RIDE LA BIKEThe coast. At your pace.
The rides/One coast, three landmarks

The full coastal outing / Santa Monica coast

Beach House to Venice

A full beach morning.

Download GPX

Real places, archival photography. Photographers, dates & licenses

Distance / return included
7.5 mi
Estimated riding
50-75 min
Suggested outing
2-3 hours
Ride character
Longer leisure
Units

The ride

One coast, three landmarks.

Take the longer view of the coastline. This outing links the Beach House access, Santa Monica Pier and Venice Skate Park, then returns along the same coastal corridor. It is a longer version of our two shorter rides, with time to settle into a rhythm and choose a couple of stops.

The northern start is a point on the beach bikeway near Annenberg Community Beach House. It is not at a rental counter or on Pacific Coast Highway. Walk the signed approach from the grounds, then join the mapped track. Any journey from a rental shop to this start is extra.

Continue south toward Santa Monica Pier and use the beach-path underpass. At the pier, decide whether to continue to Venice or make this your shorter turnaround. The downloaded full route continues south; shortening it is a rider decision based on time, energy and conditions.

Venice Skate Park is the southern turnaround, not the end of the full Marvin Braude trail. Take your break away from the bike lane, then return north. The return deserves the same time margin as the outward leg: a coastal headwind or a busy path can change an otherwise easy outing.

Know where you are going

The route, mapped.

Download GPX

Loading the coastal map...

Planned beach route Places to pauseReport a map issue

Terrain at a glance

A near-level coastal corridor

Ground model / meters
010200.0 mi3.7 mi7.5 mi

The dashed line marks the turnaround. USGS NED ground-elevation samples via OpenTopoData, approximately 10 m resolution. This is not a surveyed path profile: underpasses and small ramps may be missed. No climbing-gain claim is made.

Make time for the stops

Along the way.

Distances on the outward leg
  1. 1
    0.0 mifrom the start

    Annenberg Beach House

    Walk the final approach from the beach path. Facility hours vary.

    Place pin is about 90 m from the track in a straight line, not a measured walking route. Use signed access.

    Place on Google Maps
  2. 2
    1.5 mifrom the start

    Santa Monica Pier / beach path

    Start on the beach-level bikeway, not the pier deck.

    Place on Google Maps
  3. 3
    1.6 mifrom the start

    Original Muscle Beach

    A side stop near the pier. Park and walk off the bikeway.

    Place pin is about 90 m from the track in a straight line, not a measured walking route. Use signed access.

    Place on Google Maps
  4. 4
    3.7 mifrom the start

    Venice Skate Park

    Watch from outside the skate bowls. Leave the bikeway on foot.

    Place pin is about 40 m from the track in a straight line, not a measured walking route. Use signed access.

    Place on Google Maps
  5. 7.5 mifull out & back

    Back where you began

    The turnaround is beside Venice Skate Park. Return north to the Beach House path access. The downloaded track includes the return to the start.

The useful details

Plan a little. Enjoy a lot.

Start & finish

Bikeway near Annenberg Community Beach House. The track finishes where it starts.

Time budget

Allow two to three hours for the outing, plus any bike pickup and approach. Estimated riding time assumes an unhurried 10-15 km/h before stops.

Shorten the day

Turn back at Santa Monica Pier if the group is tiring. You do not have to complete a downloaded track.

Rental choice

Check a longer rental window or a day rate if you want several stops. Clarify the difference between open-to-close and a 24-hour rental.

Water, facilities & a place to pause

Start with water, a snack and a charged phone. The Beach House lists bike racks and restrooms; other services along the route are not live-verified. Carry a lock if you plan to leave the bicycle for a walk.

Compare nearby bike rentals

Take the route with you

Your coast. Your pace.

Beach House to Venice / 7.5 mi / out & back

GPX 1.1 with 809 track points and named places.
Planned geometry, without fabricated ride times or elevation readings.

Download GPX

A few things worth knowing

Before you set off.

Is the GPX a recorded ride?

No. It is a planned track assembled from connected OpenStreetMap cycleway segments. It contains the outward and return legs, plus named points of interest. We have not field-ridden it or checked same-day closures.

What is included in the distance?

The measured map geometry from the selected start to the turnaround and back. Rental-shop approaches, walks to buildings and optional detours are excluded. GPS devices may calculate a slightly different distance.

Can I use an e-bike?

Check the exact bicycle class, posted signs and the rules for each jurisdiction. These guides are written for ordinary pedal bicycles. Do not assume that every vehicle sold as an e-bike is permitted; the current Santa Monica police guidance is linked below.

Can I ride the whole Marvin Braude trail with this file?

No. These files cover only the described Santa Monica and Venice sections. They do not include the inland connection around Marina del Rey or the rest of the South Bay.

What should I bring?

Water, sun protection, a helmet, a lock, a charged phone and the downloaded track. Check brakes and tire pressure. Allow extra time for collecting and returning a rental.

Another way to spend the day

More of the coast.