Touring * Fitness * Scene * Artistic *

From U.S. 101 in Oxnard, take the Victoria Avenue South exit. Proceed 2.5 miles through the farmland to Doris Avenue; turn left and proceed to the intersection with Patterson Road, where the avenue widens. Continue driving straight but look to the left, and you'll see the trail entrance. To park, drive far enough up Doris to make a U-turn and park at the curb. Map: Bikeways Map, A Guide to Biking in Ventura County, published by the Ventura County Transportation Commission; (805) 642-1591.

The River Ridge bike path is a tidy little landscaped lane that runs flush up against the rich agricultural fields bordering northwestern Oxnard. In contrast, its north section passes through upscale neighborhoods near the River Ridge Golf Club. From the smoothly paved eight-foot-wide path, a broad view extends across the fields toward the Channel Islands Harbor to the west and all the way to the mountain ranges to the north. Follow the River Ridge trail north as it parallels Patterson Road. To the left, a large field is tilled or filled with whatever crop is in season; a row of tall eucalyptus at the far end serves as wind break. After one and a quarter miles, the path branches right at Vineyard Avenue (go straight and you'll hit a dead end) and passes the River Ridge Golf Club as it heads east, all the while delivering a fine view of Oxnard's two skyscrapers in the distance. A brick wall borders the housing development across the street on your right, and pleasant landscaping continues alongside the bike path, which is now a concrete sidewalk. Where the route meets Ventura Road halfway across this eastbound section, it is replaced by a bike lane painted on the street, but skaters can continue on four-foot-wide sidewalks all the way up to H Street. Turn around here, and you will have skated 4.5 miles by the time you're back at Doris Avenue. Alternatively, if you're ready to make a 5.5-mile loop by skating on more bike lanes, turn right to cross Vineyard Avenue, and follow H Street south through a variety of neighborhood pavement surfaces, making your Oxnard skating experience all the more memorable. Eventually, this southbound course will also return you to Doris Avenue; turn right on Doris to get back to your car.