5 Best Napa Bike Trails

It’s always an adventure to get out on the bike trail and pedal your way through nature. You have lots of choices in Napa, and we’ve picked out a few of the best. Take a look at some of the best Napa bike trails.

Skyline Wilderness Park Trails

Skyline Wilderness Park provides more than 25 miles of multi-use, fire-road, and single-track trails covering all skill levels. In the heat of the summer, take a short, easy ride along the shady Marie Creek Trail up to Lake Marie, where you’ll enjoy beautiful scenery. For a longer, moderately difficult trek, take the Skyline Trail past the lake and connect to the Bay Area Ridge Trail. You can also take the River to Ridge Trail, an easy 2.8-mile route that runs from from Lake Marie Road to John F. Kennedy Memorial Park. There, it connects with the Napa River Trail.

Napa River Trail

The Napa River Trail is a 3.8-mile multi-use loop trail with moderate traffic near Napa that’s good for all skill levels. The trail has an elevation gain of 19 feet. The trail goes north to south from John F. Kennedy Memorial Park to Third Street, providing a nice ride along the beautiful Napa River, where you’ll see birds and wildlife.

Alston Park Trail

The 157-acre Alston Park features an easy 3-mile multi-use trail shared by bicyclists, horseback riders, hikers, and dog walkers. The trail goes through a plum orchard, meanders through meadows blanketed in wildflowers, tucks into a shaded canyon by Redwood Creek, and leads to picnic areas and gorgeous views of Napa and the Napa Valley.

Napa River Bay Trail Network

South of Napa in American Canyon, you’ll find the easy 1.4-mile flat Napa River Bay Trail. Beginning near Clarke’s Ranch at the eucalyptus grove, the trail meanders through restored wetlands and old salt ponds to the Napa River. Cross the pedestrian bridge, turn left, and follow the path to the river. There, you’ll find what locals call Glass Beach because of the water-worn glass found all over the shore.

The Napa River Bay Trail also links to other trails. To explore them, start at the intersection of Wetlands Edge Road and Eucalyptus Drive. If you’re driving, park at the Wetlands Edge Viewing Area and Trailhead. You have three trails to choose from:

• The Wetlands Edge Trail runs beside Wetlands Edge Road for 2 miles, from Eucalyptus to Kensington Way.
• Mike’s Bike and Hike Loop Trail is a loop trail that goes around a decommissioned landfill, covering 2 miles.
• The San Francisco Bay Trail runs 2.8 miles along the Napa River to Green Island.

Napa Valley Wine Trail

The Napa Valley Wine Trail is an ongoing project that will eventually be a 47-mile safe and scenic walking and bicycling trail system connecting the Napa Valley, from Calistoga to the Vallejo Ferry and the Greater Bay Area. To date, 12.5 miles have been completed, from South Napa to Yountville.

Napa and the surrounding area offer many more bike trails, both long and short, that take you through some of the most beautiful scenery in the U.S.

Image via Pixabay

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