65 places
Places to ride a bike to
Mountain bike parks and trails, well-known climbs, cafés where rides stop, beaches and towns across California, picked by us. Each page has this week’s weather, car-free paths nearby and the bike crashes reported nearby.
Rider stops & cafés
- Rose Bowl loopThe loop road around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, busy with training and group rides.
- Malaga Cove PlazaPlaza in Palos Verdes Estates where many Palos Verdes rides start and stop.
- Mount Baldy LodgeRestaurant in Mt. Baldy Village, partway up the Mount Baldy Road climb from Claremont.
- Alice's RestaurantRestaurant at Skylonda, where Skyline Boulevard meets La Honda Road; a stop on many Peninsula rides.
- Roberts MarketMarket in Woodside where many Peninsula rides stop, near the start of the Kings Mountain Road climb.
- Bovine BakeryBakery in Point Reyes Station, a regular stop on West Marin rides.
- The Rock StoreCafé on Mulholland Highway in Cornell, at the bottom of the Rock Store climb; busy with riders on weekends.
- Cook's CornerRoadside bar where Santiago Canyon Road meets Live Oak Canyon Road, a regular stop on Orange County rides.
- Mother's KitchenRestaurant near the top of Palomar Mountain, where the South Grade Road (S6) climb tops out.
Summits & views
- Griffith ObservatoryObservatory at the top of the climb through Griffith Park, with views over the LA basin.
- Mandeville Canyon gateThe gate where Mandeville Canyon Road ends, about 5 miles up from Sunset Boulevard. A steady out-and-back climb that LA riders use for training.
- Nike tower (San Vicente Mountain)The old Nike missile radar tower in San Vicente Mountain Park, on dirt Mulholland. Reached by the Sullivan Canyon or Westridge fire roads, with views over the Valley and the Westside.
- Mount SoledadVeterans memorial at the top of Mount Soledad above La Jolla, a well-known San Diego climb.
- Cabrillo National MonumentThe tip of Point Loma, with views over San Diego Bay. The park charges an entry fee.
- Hawk HillHill in the Marin Headlands above the Golden Gate Bridge, reached by Conzelman Road.
- Mount Tamalpais East PeakThe top of Mount Tamalpais, at the end of East Ridgecrest Boulevard.
- Mount DiabloSummit of Mount Diablo State Park, a long climb on Summit Road from either park entrance.
- Mount Wilson ObservatoryObservatory at the top of Mount Wilson Road, a long climb from La Cañada Flintridge up Angeles Crest Highway.
- Lick ObservatoryObservatory at the top of Mount Hamilton Road (SR-130), a long climb from San José.
- Point DumeHeadland in Malibu just off Pacific Coast Highway, with views along the coast.
- Torrey Pines GliderportClifftop gliderport above Black's Beach in La Jolla, near the top of the Torrey Pines climb.
- Lone CypressCypress tree on 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, a popular coastal loop by bike.
- Bixby Creek BridgeArched bridge on Highway 1 in Big Sur, on the Pacific Coast bike route. Highway 1 here has little or no shoulder.
- Emerald Bay (Inspiration Point)Viewpoint over Emerald Bay on SR-89, on the loop around Lake Tahoe. The road here is narrow and winding.
Mountain biking
- Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness ParkCounty wilderness park between Laguna Beach and Aliso Viejo with fire roads and singletrack open to bikes.
- Whiting Ranch Wilderness ParkWilderness park in the foothills above Lake Forest with singletrack and fire roads.
- Crystal Cove State ParkState park in Newport Coast with backcountry fire roads and singletrack above the beach. Parking costs a fee.
- Chino Hills State ParkLarge state park between Chino Hills and Yorba Linda with miles of fire roads open to bikes.
- Bonelli Regional ParkRegional park in San Dimas around Puddingstone Reservoir, with trails open to bikes.
- Point Mugu State ParkState park on the Malibu–Ventura line; the Sycamore Canyon fire road runs up from the beach.
- Snow SummitSki area in Big Bear Lake that runs a lift-served bike park in summer.
- Mammoth Mountain Bike ParkLift-served bike park at Mammoth Mountain's Main Lodge, open in summer.
- Daley RanchOpen space preserve in Escondido with fire roads and singletrack open to bikes.
- Mission Trails Regional ParkLarge open space park in San Diego with trails open to bikes.
- Los Peñasquitos Canyon PreserveCanyon preserve in San Diego with a creekside trail popular with riders.
- Noble Canyon TrailheadTrailhead near Pine Valley for Noble Canyon, a long singletrack in the Laguna Mountains.
- Montaña de Oro State ParkCoastal state park near Los Osos with singletrack open to bikes.
- Fort Ord National MonumentFormer Army base near Monterey, now public land with a large network of trails open to bikes.
- Wilder Ranch State ParkCoastal state park north of Santa Cruz with fire roads and singletrack.
- Soquel Demonstration State ForestState forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains with singletrack popular with mountain bikers.
- China Camp State ParkBayside state park in San Rafael with singletrack open to bikes.
- Joaquin Miller ParkOakland hills park with trails, some open to bikes, next to Redwood Regional Park.
- El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space PreserveOpen space preserve off Skyline Boulevard with singletrack through the redwoods.
- Santa Teresa County ParkCounty park in south San José with trails open to bikes.
- Trione-Annadel State ParkState park in Santa Rosa with rocky singletrack.
- Stafford Lake Bike ParkCounty bike park at Stafford Lake in Novato, with skills lines and a pump track.
- Northstar CaliforniaSki resort near Truckee that runs a lift-served bike park in summer.
- Auburn State Recreation AreaCanyon lands along the American River near Auburn with trails open to bikes.
- Upper Bidwell ParkThe upper, wilder part of Bidwell Park in Chico, with rocky trails.
- DownievilleGold Rush town at the bottom of the Downieville Downhill, with shuttles to the top of the trails.
- WeavervilleGold Rush town in Trinity County with a network of trails at the edge of town.
Beaches & piers
- Santa Monica PierPier on the Marvin Braude beach path, busy with people walking.
- Hermosa Beach PierPier on the Strand, the beach path through the South Bay.
- Huntington Beach PierPier on the beach path along Pacific Coast Highway.
- Point Reyes LighthouseLighthouse at the tip of Point Reyes, at the end of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Windy and hilly on the way out.
- Stinson BeachBeach at the bottom of the Highway 1 and Panoramic Highway descents from Mount Tamalpais.
Towns & landmarks
- FairfaxMarin town at the foot of the Mount Tamalpais roads, home of the Marin Museum of Bicycling.
- SausalitoWaterfront town across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, with a ferry back to the city.
- TiburonTown at the tip of the Tiburon Peninsula, a classic ride from San Francisco with a ferry back.
- PescaderoFarm village just inland from Highway 1, a regular stop on Peninsula coast rides.
- HealdsburgWine-country town in northern Sonoma County, a base for rides through the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys.
- SolvangDanish-style town in the Santa Ynez Valley, a base for rides on the valley's farm roads.
- CoronadoIsland town across the bay from downtown San Diego, reached on the Silver Strand bike path or by ferry.
- FolsomTown at the east end of the American River Bike Trail from Sacramento.
- U.S. Bicycling Hall of FameMuseum of American cycling history in downtown Davis, a college town known for its bike paths.
Places picked by us; locations from OpenStreetMap. The map also shows viewpoints, peaks, beaches and bike parks found in OpenStreetMap. Crash counts on each page are bike crashes reported within a mile, from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS). Popular places see more crashes partly because more people ride there.