The 10 Most Popular Bike Routes in San Diego County
San Diego has no shortage of bike trails and paths. Thanks to rental shops and city bike sharing programs, cycling has never been so easy around town. Fitness tracking app Strava recently released a map that shows the most popular running and cycling routes used by its members, showing where people are choosing to ride all across San Diego County.
Here's our list of the top 10 most popular bike routes in San Diego County.
Bayshore Bikeway on Coronado
The Bayshore Bikeway offers 13 miles of car-free bike paths and a 24-mile ride through Coronado, Downtown San Diego, and South Bay. It’s great for sight-seeing as it runs through the Silver Strand State Beach and the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge while curving around San Diego Bay. Due to parking limitations on Coronado, it’s better to park downtown and take the water taxi to the Coronado Ferry Landing, if you want to start there.
Carlsbad Coastal Rail Trail
With its wide path away from traffic, the Carlsbad Coastal Trail starts in North County and stretches .7 miles. Parking is available on Tamarack Avenue in Carlsbad or in Carlsbad Village. This path is particularly good for families with children.
La Jolla Bike Tour
The La Jolla Bike Tour starts south at the La Jolla Cove and goes past the Crystal Pier down to the Pacific Beach Boardwalk. If you want a bit of a challenge, continue 822 feet up Mount Soledad, which has great views of the ocean. What’s great about this trail is its La Jolla location, as it has plenty of bike rental shops with guided maps and goodies for your ride.
Lake Hodges Suspension Bridge
When completed, this 990-foot bridge will be the longest stressed ribbon bridge in the world. Lake Hodges Suspension Bridge in Escondido offers a ride above the water. To get to the bridge, take Via Rancho Parkway, a mile-long paved route. Once across, there are scenic route trails so that you can continue your cycling journey.
Mission Trails
Mission Trails Regional Park offers a whopping 6,000 acres of mountain biking trails. A 10-mile drive from downtown, it’s split by the Fortuna Mountains near Santee and La Mesa.
There you’ll find a 3.2-mile route surrounded by nature and a 2.5-mile trail to the Old Mission Dam that runs parallel to the San Diego River. What makes Mission Trails special is that it caters to riders of varying experience levels. The west side is more for experienced bike adventurers while the east side is more for sightseeing cyclists.
Mission Bay Bike Path
Stretching 12 miles south along the coast, the Mission Bay Bike Path is ideal for those who want to bike leisurely or ride with young ones. The path is completely flat, and is off main streets, all with water views. Feel free to take a load off at Fiesta Island.
Mount Palomar
Mount Palomar is definitely for the more seasoned rider. The Palomar Mountain trail system opens with a five-mile trail that ascends 1,500 feet. Then, you’ll hit 20 switchbacks — zig-zagging steep patterns on a trail — which will take you up to 4,100 feet. If you keep going, you’ll end up at a 13-mile ascent up a 6,000-foot peak. If you need a rest, there’s a cyclist cafe and a general store near the top.
Pacific Coast Highway
Stretching the span of the California coast, the Pacific Coast Highway is popular with locals because of its flat stretches, rolling hills, and variety of stopping points. A typical route begins in Del Mar and heads past Oceanside through Camp Pendleton, circling back around.
Solana Beach Coastal Rail Trail
As you can probably guess from the name, the Coastal Rail Trail in Solana Beach runs along train tracks. The 1.7-mile trail starts at Via De La Valle, heads north, and finishes at Ocean Street. Even though it’s off the main drag, there are some food stops along the way as well as beach access on Plaza Drive.
State Route 56
The State Route 56 Bike Path runs along State Route 56 but is separated from traffic. A 14-mile connection between coastal and inland San Diego, it is the antithesis to leisurely rides for tourists. The trail features a gradual incline from west to east and follows along a river bed. Though there aren’t any stops along the path but there is a store at the halfway point in Camino Del Sur.