20+ Kid friendly bike paths in Orange County What I look for in a bike path:
1. Hicks Canyon Trail. This is such a great trail at the Irvine/Tustin border. 2 miles (one way), pretty scenery, not too sunny, and you have a choice between asphalt or dirt for most of it. For a short ride, you can start at Citrusglen park, go up towards Portola, and then back down. For a longer rider start at Hicks Canyon park and go all the way up to Portola. If you do this you are starting the path on a slight incline and will enjoy a faster slight decline on the way back. I would also add that this place feels extremely safe. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irvinestandard.com/2019/hicks-canyon-two-trails-in-one/amp/ 2. Yorba Regional Park. Anaheim. This park is so beautiful, there is a good amount of shade (we have done this on 95 degree days), and it has multiple lakes to see along the way. You can ride around the whole park or pick sections, the back section closest to the Santa Ana River trail has the most shade. This is one of my favorites. Parking is not free. You can also turn this into a much longer bike ride because it’s right next to the Santa Ana River trail. You can read my full post about biking that trail with kids here. 3. Irvine Regional Park. City of Orange. This is one of my favorite places in Orange County. For bike riding we enjoy the inner trails as well as the back area towards the Santiago Creek Trail. To find it, park on the zoo side and start on the paved path that leads to Horseshoe Loop Trail, come back at the OC Zoo back side or extend the ride a little by going behind the horse corrals. This park also has kid friendly mountain biking options. If I had to pick a favorite this would be it. Parking is not free. https://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Irvine_Regional_Map.pdf 4. Huntington Central Park. Huntington Beach. This lovely park has a nice big loop, I am guessing it is a mile. We start at the library. The last time we went was in early March and the cherry blossom trees were really beautiful. There’s also a pretty butterfly/secret garden at this park. There is also a wonderful, massive playground at this park. It’s such a huge place that having bikes is the best way to get around, even if just to casually explore. It does not however, feel the safest of all the trails. 5. Jeffrey Open Space Trail. Irvine. 4 miles, pretty landscaping, lots of walkers, not much shade. Feels very safe. There are a good amount of moderate (for kids) up and down hills. A connection has recently been made between this path and the Great Park. 6. Anaheim Coves Park. Although the name is park, this is actually a lovely 2.5 mile trail, not busy, nice native plantings, restrooms. There is not much shade so I would not recommend going here on a hot day. I also probably would not go alone as I didn’t feel as safe. There is a new playground at one end. I would park by the Islands Golf Center and go all the way down to the playground and back. https://www.anaheim.net/Facilities/Facility/Details/Anaheim-Coves-92 7. Oso Creek Trail. Mission Viejo. Another one of my favorite places in OC. It is better suited for walking, but fun to explore on a bike. You can park at Arbolitos and Durazno. Take the paved path all the way down to the bridge with mosaic artwork around it. Cross the bride, go right and you will find a fun maze to explore on foot. From here you can go back the way you came. We instead tried the dirt/wood chip path and it was a fun challenge. It loops back to the parking, there are some steep hills and uneven terrain which can provide a good introduction to mountain biking (bikes need the right tires as well as hand brakes, not for beginners). Either way you will see the large creek and unique beauty of this trail. There is another parking near Fred Newhart Middle School that has a steep hill at the entry. Another mountain biking option is to enter at Arbolitos ave, head down the path then make a right turn at the bridge and head up through the tunnel, the path turns to dirt and you can head straight for about a mile. Do not go left as that is a much more challenging mountain biking path. This location feels very safe. 8. Long Beach. I know this is not Orange County but worth mentioning because the other beach bike paths in OC are in Huntington Beach and San Clemente, both tend to be quite busy. On a weekday it’s not busy at all in Long Beach, and there is a separate lane for walkers which is very helpful. The only downside is we often come across some questionable characters here (cursing to themselves) and the MJ aroma is apparent in certain areas. If you try it, I would start on the side by Bayshore Playground. 9. Lago Santa Margarita. Rancho Santa Margarita. This is a smaller loop that is very scenic. When we went the loop was one way only as a covid protocol. I would recommend this if you are in the area, or looking for a quick loop, but not necessarily worth a special drive out due to the short distance. 