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  • Sepulveda Basin Bike Loops

    This lovely biking experience takes you through much of the 2000-acre Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, one of the soft-bottom stretches of the river. You’ll see verdant trees and plants here, and a healthy array of birdlife.  Along this meandering bike loop, you’ll see Angelenos engaged in all manner of physical activities.  You’ll also catch glimpses of the river – yes, that is the LA River; and yes, here it does look like a real river! We recommend a nine-mile loop, but the ride can easily be broken up into smaller segments, depending on your time and needs.  Although the condition of the bike path varies from section to section, it is generally well-maintained. Some sections are smooth enough for rollerbladers and skateboarders, so be ready to share the road. A 2.5-mile section of the path passes through the serene core of Lake Balboa Park and adjoining Woodley Avenue Park. This ride offers all the basic amenities: water, restrooms, playgrounds and and picnic tables, plus extras like boat and equipment rentals, fishing, golf courses and ball fields, etc.  In Woodley Avenue Park you’ll find Japanese gardens, cricket fields, a wildlife preserve, and even field for radio-controlled aircraft.   Read more about "Sepulveda Basin Bike Loops"...

  • Griffith Park Bike Loop

    Though technically not alongside the river, Griffith Park is close enough to allow serious forays to/from the channel. The rides here are tree lined, scenic and well maintained.  How far you explore depends on your ambitions, of course, as well as those of your traveling companions.  The simplest approach is taking Zoo Drive at Riverside Dr. to the north, or Crystal Springs Drive at Los Feliz Boulevard to the south. The two roads join within the park, where they form a nine-mile scenic loop. This loop, in conjunction with the LA River Bike Path,  traverses higher ground that overlooks the river.   Read more about "Griffith Park Bike Loop"...

  • Glendale Narrows / Elysian Valley Bike Path

    This 7.4 mile path takes you along one of the nicest soft-bottom sections of the river. Sure, there’s a concrete bank and yes, it runs at times alongside the traffic on I-5 traffic. But the best parts of it take you through a prettier, greener section, and ends near the spot where the city of Los Angeles was founded. The upper part of the route, which passes through the Glendale Narrows, offers unfettered views of the majestic San Gabriel Mountains.  Though traffic in the area is steady, it’s rarely congested. For much of the route, the bike path drops below grade, which helps to drown out the interstate.  The lower part of the route, beginning near Atwater Village, has a series of islands in the river, with gentle whitewater rapids bubbling between them. Birds and fish abound here, making it one of the best birding locations in Southern California. Herons, egrets, ducks, geese and kingfishers go about their business as hawks, eagles circle above. The area is filled with human wildlife, too, with walkers, joggers, bicyclists, horseback riders, fishermen and artists enjoying the scenery.  Read more about "Glendale Narrows / Elysian Valley Bike Path"...

  • Hansen Dam Bike Paths

    This 2.5-mile jaunt up and over the Hansen Dam travels a wide asphalt path. A favorite of those living in the area, it’s also a fun, quick trek for tourists. You’ll get fantastic views of Little Tujunga Canyon in Lake View Terrace, of Big Tujunga Canyon in Sunland, as well as the Angeles National Forest and the San Fernando Valley. On busier days, you’ll find concession trucks parked in the lot, near the path’s origin. Soak up the views -- and the sun -- as you bike across the dam, and be sure to pause in the middle for a look down the face of the dam itself. The descent to Wentworth Street marks the end of the ride. Simply reverse direction and head back to the starting point. For an eight-mile loop, however, turn left on Wentworth St. and ride it to its end at Foothill Blvd. Turn left on Foothill, then left at Osborne Street, and you’ll find yourself back at the starting point. Read more about "Hansen Dam Bike Paths"...

  • Arroyo Seco Creek Bike Path

    The joys of this serene, shaded 2.2-mile jaunt more than offset its patchwork quality. The route traverses a wonderful city parkway with intimate neighborhoods as it heads from Pasadena down towards the confluence with the LA River.  The route offers the unusual experience of in-channel riding, where you pass beneath a string of beautifully designed bridges as you ride a curving path beside the steadily bubbling creek and under sycamore trees.  You’re never more than a stone’s throw away from large and lush parks here. Read more about "Arroyo Seco Creek Bike Path "...

