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Best San Diego Bike Rides

Looking for some great rides in the San Diego area?

We've put together a few of our favorites for road, gravel, and mountain biking.

Mountain Bike Rides Near San Diego

San Diego mountain bike rides

There are tons of great mountain bike trails in the San Diego area, but here are some of our favorites. 

You'll want to be riding a hardtail or full suspension mountain bike for these trails, as the terrain can get technical and rough.

Black Mountain Open Space

6.2 mi Mountain Bike Ride

Black Mountain Open Space is where our namesake is from! 

This close by mountain has a fair amount of loops, lollipops, and out-and-backs despite its small stature.

Noble Canyon

18.2 mi Mountain Bike Ride

Nobel Canyon is considered to be the best trail in San Diego. The technical and difficult 10-mile descent takes you on a tour through alpine meadows, oak trees, and dry desert. 

VARIATION: While many tackle the this loop as a singular ride, be sure to explore Big Laguna trails. Mt. Laguna hosts San Diego's best trail network!

Popular MTB Trail Systems Near San Diego

There is a ton of trail riding around San Diego so check out these trail networks and start planning your next ride. The links below take you to Trailforks, a super popular and helpful map site and app that's great for finding and navigating trails. You can also visit the San Diego Mountain Biking Association site for more intel.

Balboa Park - Right next to the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park is a small but fun network with a handful of green and blue trails that can be a good time for anyone who's looking for riding opportunities near downtown.

Black Mountain - Black Mountain is our shop's namesake, and we love riding the rugged, rocky loops west of Poway. There are plenty of trails and access points making things easy.

Cleveland National Forest - If you're looking for a great weekend outing, the big terrain in Cleveland national Forest has tons of awesome riding that take you past forests, meadows, and lakes. Highly recommended for an out of town adventure.

Crestridge - Just east of El Cajon, Crestridge is a trail system managed by the CA Department of Fishing and Wildlife that makes for a nice nature outing on bikes. We like it because it's usually not crowded and there are lots of opportunities to make different sized loops.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park - Just northwest of Cleveland National Forest, Cuyamaca has lots of mellow but stunning desert trails to explore. The mix between single track, dirt roads, and double track keeps things interesting.

Daley Ranch - Daley Ranch is just north of Escondido and allows you to get some serious vert for those who enjoy climbing. But with climbing comes downhills which are a blast and worth checking out.

Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve - The Elfin Forest trail system is located right by the Olivenhain Reservoir and features a solid mix of moderately challenging and difficult trails all in the backdrop of some serious natural beauty.

Lake Hodges - Just east of the Elfin trails on the other side of Del Dios Highway you'll find Lake Hodges and a host of easy to moderately difficult singletrack that surrounds the lake. It's a lovely spot good for out and backs with a view.

Mission Trails Regional Park - North of La Mesa, Mission Trails have a variety of hilly singletrack, double track, and dirt roads to explore. It's a good area for XC riding with some fun downhills thrown in.

Rancho La Costa Preserve - The trails at Rancho La Costa Preserve are east of Encinitas and feature trails that pass by copper mines and form super fun loops for beginners, intermediates, and advanced riders alike.

Sweetwater Reservoir - Just outside of Chula Vista, Sweetwater has an excellent bike park to help you practice your skills, as well as some challenging XC trails that wind around the hills east of the reservoir.

Gravel Bike Rides Near San Diego

Gravel bike rides near San Diego

Gravel bike rides are tons of fun. It's the perfect mix of road bike speed and mountain bike scenery and solitude.

Here are a few of our favorite routes, but the beauty of gravel riding is exploring on your own and finding new roads, 4x4 tracks, singletrack, and service roads to enjoy.

Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve

22.6 mi Gravel Bike Ride / Mountain Bike Ride

Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve is an oasis nestled in-between Mira Mesa and Rancho Penasquitos. 

For gravel biking, head west through Mira Mesa and enter the canyon from the west entrance. 

While in the canyon, you can deviate from the route and explore the different trails. For mountain biking, Canyonside Community Park (east entrance) is the popular jump off.

Beeler Canyon

23.8 mi Gravel Bike Ride / Mountain Bike Ride

Welcome to our backyard! From hidden trails sandwiched between housing and business development, to county preservations, and even varied pavement, this route has a little bit of everything. 

For gravel riding, combine this route with the Penasquitos loop for more (s)miles. For mountain biking, park at the entrance to Beeler Canyon (either end) and explore Sycamore Canyon and Martha's Grove.

Other Popular Gravel Riding Areas Near San Diego

The gravel biking scene has really taken off in different San Diego communities and it's easy to see why. With seemingly limitless miles of gravel paths, dirt roads, forest service roads, double track, and mellow single track, you could spend an eternity trying to ride it all. Below are some of our favorite areas for gravel riding. Be sure to check out local cycling club Gravelstoke's excellent resources on their site as well.

Black Mountain Summit Road - Get some vert and head to the summit on a rugged fire road leading to great views.

Gonzales Canyon - The Gonzales Access Trail and the Torrey pines Trail make for some great gravel riding near Del Mar.

Lusardi Loop - More on the single track side, this mellow and wide track is a fun section for people riding near Black Mountain.

Rancho La Costa Preserve - There's a lot of great double track surround Denk Mtn that can connect to other areas between Encinitas and San Marcos.


Road Bike Rides Near San Diego

Road bike rides near San Diego

There are plenty of great road bike rides around San Diego, and we've listed a few popular routes below.

Climbs with great views along with smooth, windy roads make these routes a blast for roadies and perfect for anyone who's visiting the area.

Torrey Pines State Beach

31.6 mi Road Bike Ride

If you're visiting San Diego's, riding the coastline is a must. 

Once you arrive to Torrey Pines State Beach, you can either stay on the main road to ascend SD's most climbed hill, or turn into the park for a more scenic route to the top. 

VARIATION: Once you hit the coast, head north on Pacific Coast Highway to traverse the coastline.

Highland Valley Road

39.5 mi Road Bike Ride

Highland Valley Road is one of San Diego's top five roads. 

The east county road, when traveling east to west, provides a fast, smooth, and rolling descent within the backdrop of SD's mountain vistas. 

WARNING: Portions of the 67 highway are narrow and with high-speed traffic.

Other Popular Road Bike Routes Near San Diego

From oceanside paths to steep hills in the desert, San Diego and the surrounding areas have incredicle road riding opportunities. Check out some more of our favorite places to ride below, and be sure to check out the rest of Komoot's awesome collection of rides while you're at it.

Coronado/Chula Vista - A great 24mi loop that includes picturesque views of San Diego Bay.

Oceanside to Solana - A long 50mi out and back along beachside roads.

La Jolla - A 22mi tour through La Jolla that gives you a nice taste of the area.

Mount Laguna - An epic 45mi desert route through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park up to the Mt Laguna summit.

Lyons Valley - A 40mi exploration loop out to Pine Creek Wilderness and back.

Want to find more bike rides near San Diego?

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