10. Walnut Canyons Reservoir. Anaheim. This offers a 1.7 mile mostly flat loop, no shade but a nice place to ride if you are in the area. I especially like this if I want to jog while my kids bike. I also think this is a wonderful place to teach kids how to ride bikes because the path is fairly wide. 11. Mason Regional Park, Irvine. Pay to enter this very pretty park, the path around is shared with pedestrians and there is duck poop to dodge. There is a somewhat hidden back path that is short but fun, and has a little butterfly habitat. https://www.ocparks.com/parks/william 12. Aliso Creek Trail. This is a very long bike trail. For a child friendly 3 mile route you can go from Sheep Hills park to Aliso Niguel HS and back. It is a good, clean place to ride, but not as pretty as some of the other trails. 13. Tustin Sports Park. This is best for when parents don’t want to bike with the kids, you can follow along because it’s a loop that is about 1/2 mile long. Another plus for this is that there is plenty of light if you want to ride in the evening. I would not necessarily say it is worth the drive if you do not live with 15 minutes of it. If you live in Orange County, chances are there is a sports park near you that offers something similar. 14. Harvard Community Park. Irvine. This is another one that is good if parents are not biking. It is about 1/4 mile loop around the park, you can make this a longer bike ride by getting on Peters Canyon Bike Trail which you can pick up behind the baseball fields. More on that trail under number 18. 15. Quail Hill Trail. Irvine. This is a very nice dirt trail, you will see the unique playground of Quail Hill Community Park along the way. You will be sharing the trail with hikers, there are some challenging uphills, so you might save this for when your kids are riding bikes with gears. My kids did not have gears yet so we took a lot of breaks. 16. Great Park. Irvine. This massive park is a great place to ride around. The park itself has a short bike loop if you park by Ridge Valley and Marine Way off Phantom. There is also the option of Bosque trail (2 miles round trip). It is very scenic and safe, gradual hills, and restrooms along the way. You can start at Irvine Blvd. and Bosque (parking is available off of Cultivate and Perspective). Ride down through a number of tunnels/street underpasses to the playground and back. This is a lovely ride but you want to go when the weather is cool. https://www.cityofirvine.org/orange-county-great-park/great-park-trails 17. Shady Canyon Trail. Irvine. Not much shade, and definitely busy. This trail is used by a lot of serious cyclists. The hikers/walkers have their own parallel path but they do not always stay on it. There are also some major hills. I would say starting at Turtle Rock Community park is the best option because the other end starts with a steep uphill. 18. Peters Canyon Trail. Irvine. This is a nice trail with some fun downhills and gentle uphills at each street underpass. Save it for a cool day (minimal shade). For a 3.5 mile total journey you can start at Harvard Park and go Northeast towards Portola Parkway. Before Portola you will see a sign for Venta Spur Trail. You can take a right there and enjoy a little ride on a wide path into the neighborhood. The playground you will see is a private playground for Northgate residents. If you were to go Southwest on this trail it takes you to the beach as part of the Mountains to Sea Trail (Irvine Regional Park to Newport Beach). We are not at that kind of mileage yet, but I will write an update when we attempt this trail in that direction. 19. Castaway's Park. Newport Beach. Peaceful harbor views on this short trail. We started at Blue Gum Lane and went around. It was a fun scenic ride, I am guessing under 2 miles. 20. Upper Newport Bay Preserve. Newport Beach. There are dirt trails here as well as a proper bike path (horse trail runs parallel to the bike path). I would save it for a cool weekday as it is popular (with speedy road cyclists and walkers) and there is not much shade. If your kids are good about staying to the right, the speedy road cyclists should not be an issue. The location is very beautiful. This is a long back and out trail. 21. Fairview Park. Costa Mesa. If you have a little one that wants to try some BMX style hills this place is great (not as much BMX as nearby Sheep Hills). There’s a short dirt loop to ride and a longer paved path that you access by crossing the bridge. Busier than some of the other locations on weekends. No shade. Not stroller friendly. 22. Hiltscher Park. Fullerton. This is an ideal trail for an easy introduction to mountain biking. My kids are loving dirt trails these days and had a blast here. Be mindful of mountain bikers coming down fast, but you can easily avoid them by staying on the wider walking side instead of the narrow mountain biking path. There’s a cute tree stump urban garden in the middle. Good amount of shade. It’s 1.4 miles, it can be extended as it connects to the Juanita Cooke trail and is part of the famous Fullerton Loop. Parking on Euclid was limited but you can also park on N Richman Knoll. 