Orange County - Huntington Beach - South Huntington Beach
3 mi 
Suitable for
Touring *
Fitness *
Beginner *
Scene *
Artistic *
Directions
From Interstate 405 in Costa Mesa, exit at Brookhurst Street heading south. About 2.5 miles down, Brookhurst meets the Coast Highway at an entrance to a Huntington State Beach parking lot. If you get there early enough on the weekend while it's still foggy, free parking can be found at the curbside on Brookhurst near the intersection. You may have to make a U-turn. Otherwise, go straight across the highway to enter the Huntington Beach parking lot and drive to the southernmost lot. The $10 fee is well spent because you can skate in three directions from this spot near the Santa Ana River, on this route plus two others described in this chapter.
Notes
The South Huntington Beach boardwalk is about as close as you can get to in-line heaven. A broad asphalt surface interspersed with smooth cement, it spans three miles between the Santa Ana River and the Huntington Beach Pier. This is a major part of the Orange County in-line scene and is definitely a must-skate destination, either as described here or as part of a seven-mile-long Huntington/Newport pier-to-pier route.
If you park in the southern-most lot, you'll start skating to the north. The crowds are relatively thin for the first two miles. The inland side of the boardwalk is lined with wide parking lots; toward the ocean, however, there is an uninterrupted view of the activity on the wide sands of the beach. The boardwalk is amply outfitted with snack bars, showers, rest rooms, and drinking fountains. Be on the lookout for beach goers who don't check for oncoming boardwalk traffic before crossing to and from these amenities. Nearing the end of the high-traffic strip, skate rentals and supplies can be found at a friendly shop called Zack's Too.
Crowds on the Huntington Beach boardwalk become problematic during peak times for the mile south of the pier, where it is lined with food stands and other shops. A series of flashing yellow lights has been installed in an attempt to control traffic. Rather than fight the crowds, relax and enjoy a social cruise, complying with the speed limit of 10 miles per hour, which is reduced to five miles per hour around pedestrians. (Unlimited opportunities for faster and less crowded skating are found on the Santa Ana River Trail starting at the south end of Huntington Beach; see Related Tours)
Two more great skates are available at the south end of the Huntington Beach boardwalk. To access them, take the rough connection path up a low slope at the south edge of the parking lot. Turn left to skate across the Santa Ana River on the Coast Highway bridge, then follow the sidewalk a quarter mile to Orange Avenue and the Balboa Peninsula Trail. For speed and distance opportunities, turn right to take the underpass east to the Santa Ana River Trail. See Related Tours.
If you park in the southern-most lot, you'll start skating to the north. The crowds are relatively thin for the first two miles. The inland side of the boardwalk is lined with wide parking lots; toward the ocean, however, there is an uninterrupted view of the activity on the wide sands of the beach. The boardwalk is amply outfitted with snack bars, showers, rest rooms, and drinking fountains. Be on the lookout for beach goers who don't check for oncoming boardwalk traffic before crossing to and from these amenities. Nearing the end of the high-traffic strip, skate rentals and supplies can be found at a friendly shop called Zack's Too.
Crowds on the Huntington Beach boardwalk become problematic during peak times for the mile south of the pier, where it is lined with food stands and other shops. A series of flashing yellow lights has been installed in an attempt to control traffic. Rather than fight the crowds, relax and enjoy a social cruise, complying with the speed limit of 10 miles per hour, which is reduced to five miles per hour around pedestrians. (Unlimited opportunities for faster and less crowded skating are found on the Santa Ana River Trail starting at the south end of Huntington Beach; see Related Tours)
Two more great skates are available at the south end of the Huntington Beach boardwalk. To access them, take the rough connection path up a low slope at the south edge of the parking lot. Turn left to skate across the Santa Ana River on the Coast Highway bridge, then follow the sidewalk a quarter mile to Orange Avenue and the Balboa Peninsula Trail. For speed and distance opportunities, turn right to take the underpass east to the Santa Ana River Trail. See Related Tours.
Links
- Orange County Bikeway Map - PDF Map
Related Tours
| Last Skated
Sep 11, 2007
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Updated
Oct 20, 2007
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