The miles on the path count down here to mile 0, and as you cross under Pacific Coast Highway, you will officially be at the beach.
To start the journey, you will want to make your way to Green River Road off the 91 Freeway. You will take Green River Road down to where it turns towards the golf course. That is where the official trailhead and parking area for the trail is. I parked my car here, and my wife brought me back here after doing the trail.
The trail heads up to an elevated pathway that looks down on the river and begins to see the sand that has backed up into the waterway from the ocean. There was a nice wind here and birds flying overhead.
At the end of this section, the trail goes under the 405 freeway and arrives at Moon Park.
While the 91 Freeway is on the other side of the river, it is easy to forget about it while you ride along such a stunning park and waterway.
Eventually, the trail crosses its last wooden bridge, and it is a straight shot from here to the beach. These last two miles have you riding along a wide river with beautiful views out towards the ocean.
It goes along the freeway here and will be following the freeway for much of the first half. This first section is beautiful since you are riding along a more natural part of the river, which is not the case for most of the ride.
This is where the trail gets a lot more popular, and I saw much more bike traffic in this section.
Here is a video I made of the Santa Ana River Trail. It is probably the best way to experience this trail, as the written content below is just from memory based on my time on the trail. Check it out, and let me know what you think in the comments!
