Ballona Creek to the coast
Culver City / Marina del Rey / Steady / paved
From the city channel to sea air. A river corridor, not a beach promenade.
Explore the rideBikeways around the basin / San Fernando Valley
Sepulveda Basin loop
Park edges, open sky & a different part of LA.
All 2 photographs Real places, archival photography. Photographers, dates & licenses
- Distance / return included
- 4.8 mi
- Estimated riding
- 35-55 min
- Suggested outing
- 60-90 min
- Ride character
- Leisure / crossings
- Units
Know the shape of your day
Your ride at a glance.
- Surface
- Paved bikeways and short connectors
- Sharing the way
- Road and driveway crossings
- Ground elevation
- 209-221 m
- Format
- One complete loop
Distance along the planned track4.8 mi total
Start0.0 mi
Back at the start4.8 mi
Ground elevation is the lowest-to-highest sampled terrain, not total climbing gain. Access, surface and traffic are not live-verified.
The ride
A Valley loop with real junctions.
An inland alternative to riding along the ocean: a compact paved loop around part of the Sepulveda Basin recreation area. Link the G Line bikeway with the Balboa, Burbank and Woodley corridors, then return along the northern edge. The route is modest in distance, but its crossings and changes of direction make the map worth keeping available.
The selected start is on the G Line bikeway along Victory Boulevard, east of Balboa Boulevard. It is a bike-path waypoint, not a station entrance or an instruction to stop on Victory. The first leg goes west to the Balboa-side connection, then south on the bikeway toward Burbank Boulevard. Check each signed crossing rather than assuming the whole loop is uninterrupted.
Follow the paved Burbank edge east and turn north on the Woodley-side path. This is not a circuit of Lake Balboa itself, and it does not send you onto wildlife-reserve walking trails. Driveways, junctions and other recreation users make it a stop-and-start park ride in places, even though most of the geometry is on separated paths.
At Victory, use the marked connection back to the G Line bikeway and head west to the start. The basin is flood-control land as well as a recreation area: closures and storm conditions override a route file. Do not improvise a shortcut through water, mud or a closed underpass if the planned connection is unavailable.
Know where you are going
The route, mapped.
Loading the route map...
Planned route Landmarks Coffee & restReport a map issue
Terrain at a glance
Paved bikeways and short connectors
One complete loop. The vertical scale varies by route: compare the numbers, not just the shape. USGS NED ground model via OpenTopoData, about 10 m resolution; not a surveyed riding surface or a climbing-gain measurement.
Make time for the stops
Along the way.
- 10.0 mifrom the start
G Line bikeway / Victory start
Start on the bikeway east of Balboa Boulevard, then follow the westbound connection.
Waypoint on Google Maps - 21.3 mifrom the start
Balboa / Burbank connection
Use the signed path and crossings; do not merge blindly into road traffic.
Waypoint on Google Maps - 32.6 mifrom the start
Burbank to Woodley connection
Follow the paved bend toward the Woodley-side bikeway.
Waypoint on Google Maps - 44.0 mifrom the start
Woodley / Victory connection
Use the crossing and turn west on the G Line bikeway to finish.
Waypoint on Google Maps -
4.8 micomplete loop
Back where you began
Return west along the G Line bikeway to the selected Victory Boulevard start. The downloaded track includes the return to the start.
Food & a place to pause
Plan your break.
Bring a drink for an off-path pause. No cafe is verified along the selected perimeter loop; lake-side walking detours are outside the GPX.
Carry your own water and snack. Park facilities are separate from the perimeter track; this guide does not verify a cafe or a guaranteed open toilet at a particular junction.
No cafe pin is shown because an exact suitable stop has not been verified. This is a supply-planning limitation, not a claim that no cafes exist nearby.
Places, surfaces & useful landmarks
The ride in photographs.
Archival photographs, not current conditions. Viewpoints and off-track stops are identified below; they do not prove today's access.
The Woodley-side bikeway
The Woodley-side bikeway: paved, curving and shared. Its crossings still require attention; this old photograph does not establish current surface condition.
Junkyardsparkle , 2014. CC0 .
The northern G Line connection
The G Line bikeway beside Victory Boulevard forms the northern connection. It is distinct from the adjacent traffic lane.
Junkyardsparkle , 2014. CC0 .
The useful details
Plan a little. Enjoy a lot.
Start & finish
G Line bikeway along Victory, east of Balboa. Plan the separate approach from transit or legal parking.
Bike choice
A city bike or hybrid works for the planned paved surface. Allow time for crossings rather than targeting a continuous training pace.
Hot days
Carry water and sun protection. Do not assume the Valley has the same conditions as the beach.
Keep to the plan
Follow the bikeway network, not paths around the lake or inside the wildlife area. Stop and check the map before an uncertain junction.
Water, facilities & a place to pause
Carry your own water and snack. Park facilities are separate from the perimeter track; this guide does not verify a cafe or a guaranteed open toilet at a particular junction.
Bring a suitable bike. Our Santa Monica rental comparison does not cover this inland start.
Take the route with you
Your ride. Your pace.
Sepulveda Basin loop / 4.8 mi / one loop
GPX 1.1 with 327 track points and named places.
Planned geometry, without fabricated ride times or elevation readings.
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 roads and bicycle-permitted paths. Each file is a full loop or an out-and-back, with named waypoints. We have not field-ridden it or checked same-day closures.
What is included in the distance?
The measured map geometry for one complete described outing, returning to the selected start. Rental-shop approaches, walking detours and extra laps are excluded. GPS devices may calculate a slightly different distance.
Can I use an e-bike?
These guides are for ordinary pedal bicycles. Check the exact bicycle class, local jurisdiction, park rules and posted signs; permissions differ by location and trail. An e-bike rental offer is not proof that a route allows it.
Does a route file prove the way is open?
No. Check the official access links on the guide before leaving. A closure, flood warning or posted restriction overrides the download; never bypass a barrier to follow a track.
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
A different kind of ride.
LA River: Glendale Narrows
Frogtown / Griffith Park edge / Steady / longer
The greener face of the LA River. River views, bridges & a bicycle cafe.
Explore the ride
Mount Hollywood Drive
Griffith Park / Demanding / hills
Earn the view above the city. Paved climbing & wide city views.
Explore the ride