Enjoy beautiful views while touring on two wheels throughout Santa ... - SFGATE

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Enjoy beautiful views while touring on two wheels throughout Santa ... SFGATE

With a temperate climate, beautiful coastal and forest views and a variety of options for cyclists craving flat roads and steep trails, Santa Cruz is best seen by bike. The region has some of the best trails in California from mountain tracks to oceanside paths, where biking introduces you to both historic and under-the-radar sites — all while feeling the ocean breeze on your skin.

Pack a lunch or plan to stop at a neighborhood cafe, choose one of these bike routes to keep your two wheels moving and go out to enjoy it all.

West Cliff Drive scenic cruise
Get a spectacular introduction to Santa Cruz cycling along the 3-mile mixed-use path that runs along West Cliff Drive from the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf to Natural Bridges State Beach.

As you pass the Dream Inn Santa Cruz and head toward Steamer Lane, locals and visitors alike enjoy this path for walking, running, biking, pushing strollers and walking dogs. Take a break to check the surf at Steamer Lane, and stop at the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum (housed in the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse), where you can learn more about how the sport of surfing was brought to Santa Cruz by Hawaiian royalty.

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