Ballona Creek and Marvin Braude Bike Path

Not a whole lot of people will think that LA is such a nice place to bike… and in all honestly, it’s quite a challenge sometimes especially if that’s your primary way of commuting or getting places, but there are some nice bike paths around the city that anyone can safely and leisurely ride their bikes such as the Ballona Creek and Marvin Braude bike trails.

Marvin Braude Bike Path

Although bike lanes in LA are a joke compared to some other bike friendly places like China and some European cities, Los Angeles has a feature that a lot of cities lack, the long stretch of shoreline.

Marvin Braude Bike Path runs from Torrance to the Palisades, which make this a 22 miles long beautiful ride. Along the way, you can stop at some of the top beaches in town such as Marina Del Ray, which is a popular kayaking and paddle boarding place, Venice Beach and the Venice Canals, and the famous Santa Monica pier and Third Street Promenade.

Marvin Braude is not a secret to anyone, but not a lot of people have done the entire stretch! This could be your challenge this summer. The trail can be access from multiple points, but the popular places to start would be in Santa Monica or Venice where you can rent a bike. Don’t forget to wear a helmet! 

Ballona Creek Bike Path

Since i’ve just recently moved to Culver City, one of the first things to do as a local here is to bike the Ballona Creek to the beach, which will connect you to the Marvin Braude Bike Path.

This 9 miles long bike path runs along Ballona Creek (yes, a creek in LA…concrete creek actually) and runs all the way to Marina Del Ray and the Del Ray Lagoon park. The beach right at the end of this trail is also really nice with many volleyball nets and it is a lot more quiet than the crowded nearby Venice Beach.

Marina Del Ray is a great area where a lot of people dock their private boats and yachts. There are a few outfitters around where you can rent kayaks and paddle boards for the day. It’s a great combination to bike here and kayak for a great saturday afternoon; talk about a full body workout!