This is great for bicyclists...long and flat...one can get some steady speed going. However, watch out for the homeless encampments along the route..there are quite a few of them...some are rather filthy and dirty. If it wasn't for the encampments, I would have given this attraction a higher rating. The river itself is not much to look at...the embankments are cement with only the bottom of the river natural.
My family and I recently moved to Los Angeles, and we were interested in getting to know the area. We found the Los Angeles River Bike Path, and since we all enjoyed river walks in the past, we decided to check it out. Overall, we weren't very impressed. It had quite a bit of graffiti and a bit of litter. The scenery might have been a little better if the river was up. When we visited LA was experiencing quite a drought, so there wasn't much of a river to look at. I would definitely give it another try if the water was up.
This review is for the path that starts in Cypress Park, goes through Elysian Valley and stops in Griffith Park. It's a great ride, relatively flat and a mostly well maintained path. I ride the river several times a week and routinely see ducks, cranes and blue herons. I also see homeless people pretty regularly but have never had any altercations or problems with them.
There are several entrance/ exit points and it's fun to get off of the path and explore, especially in Griffith Park. With a little creativity, you can stretch the 7 mile River path into an easy 15-20 mile loop.
Share the path with other bikers, walkers and joggers and have fun!
The bike path is awesome. Paved mostly flat and wildly scenic. We wanted to make this a little vacation and planned on stopping to eat on the path. The Frog Spot was closed and we had to make our way into Atwater. There is no easy place to do this but we figured it out at Bon Vivant. No place to secure bikes we had to keep a close eye. We entered on Gilroy Street but parked at Coco's bike rentals (not cheap) but lot's of fun. Yes, there are serious bikers and they go fast but there are also little parks everywhere to picnic.
Who knew this little bit of the countryside is in the middle of LA? Very nice path, easy access form surface streets all along the trail. Even a couple of places for food or coffee along the way. We experienced no problem with other riders. It would be nicer if you weren't along the Interstate 5 for part of the ride, but the South half is quiet and bucolic...diverse birds to watch and just a pleasant 15 mile round trip.
