Just a heads up, this really isn't what I would call a "trail". It is going to be mainly sidewalk, some of it along the seawall, and some asphalt bike lanes. You will have the bay on one side and a busy/major, 4-lane thoroughfare on the other side the whole ride.

The portion from American Bank Center, all along the seawall, to the beach is quite busy and crowded, being mostly commercial. But it will thin out after Cole Park. Where it turns into Ocean Dr. and is residential, with lots of VERY nice, upscale homes. This is the nicer part of the "trail" to me.

I used to roller blade this area a lot years ago, but I don't visit the area often anymore. It is worth noting too, that this area is currently undergoing major changes. Shoreline Blvd., the street paralleling the first half of the ride, has been re-aligned and moved away from the "trail" for a stretch near the beach. Ocean Dr. is also being reconstructed, as it was in bad condition. Once all of this construction is clear, the area will be much nicer.

Still, I prefer to get out of the city-scape for my rides & runs. So, this is too urban for me to really enjoy.

We started this "trail" at the Northern End (Art Center). Things were fine along that stretch. However, once out of the park we were directed across a 4 lane, divided highway (Ocean Drive) to the bike lane. Although the car roadways were pretty smooth, the bike lines were like riding on rumble strips all the way. Road maintenance along Ocean Drive is only for cars, nothing is done to improve the bike lanes.

This "trail" shouldn't even be called a "trail" it's a "bike route", out in traffic for the majority of the miles. We drove all the way from Rockport and it WASN'T worth the trip!