  • LaRio/Upper Rio Hondo / Santa Anita Wash

    A northern extension of the LaRio Bike Path, this path is roughly demarcated by the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area at Rush Street.  The route saunters for a few miles through smooth, gently sloping parkland, then straightens to make a four-mile beeline through Rosemead to Peck Road Park in El Monte. On the way you see the river make a dramatic transition from a concrete channel into the natural-bottomed narrows.  Heading north, where a series of washes feed into the river, you’ll pass the El Monte airport, a great place to rest and watch the planes as they take off and land. When you arrive at Peck Road Park you can explore the pathways, or cross the bike path that connects to the mile-long Santa Anita bike path spur. Again, this is virtually all the same trail. When it dead-ends, turn back. Read more about "LaRio/Upper Rio Hondo / Santa Anita Wash"...

  • LaRio Bike Trail / Lower Rio Hondo

    Some of the most interesting glimpses into hidden Los Angeles can be found along the tributaries that form the larger Los Angeles River watershed. This bike path unveils a sequence of varying landscapes -- patches of wetland wilderness, surprisingly barren vistas, the greenery of modest suburban neighborhoods and inner city vegetable gardens, the grit of industrial smoke stacks. It’s all found amid the easy curves and straight-aways that wend their way through the undulating hills. Whether you’re looking for an easy family bike outing, or a heart-pounding workout, you’ll find it here. Read more about "LaRio Bike Trail / Lower Rio Hondo"...

  • Compton Creek

    Compton Creek is a nearly 6 mile ride.  The upper section, just under three miles long, parallels the creek. It’s a more urban ride along vertical concrete walls. Sycamore trees line portions of the lower route, which runs just under two miles. The river bed itself has a natural bottom here, and produces an abundance of plants that attract a varied bird population. Walkers, joggers, bicyclists and the occasional horseback rider also frequent the area. At the end of the line, just downstream from the Del Amo Metro Station, Compton Creek joins the LA River. (Take Del Amo Boulevard east to the river, turn right, go south for a short bit until you hit the confluence.) You get expansive views of the LA Basin and its surrounding mountain ranges here. Across the river, you can pick up the South County LA River Bike Trail, which heads north to Vernon and south to Long Beach.    Read more about "Compton Creek"...

  • South County Bike Path

    The South County trail, which begins south of downtown Los Angeles in the town of Vernon, runs for 5.8 miles. Combined with the adjoining LaRio Bike Trail, though, it creates close to 17 miles of straightaway biking. For distance-hungry riders, this offers a great open stretch of unfettered bikeway along the LA River.  Although this stretch, with all its concrete, seems monotonous and not too scenic, the lower half of the river continues to support a robust bird population. Greening projects in the working-class riverside neighborhoods of Maywood, Cudahy and South Gate play a lead role in bringing greater variety to the physical and social aspects of the river. Read more about "South County Bike Path"...

  • Long Beach Shoreline Bike Paths

    The end of the LaRio Trail along the LA River separates into four distinct yet interconnected bikeways that branch throughout the shoreline area.  Although not a high-speed or rigorous set of paths, this is a prime location for urban liveliness and local color.  Long Beach has done a great job to make this area enticing for whatever your particular interest may be. The Queensway Bay Bike Path runs for .08 miles from the RMS Queen Mary, along the shoreline, over the bridge at the estuary of the LA River, and back to where it meets the Shoreline Bike Path.  The one-mile Shoreline path starts at the lighthouse in Shoreline Aquatic Park, juts out and around the Aquarium and the Rainbow Park Lagoon in the other direction, then returns to the water, intersecting the Long Beach Marina Bike Path in one direction, and the Long Beach Bike Path, which heads south along the coast. The Marina path is a simple spur that curves for .07 miles through the marina. At 4.6 miles, the Long Beach path offers a longer, straighter excursion. Relatively uncongested, it ends in Belmont Shore, at the Bayshore Aquatic Playground Park.  If you really want a workout, keep going and find your way along the coast to Tijuana. Read more about "Long Beach Shoreline Bike Paths"...