Garfield Cat

What's the best way to connect to the L.A. river in Long Beach from PCH in Huntington Beach? I took Belmont Shore and there's a bike path at the Belmont Pier that takes you near the L.A. river but it doesn't seem to really connect.

OC Roadie

Why not just take PCH? It hits the LA River trail at Studebaker.

Cleave

^^^No, that's the San Gabriel River.

Yeah, the bike path kind of dies in LB at Shoreline Village. You kind of have to know the area to know which sidewalks get you to the end of the LA River trail. I can't think of a good way to get to the trail in LB but an OK way would be to ride across town on Anaheim or Willow. The west side of LB is a little dicey at times (no night riding) but I ride across on Willow a few times a year.

AdamD

Depends on your comfort on the roads, desire for speed, shortest distance, etc. You could take PCH to 2nd, left on 2nd, left on Bay Shore and then take the strand bike path west across town. The problem is once you get to the aquarium area it can be hard to find the LA river trail if you've never been there before. Technically you could take PCH all the way to the LA river, but there are a number of not so great areas you would have to ride through, including the traffic circle. You could also take Willow from the San Gabriel River trail west across town to the LA River. Off the top of my head I recall the LA river has on/off ramps at Anaheim, PCH, Willow, Wardlow, Del Amo, as well as some others.

Or just let some of us locals know when you'll be riding through and maybe we can meet and show you the way through town.

This map might help you understand how some of the paths interconnect.
https://www.metro.net/riding_metro/ma...a_bike_map.pdf

blue steal

It is a little hard to find. I ride this all the time. If you made it to Belmont pier, keep going pass the marina, around shoreline village and turn into where the long beach aquarium is. Follow this road, it lead to a parking area behind the aquarium. From there you will see another trail, turn right and go under the queensway bridge and follow the bike lane till you you reach the catalina express boat terminal. turn left on the bike lane you will pass a campground, (shoreline camp park?). There is a gate, usually open, and this is the end of the LA river trail.
Hope this helps.

OC Roadie

Doh, that explains it, nevermind me

Garfield Cat

I was at the Aquarium, the Catalina Express docks, the Queensway bridge, even the white lighthouse where the L.B. bicycle cops gather. Nice area, kind of touristy with shops and commercial type restaurants.

The bike path from Belmont pier to the L.A. river is nice. It has two bike lanes and a separate lane for pedestrians (and joggers). Lots of sand and people playing beach vollyball. But no fire pits.

I stopped at one of the bathroom facilities and later talked to a couple walking nearby. They said when it rains and the river is flowing, its like mud. Imagine all that waste washing down from L.A. to Long Beach.

ken cummings

Go NW on PCH to Seal Beach Blvd AKA East 2nd Street and turn left. The follow the directions on www.Bikely.com under the listing of "Tour de Long Beach".

blue steal

No fire pits till you reach dockweiler state beach by El Segundo. They have showers, firepits, new bathrooms along the bike path. Downside is the jets taking off from lax. Can be quite noisy. The bike path along Belmont area is nice and there are some good eats around junipero & broadway.

Cleave

Hi,

That's a way to do it, but riding along Shoreline Drive is not that pleasant. There's a way to stay off of Shoreline Drive on bike paths that unfortunately share a lot of space with pedestrians. I'll see if I can manage to map something out later.

rgrhon

It's really not that hard to get to the LA river using bike paths most of the way. Here's the scenic route with less traffic, you can follow along on a map:

1) Take Seal Beach Bl toward the beach from PCH when travelling North on PCH. Go straight thru the intersection. Follow the road as it turns to the right on Ocean. Follow Ocean to the end 'till you see water, Turn Right on 1st Street. Take 1st left onto Marina, (go past the San Gabriel River Trail entrance), over the bridge, and take the 1st right onto North Marina Drive. Follow North Marina Drive around the big left bend and it turns into East Marina Drive. Go thru the STOP sign (stopping first), and follow E Marina to the Traffic Light on East 2nd Street.

2) Turn Left onto East 2nd Street at the light and proceed huffing and puffing over the big bridge (be careful on the descent, cars turn right off the bridge just after the crest). Continue straight on 2nd Street until you come to a much smaller bridge. Since you need to turn left here onto Bay Shore immediately after the small bridge, discretion is the better part of valor - if traffic is heavy, cross at the crosswalk.

3) Continue on Bay Shore and bear left onto 54th Place just after the 2nd stop sign. Go 1-2 blocks until you hit the end of the road on East Ocean Blvd (the ocean is dead ahead). If you look straight ahead across Ocean on the left side of the intersection you will see the beginning of the beach bike path. You can relax and enjoy the view a while. This path will continue past the Belmont Pier, past Junipero Ave, past a snack and bike rental building on the right, where the path turns left toward the water and right onto the (concrete) boardwalk where people park their boats (slips?). From here you can see the Queen Mary on your left. Follow the boardwalk about a mile or so (and pass the blue restrooms) until you see a traffic circle on your right and a connecting sidewalk.

4) Enter the traffic circle via the sidewalk and follow Shoreline Village drive INLAND until you see an entrance to the sidewalk (not shown on maps) on your left just before you get to East Shoreline Drive (a very busy place). Don't try to ride East Shoreline Drive you WILL die. Follow the left sidewalk to East Shoreline Drive and just stay on the sidewalk that follows the left side of East Shoreline Drive past a fountain on the corner that usually wets the sidewalk for about 200 yards where you will pass a viewing tower on the left (you'll know it when you see it) and from this point on continue to BEAR LEFT until you enter the brick boardwalk, which you will follow around the bay, past the Long Beach Aquarium and beyond.

5) After the aquarium on your right STAY LEFT past the snack bar building. You should soon sight a lighthouse up ahead. Continue to BEAR LEFT at the fork and around the lighthouse and beyond ( the lighthouse is a nice place to rest but on the right fork in the road not the left). At some point about a mile beyond the lighthouse there will be a sharp right turn in the path. Continue to follow the path after the sharp right and continue to BEAR LEFT at the next left turn and past the docks with the big concrete building on the right. Follow the boardwalk until you have to turn left or right.

6) Bear Right. Now it gets a little tricky, but you're only about a half mile from the LA River trail, so don't get discouraged. There is also a sign indicating the bike path right around here (somewhere). Follow the road past the parking to just before Golden Shore. The Cal State University Chancellors Office is directly ahead of you (just a landmark). Turn left onto the sidewalk that parallels Golden Shore, and just before Golden Shore bends right, look to your left there's a bike trail. Stay on the trail and it will make a turn to the left and another to the right within about a mile. After you make this right youre on the LA River!

Now wasn't that easy? Actually I did it without instructions the first time with just a map, and only got lost twice, so you should breeze it dude!

TrojanHorse

You know, I bet he's done it dozens of times since 2008. SIX YEARS ago!

Welcome to Bike Forums. How on earth did you find a 6 year old thread to post your first response to anyway...

calamarichris

JSMaxwell

This is utterly hilarious. How did this happen?

Besides, the quickest route is 2nd street all the way to Rt. on Alamitos, veer left on MLK, and turn left on Anaheim. The trail entrance is a couple blocks up on the right - under the bridge over the river.

Any other suggestions? Garfield might still be trying to figure it out.

TrojanHorse

I think Garfield had his bike stolen while he was waiting to figure it out.