San Marcos, CA Bike Trails and Maps

218 Reviews

Looking for the best Bike trails around San Marcos?

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

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Activities
Length
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Type
31 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Aliso Creek Riding and Hiking Trail

16.4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Dana Point Headlands Trail

3 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt

Mission Bay Bike Path

11.57 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Oso Creek Trail

4.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Rose Creek Bikeway

2.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Diego Creek Trail

10.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Luis Rey River Trail

9 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Santa Gertrudis Creek Trail

4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Shady Canyon Trail

4 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

State Route 56 Bike Path

10.3 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Turtle Rock Trail

2.8 mi
State: CA
Concrete

Bayshore Bikeway

17.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Escondido Creek Bike Path

6.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Inland Rail Trail

10.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Rose Canyon Bicycle Path

1.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Rose Creek Bike Path

0.8 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Salt Creek Trail (Orange County)

5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
Accordion

San Clemente Beach Trail

2.3 mi
State: CA
Boardwalk, Sand

San Diego River Trail

6 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

San Juan Creek Trail

6 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Sorrento Valley Road Trail

1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Coastal Rail Trail

4.7 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Fay Avenue Bike Path

1.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Dirt

Sweetwater Bikeway

2.2 mi
State: CA
Asphalt, Concrete

Coast Highway Protected Trail

2.5 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Linear Park (CA)

1.1 mi
State: CA
Asphalt

Walker Preserve & River Park Trail

3.3 mi
State: CA
Crushed Stone
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview  The Aliso Creek Riding and Hiking Trail runs 16.4 miles through the foothills of Orange County, California, between Portola Hills and Wood Canyon in Laguna Niguel. The 16.4 mile trail...
CA 16.4 mi Asphalt
Want an enjoyable loop hike through a new preserve and three parks with stunning ocean views throughout? Check out the trail system in the Dana Point Headlands, a scenic coastal area in Orange...
CA 3 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Dirt
Overview The Mission Bay Bike Path forms an 11.57-mile, heart-shaped loop around San Diego’s Mission Bay and the incredibly scenic 4,235-acre Mission Bay Park.  Trail users should note that the...
CA 11.57 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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...
CA 4.1 mi Asphalt
The Rose Creek Bikeway closes a gap in San Diego's regional trail system, easing connections from Sorrento Valley and University City in the north to Mission Bay and downtown San Diego in the south....
CA 2.1 mi Asphalt
When completed, the Salt Creek Trail will stretch 16 miles from Menifee to Hemet, California. As it Stands, the existing trail stretches 5 miles in two separate segments. The westernmost 4 miles of...
CA 5 mi Asphalt
The San Diego Creek Trail is a spine of Irvine’s extensive network of trails and bike lanes. Much of the trail follows San Diego Creek and connects to the city’s well-appointed parks, schools, and...
CA 10.8 mi Asphalt
The San Luis Rey River Trail runs for 9 miles along the course of the San Luis Rey River in Oceanside. The trail, which is smooth and mostly flat, is a local favorite among cyclists, walkers and...
CA 9 mi Asphalt
The Santa Gertrudis Creek Trail is a 3-mile paved trail that serves as both a recreational amenity and an active transportation alternative for locals looking to get to nearby locations without...
CA 4 mi Asphalt
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...
CA 4 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The State Route 56 Bike Path provides a traffic-separated connection between inland and coastal San Diego County. The route gradually inclines traveling inland and parallels State Route 56 closely for...
CA 10.3 mi Asphalt
The Turtle Rock Trail meanders its way through the neighborhood of the same name in southern Irvine. The path is a short—but serious—aerobic workout, as it features climbs to the trail's high point at...
CA 2.8 mi Concrete
Nearly encircling the San Diego Bay, the Bayshore Bikeway offers views of downtown San Diego and the resort town of Coronado while providing access to a number of parks and beaches. Currently, the...
CA 17.1 mi Asphalt, Concrete
This paved trail along Escondido Creek can help residents commute to the Escondido Transit Center or to local services, as well as providing a pleasant opportunity for recreation. The trail connects...
CA 6.1 mi Asphalt
The Inland Rail Trail runs alongside the Sprinter light rail service connecting Escondido to Oceanside. The trail runs for over ten miles through the San Diego County communities of Escondido, San...
CA 10.5 mi Asphalt
As its name suggests, the Mission Beach-Pacific Beach Boardwalk conveniently links the two oceanfront communities north of downtown San Diego. The paved path, also known appropriately as Oceanfront...
CA 3 mi Concrete
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...
CA 1 mi Asphalt
The short and sweet Rose Canyon Bicycle Path is a popular route because of its scenery and the important off-street connection it provides between the Mission Bay and UC San Diego areas. Tucked...
CA 1.1 mi Asphalt
The Rose Creek Bike Path is actually a segment of trail less than a mile long, connecting the Mission Bay Trail in the south to the Rose Creek Bikeway, opened in 2021. It's a short but important...
CA 0.8 mi Asphalt
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...
CA 5 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
Accordion
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
The 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. You can walk or ride on either...
CA 6 mi Asphalt
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...
CA 6 mi Asphalt, Concrete
The Sorrento Valley Road Trail is a paved, two-lane section of road that was closed to traffic in the 1990s when CDOT built an interchange between State Route 56 and Interstate 5. In 1998 the road was...
CA 1 mi Asphalt
Overview    Open in distinct sections while still under development, The Coastal Rail Trail traverses beachside communities in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Solana Beach and Encinitas. Slated to eventually...
CA 4.7 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Make sure you bring your camera for this trail. The Fay Avenue Bike Path runs through the upscale seaside resort community of La Jolla, and opens up to the sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean,...
CA 1.1 mi Asphalt, Dirt
The Sweetwater Bikeway runs along the Sweetwater River from a parklike setting opposite the Plaza Bonita Shopping Center on the trail's east side to the yacht harbor at the mouth of the river. The...
CA 2.2 mi Asphalt, Concrete
Paralleling the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for 2.5 miles, this route provides pedestrian and bicyclists with a connection between Capistrano Beach and North Beach.  The Coast Highway Protected...
CA 2.5 mi Asphalt
Running through downtown San Diego, Linear Park is a vibrant, palm-lined ribbon that parallels an active trolley line along Harbor Drive. The trail provides direct access to many of the city's...
CA 1.1 mi Asphalt
Running 1.5 miles between the Sorrento Valley COASTER Station and the University of California San Diego campus, this paved bike path provides an improved connection in Sand Diego's bike trail...
CA 1.5 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