23. Mesa Trail in O'Neill Regional Park. Rancho Santa Margarita. You have some options here. We loved the storybook dirt trail. Just under 2 miles out and back. It is a good introduction to mountain biking. There is gravel, so proper tires would be needed, hand breaks, and gears would be a big help. The way back down requires skill in navigating terrain. If that does not sound appealing, we did see people biking on the road around the park, but cars do use the road. Another option is the outside of the park, there is an asphalt path along the fence that was also a pleasant ride. Both times here the restroom area (by Via Sosiego, where we parked) had someone smoking marijuana and talking to themself. We did not have any issues at all, just passed by and had a great time at this beautiful park. 24. Aliso and Wood Canyon Wilderness Park. Aliso Viejo. This is an amazing place to ride bikes. I only wish I lived closer. The path is extremely wide and you are surrounded by nature. We saw tons of deer and there are options for beginner-friendly mountain biking. I used Google Maps because Apple maps did not lead me to the parking lot. Pay to park or use the side road. You can make this ride as short or long as you would like. E-bikes are not allowed here. Find some great details about this park here: https://funorangecountyparks.com/robbers-cave-aliso-woods-canyon.html Interested in Mountain Biking paths instead? Check out that list here. What am I missing? Where do you love to ride bikes with kids in OC? Please share your recommendations. Also, if you are interested in educational activities for kids ages 3-6, check out the rest of this blog and website. A bit about getting kids started with bike riding: We started our kids out on balance bikes, I got the Banana bike brand on Amazon. This brand has softer seats than the popular Strider brand. Once the kids were gliding confidently on these, we purchased used Woom pedal bikes (no training wheels). Shoutout to my neighbor, who also researched kids bikes way too much with me and helped us select this brand. They specialize in making kids bikes that are light-weight and designed with kid-friendly geometry. I give these bikes a lot of credit for helping my kids learn to ride bikes very quickly (20 minutes give or take). Now that they have experience, the light weight also helps them push their own bikes up steep hills without complaint. We got our Woom bikes used via Craigslist but they are still very expensive. However, they sell for at least 75% of their cost, even if you purchased used. And during these covid times, used Woom bikes are selling for above list price, the very same day they are listed. So basically they are very expensive but I feel they are worth it because you will get your money back and the light weight makes a huge difference for kids (learning faster, managing hills, riding longer). I sold my daughter’s Woom 2 (which I bought used but in near-new condition) for what I paid, in one day. This post is not an ad in any way though, I just highly recommend these bikes and want parents to know they are worth the price tag. In addition to Craigslist, you might find them on Facebook Marketplace. Ebay prices have been super high. Read some reviews here: https://rascalrides.com/woom-bikes/ More bike rides on Instagram. Mediha @RunLoveLearn on Instagram
7 Comments
Free99familyFun Mama
3/14/2021 09:51:27 pm
This post has me excited to hit more bike trails with the kids! I have been hesitant because I never know where to park or what to expect in terms of safety & proximity to cars. You included all of the details that I was looking for to answer my questions. Thank you!
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Mediha
3/17/2021 10:58:16 pm
So glad you found it helpful!
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6/29/2021 06:12:58 am
Great blog article - well written and concise! I teach kids to ride and a good majority of them are 2.5 years old so location is really important and as a new resident of Orange County I’m still learning the best spots. However now I have a new list of places to teach. Thank you
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Mediha
12/8/2021 07:23:49 pm
Hi Tim, thanks for the comment. I am glad you found the list helpful. It must be so fun teaching little ones to ride.
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Irene Cabanas
2/18/2022 11:15:26 am
Thank you for rounding up such great locations. This blog post is a good reminder for some of the New Year's resolutions we recently made...spend more time outdoors biking, explore new spots. We've only been to about half on the list. Excited for more!
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Mediha
6/13/2023 10:43:12 am
So glad you found it helpful.
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9/26/2023 10:05:46 am
It loops back to the parking, there are some steep hills and uneven terrain which can provide a good introduction to mountain biking. I truly appreciate your great post!
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AuthorMediha Din |