Touring * Beginner *

From Interstate 80, exit at Richard Boulevard and follow it under the freeway and across First Street, where it becomes E Street. Before Seventh Street, go one block to the right and then north on F Street, which takes you to the Community Park. Continue to the north end of the park and turn left onto Covell Boulevard. Take the first left to park in the lot close to the pedestrian overpass above Covell. Skate over the overpass to get to the greenbelt path.

Created for local residents, the beautiful Davis Covell Greenbelt is well thought out; anybody can skate, stroll, or bicycle on this parklike loop through the grass-bordered neighborhoods. You enter the area just on the other side of the overpass from the parking lot. The greenbelt is marked by numbered signs throughout; the first section is in Covell Park, where the low, grassy hills are wide enough to accommodate kite-flying, sandlot structures for kids, and games of Frisbee, as well as beginning skaters. Continuing north, you'll notice streetlights and signs naming the nearby cul-de-sacs that are the neighborhoods' greenbelt access. These signs are more than just a nice touch: the farther you go, the more you see the need for them as navigational aids. It would be very easy to get lost in here, especially at night. Make it a point to skate out onto the wooden boardwalks that bring you closer to the marshy area north of Covell Park. You'll be standing among ducks and marsh grasses, and on a clear spring day you may even be able to make out the snowy Sierras in the distance. The path continues north toward new, grand homes that are still pitifully unshaded by the saplings in the newer greenbelt section. The trail is obviously intended to continue farther north as more homes are built, but for now you must circle around the lawn back to the older trail. Here you'll follow a row of trees bordering a playing field on your right till you reach the west side of the park. When you see the little playground there, head south toward Covell to continue skating the western part of the greenbelt. Unfortunately, here most of the greenbelt's 10-foot-wide asphalt is in poor condition, with lots of raised cracks. In particular, one pitted section of the western part of the loop is horrendously bad for skating; try to keep your speed up to decrease the vibration. When you see a fork in the path near the Barcelona Avenue sign, stay to the left unless you feel like visiting an apartment complex. The trail now veers east to take you back to Covell Park. Heading back to your car, if you're willing to trade bad pavement and great scenery for perfect concrete next to a noisy road, you can extend your tour by turning right after re-crossing the Covell overpass to skate the sidewalk along the southern edge of Covell Boulevard.