Exploring San Diego's Open Spaces on Two Wheels

To experience San Diego on a bike is to experience San Diego.

Most of San Diego’s mountain bike trails are a combination of hills, rocks, hard pack and single track. Riders searching for the most challenging San Diego riding experience will want to head inland to the East County, and the Cleveland National Forest area, but you’ll also find excellent trails in the North County Inland areas or even the badlands of the Anza-Borrego Desert.

Riders who prefer a more coastal riding experience will revel in the countless public parks and local riding trails. For all its urban accouterments, San Diego has open space galore along the coast. A great ride is never far from your hotel.

Places to Ride

Mission Trails Regional Park

Say you're in town for a convention. You want to squeeze in a ride in the morning or evening, but don't have the time to drive an hour into the Laguna Mountains. Try Mission Trails. Located just eight miles from downtown San Diego, right off Mission Gorge Road, this favorite of runners and hikers also offers a hardy mountain bike experience—heavy on the scenery and nature. With a variety of trails to choose from, riders can go hard or not; climb or ride flats. You'll be back in the city in plenty of time to make the first meeting of the day.

Balboa Park

Get a quick ride along the trails of Balboa Park. Be prepared for singletrack with some ragged sections, epic hill climbs, canyon descents and some amazing sightseeing through the cultural heart of San Diego. The Pershing Climb is worth the effort with fun obstacles rewarded with canyon views and a fun flat loop at the top perfect to stretch out the legs.

Cuyamaca to Noble Canyon

Designated by the International Mountain Biking Association as an "Epic" ride, this 30-mile journey along the spine of the Santa Rosa Mountains, in the heart of the Cleveland National Forest, begins about 50 miles east of downtown San Diego. Soothing pine forests and sun-baked high desert canyons, once the home of Kumeyaay Indians, offer some of the most stunning ride terrain anywhere. The trail itself is composed of fire roads and is technically a pretty difficult ride with single track, rocky terrain and tight switchbacks, and generally more suited for advanced riders. Look for patches of snow in winter and carry extra water to battle the dry desert air. Descend Noble Canyon into the historic mining town of Julian, and treat yourself to a slice of Julian's signature apple pie.

Daley Ranch

This ride is suitable for riders of all levels. Daley Ranch is located in Escondido, in northeast San Diego. Twenty miles of trails course through the park, but the primary mountain bike path is a rolling 12-mile loop on fire roads, with a smattering of single track. It's a ride for enjoying with a friend, making conversation and sampling the sweet smells of sage and eucalyptus, and is also a popular place for night riding. Escondido's inland location means warm temperatures year-round, so make sure to top-off your hydration system before setting out.

Los Penasquitos Canyon

This area includes a large combination of fire roads and single track trails. If you stay off Del Mar Mesa, the ride is relatively flat and predominantly non-technical so good for beginners to intermediate riders. During the summer months this canyon often benefits from the prevailing coastal breeze and in the spring the canyon is lush and beautiful. The canyon is easily accessible from the major highways of interstates 5, 805 and 15.

The Gear Shops

The staff in local shops share that same, laid-back attitude more commonly associated with surf shops, and strong coffee is invariably brewing somewhere in back. 

With the exception of BMX-specialty shops, many of the local bike shops cater to cyclists of the road and mountain biking stripe. A favorite among triathletes and road cyclists is Nytro, in Encinitas, which caters to the elite athlete and age-group racer, and also offers a wide selection of products for the weekend warrior. Nytro also has a reputation for good, fast mechanic service. UC Cyclery is another longtime favorite known for its service and focus on competitive road cycling.

As for shops catering more to the mountain biker, Performance Bikes has locations throughout San Diego.

If you're not fond of lugging your bike through airports, or strapping it to the roof of your car, give Cheap Rentals a try. Located on Mission Boulevard in San Diego, it has bikes for on- and off-road cycling. Another place for rentals is Bikes and Beyond on Coronado, or try Wheel Fun Rentals which features rental outlets at the Hotel del Coronado,  San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina and Balboa Park.

Insider's Secret

The trails winding through the eucalyptus forest on the University of California at San Diego are not technically demanding, but the serenity of the thick grove and its soothing aroma makes for a rejuvenating mountain bike ride. Many have compared it to a spa treatment on wheels.