flats and provide access to Mission/Fashion Valley shopping areas. Trail users...
CA 11.4 mi Asphalt
The Walter S. Ueda Parkway trail occupies the crest of the levee on the west side of Steelhead Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River that's named for the steelhead trout that live in its waters....
CA 3.6 mi Asphalt
The West Cliff Drive Bicycle Path is just over 3 miles long, but, with its gorgeous backdrop of ocean waves and dramatic cliffs, you'll wish it was longer. The fairly flat, paved trail winds its way...
CA 3.4 mi Asphalt
The Two Rivers Trail runs adjacent to the American River and connects Jibboom Street and State Route 160 in the redeveloping northern reaches of downtown Sacramento. It provides a connection to the...
CA 1.7 mi Asphalt
The Bannister Bike Trail and accompanying Jim Jones Bridge Trail make for a lovely short bike ride in the Sacramento suburbs. At its western endpoint, the trail connects to Bannister Park, a lovely...
CA 1.12 mi Asphalt
The Grimshaw Lake Watchable Wildlife Trail is part of the Amargosa River Natural Area, administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The gravel trail follows an easy, flat route along the abandoned...
CA 1 mi Dirt, Gravel
The 1940-Acre Palo Alto Baylands Preserve is one of the large preserved marshlands of the San Francisco Bay, and is often considered one of the best bird watching areas on the west coast. Not only is...
CA 10.7 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Crushed Stone, Gravel

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Recent Trail Reviews

Fortuna Riverwalk

Just ok.

June, 2025 by curry1976

My son and I rode this trail’s entire length. It has nice river views and a decent little park for parking and trail access near its middle. Overall, it was sort of boring and bumpy with embedded rocks. Lots of walkers, which it is better suited for. We saw no other cyclists during our bumpy ride. Glad we did it, but wouldn’t bother to do it again.

Eureka Waterfront Trail

So much potential wasted on human tragedy and filth.

June, 2025 by curry1976

The City of Eureka has a gem in this trail. I rode the entire route both directions with my family May 29th 2025. We parked at the Park & Ride on the south end off Highway 101. It is a beautiful waterfront route that has been absolutely taken over and ruined along most of its length by addicts and vagrants doing drugs, urinating, defecating, living and littering in plain sight along the trail. The worst part was in town, but even the more rural section south of town was like a sporadic tent city of trash and homeless camping in the vegetation. The parks are filthy and overtaken by people you would not want your wife and children even seeing (because of what they are doing) let along playing near. The criminal vagrancy is at tragic proportions. Where are the police, the social services? It's scary like a zombie film with these poor people wandering aimlessly yelling and gesturing at nothing. My wife and children were riding with me and just when I thought it might start to get better, so just hang in there, we would see something shocking around the next bend in the trail. Why the residents of Eureka are not impeaching the entire city and police leadership for allowing this travesty of humanity to unfold is beyond me. I would stay away from this trail. It was a terrible experience that I naively had the best of intentions about when we started. How wrong I was.

San Luis Rey River Trail

Elevated route

June, 2025 by shawnabrowne

For me, who is afraid of heights, this was a bit difficult. It is slightly elevated and no railings. The surface is smooth, nice, easy to ride bike on. Going north-south, turn right at the neighborhood. Rode this Sunday lunchtime. Fair amount of runners, cyclists, and pedestrians. Everyone was considerate to each other.

Accordion

Ventura River Trail

amazing flowers

June, 2025 by barbscondo

We stayed at Ventura Beach RV-pricey but the location is perfect. The trail is outside the front of the RV park-easy to follow signs and find. At the north end of this trail it joins the Ojai Trail. The flowering bushes were breathtaking.

Bear Creek Trail (Stockton)

South of Wonderful, North of Mediocre

June, 2025 by dmurphy52

Excellent place to start this route is at Michael Faklis Park, which is a well kept and attractive public park with bathroom facilities and plenty of parking. From the park, I headed west on a wide and very well maintained paved bike path, arriving within a few miles at Paradise Marina. If you're up for an extra couple of miles, when the path ends at the marina, continue on the road that runs past the marina: auto traffic is very light, it's along water, with smooth pavement. It eventually dead ends after a couple of miles. Heading back east, you'll retrace your ride to Faklis Park, but continue onward along the path with houses on one side, waterfront on the other. The path does cross a couple of busy streets, with a stoplight at one, and one of those flashing light crosswalks (cars don't HAVE to stop, but usually do when the lights are flashing.

On the day that I rode, there were no homeless encampments, but it was clear that a recent cleanup had been done, with rows of cleaned up shopping carts neatly stacked, and minimal trash along the trail.