Recent Trail Reviews

Mission Bay Bike Path

Beware Ebikes banned

April, 2024 by barbscondo

We are 4-78 year olds on Ebikes. Have ridden this path last year. Today we were sitting at a picnic table having lunch and the park ranger/patrol stopped and told us we are not allowed on any part of the Mission Bay Bikepath. All is considered boardwalk. The whole path circling the bay. We had to leave thru the parking lot back to Mission Bay Rv Resort where we are staying. Sadly, we will not be coming here again.

Aliso Creek Riding and Hiking Trail

Aliso Creek

March, 2024 by tdimauro

Aliso Creek Trail in the middle of beautiful Orange county. What a great bike path. Easy Breezy. Can connect to Santiago in the north and Laguna in the South.

Salt Creek Trail (Riverside County)

I rode it the other day, I plan on riding again with friends!

March, 2024 by wmartinbigwin

I rode it the other day, I plan on riding again with friends!

Accordion

Inland Rail Trail

homeless hang out

February, 2024 by therapyjulie

Between the poor maintenance of the asphalt and trying to dodge the homeless carts and random people walking through the trail, I’m not sure it’s the safest bike route I’ve ever taken. I started at the Escondido transit station and won’t be doing that again!

Mission Bay Bike Path

Scenic trail

January, 2024 by debb2002

I roller skated the trail today and it’s well maintained. I prefer an asphalt trail, but this was fine for skating on. A newer skater might struggle with the expansion joints and sand, but it was relatively smooth aside from that. Most people walking/biking etc were staying where they’re supposed to be, but every once and awhile you’ll get a “face in the phone” who you’ll have to navigate around. Enjoy ¿¿

San Diego River Trail

Fallen to horrible disrepair

October, 2023 by wmichaelbratton

As the title describes, I triked the complete length of the trail from Mission Valley all the way to Dog Beach this past week and it's deplorable. About 70% of the length of the trail's surface is bone-shakingly bad. From the parts that are concrete, to the asphalt sections, there are few sections that are in decent, ridable shape. It has been poorly looked after by San Diego Parks and Rec. As mentioned here previously, the homeless population has taken over. It has become seriously unhealthy from garbage and encampment sites. It' so sad as this was one of my favorite rides in the city.

San Luis Rey River Trail

Great trail

October, 2023 by n5ick_tl

This is a very fun trail to ride up and down on! Just remember to slow down for the walkers!

Salt Creek Trail (Riverside County)

Great Trail.

September, 2023 by n5ick_tl

It’s a nice trail just need to make it connect to the part in Hemet or possibly make a north / south trail it can connect to for the cities of Perris and Murrieta!

Bayshore Bikeway

Full loop

September, 2023 by psuozzo

Imperial west is good. San Diego side is a poorly marked jumble of urban paths. Not recommended.

Escondido Creek Bike Path

sketchy

September, 2023 by blueboxparts

Tried this path with my wife. Lots of homeless people discussing where to get hypodermic needles sitting in the path.

Mission Bay Bike Path

Wonderful fun path

September, 2023 by barbscondo

We have been staying at Mission Bay RV Park (great place) and the bike path is out the front of the RV park. We have ridden it 5 times in the last few days-both directions and then wandering off the path into different areas and the beach boardwalk. Really nice during the weekdays and more crowded on the weekends. The speed limit is 8 mph !! And most riders honor that. Honestly, that's fast enough there is so much fun stuff to look at and the people watching is wonderful. Beautiful houses/water/boats/kiteboarders and on and on.

Rose Creek Bike Path

Joiner Path

September, 2023 by barbscondo

We are staying at Mission Bay RV Park and riding the Mission Bay Bike Path which is right outside the RV Park. This is a little offshoot off the path. It runs into the Rose Canyon Bicycle Path and onto others I think. I see it mainly as a place to get from A to B of you need to. Not a Path I would ride again for pleasure. This first portion a little sketchy with some homeless campers but no real problem.

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Accordion

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