This path is flat, family safe (caution at the street crossings, of course). While it is along a body of water and does have some natural beauty, you won't be awed by nature. It's simply a safe, good ride along a very well maintained path, away from auto traffic, and IMHO, definitely worth a visit if you're staying in or passing through Stockton. My sole reason for rating it four stars instead of five is that I'm stingy with five star ratings, which I reserve for paths with all of the above qualities but also boast exceptional natural beauty.

Omer Rains Coastal Bike Trail

Good Beach Ride

June, 2025 by barbscondo

We stayed at Ventura Beach RV and the trail is at the front entrance. If you go left (north) you head down to the trail riding above the beach. This is kind of a wild part of the ocean. According to TrailLink the bike path ends at Emma Woods St Park. But really it doesn’t. It goes forever? We rode several more miles along Hwy 1 (PCH). There is a decent wide marked bike path along both sides of the two lane road. It seemed safe and lots to look at. If you turn right (south) out of the RV Park the trail goes to a more concrete promenade part of the ride on the beach. Lots of surfers. Would definitely do again.

Sacramento River Rail Trail

Beautiful journey, be aware of the switchbacks!

May, 2025 by subscriptions10

I recently enjoyed a fantastic bike ride on the Sacramento River Trail and the Sacramento River Rail Trail in late May 2025. Riding my TREK Checkpoint gravel bike, and knowing it would be a 100-degree day, I planned to begin early at 5:45 AM from the Sheraton Hotel by the Sundial Bridge in Redding. This hotel is conveniently located right on the Sacramento River Trail, making it an ideal overnight spot before the ride.

The evening before, just to say I completed the entire trail, I rode a few miles from the hotel to the Sacramento River Trailhead at Hilltop Drive. It was a short but surprisingly steep climb to reach the trailhead.

The next morning, starting at 5:45 AM, I rode from the hotel to the end of the Sacramento River Trail at Keswick Dam. From there, I easily connected to the Sacramento River Rail Trail and rode it to its end at the Shasta Dam Trailhead, before returning along the same route back to the hotel. The seamless connection between the two trails made for a smooth transition. My total roundtrip distance was approximately 40+ miles. The Sacramento River Trail is a lovely, mostly flat, and shaded path with interesting bridges, including the iconic Sundial Bridge at the start and end.

Upon reaching Keswick Dam, the Sacramento River Rail Trail begins with a very steep initial 0.6-mile climb. After conquering that first hill, you'll encounter another 2+ miles of up and down switchbacks, some of which are quite challenging. In total, there are 2.7 miles of switchbacks, earning its nickname "Heart Rate Hill." While it's not continuously uphill, the frequent ascents and descents make it a demanding section. I personally found the northbound climb more difficult than the return south, likely due to more sustained uphill sections. My trail app recorded a total elevation change of just over 1,600 feet for the entire ride.

Once past the initial 2.7 miles of switchbacks, the trail becomes a beautiful and mostly flat ride to the Shasta Dam Trailhead. This section is scenic, following the Sacramento River and even passing through a 500-foot historic train tunnel.

While you can continue past the Shasta Dam trailhead to the top of the dam, it involves riding on a somewhat busy public road, which I chose to skip. For those wanting to avoid the 2.7 miles of switchbacks, an alternative starting point is the Keswick Boat Launch, which has parking available. From there, a roundtrip ride to the Shasta Dam Trailhead would be approximately 16 to 17 miles.

As a 71-year-old, I embarked on a personal goal last year to ride all the Rails to Trails Hall of Fame trails in my 70s. Last year, I completed the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, the C\&O Trail, the Illinois Prairie Path, the Pinellas Trail, and the Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail. I must say that the Sacramento River Rail Trail, with its nearly 5.5 miles of hilly switchbacks roundtrip, was the toughest single-day ride I've experienced! However, it was absolutely worth it—another unforgettable adventure and another pin on my map!

Eureka Waterfront Trail

Nice ride

May, 2025 by garywaynesparks

Great trail surface. Beautiful views of Humboldt Bay. Stop by the 707 bar for an Eel River Amber¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿

Tracks at Brea Trail

Nice Clean Little Trail

May, 2025 by juddrousseau

It is a neat clean little bike trail. It is not very long but, is a nice place to ride. It is not super intuitive when you cross streets. Be sure to look for the small blue & white signs that help direct you when you cross streets

West Irvine Trail

West Irvine Trai

May, 2025 by nixieksmith

Easy ride with a slight uphill to lower Peter’s Canyon Trail. 16 mile trip from home to the Walnut Trail, Peter’s Canyon Trail to West Irvine Trail

San Gabriel River Trail

WOW

May, 2025 by rafaello199

The best trail for triathlon bike in LA

Orange Cove Rails to Trails

awful

May, 2025 by mirelezsarita2015

This trail is very sketchy part of town, many vagrant people around with some drug related undertones in that part of town! I DO NOT Recommend this trail especially if you’re alone

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