Touring * Street * Scene *

From Interstate 5 in Carlsbad, exit at Tamarack Avenue and head west. Turn right onto Carlsbad Boulevard. One block north of Pine Street, as you enter a downtown area, turn left onto Oak Avenue, a side street dipping to the west toward the ocean. Turn left again where Oak meets Ocean Street, into a free (but frequently full) parking lot. Map: The San Diego County Bike Map is available free by calling (619) 231-2453.

For north San Diego County residents, the Carlsbad Walkway is the place to skate. The beautifully designed promenade follows the cliffs above Carlsbad's Pacific Ocean Strand. Decorated with pretty blue handrails, the spiral access stairways that connect the walkway with the pedestrians-only sidewalk at the beach level are especially attractive. A low metal railing protects users from falling down the sandy cliffs to the beach below, and benches invite a rest and a survey of the ocean before you. Besides the great view, beginning skaters will appreciate the perfectly smooth eight-foot-wide concrete path that starts at a small plaza near Pine Street. (A controversial sculpture featuring a series of barred gates decorates the plaza; some locals object to the resemblance to prison bars.) The nearby lawn is very handy for emergency landings. After half a mile, however, the path narrows down to an asphalt strip about six feet wide, with a slightly rougher surface. This continues the rest of the way down the Carlsbad Walkway to where it ends in front of the Carlsbad State Beach sign and the public showers. The grassy borders remain at the trailside, however, and in many places, the path splits into pullouts that help to equalize the traffic. (In other words, you can pass slower folks.) Beginners should turn back at the Carlsbad State Beach sign. For those skaters ready to explore farther south, the conditions continue getting rougher and steeper. More advanced skaters will want to step off the sidewalk and skate on the bike lane to cross the bridge where the sidewalk is narrow. This is the beginning of a mile-long downhill roll to Tamarack Avenue. After you cross the bridge, you might want to continue skating on the wide bike lane, because the sidewalks at the edge of the beach next to the road are covered with sand that was deposited by the wind and by beachgoers. On the bike lane, you can skate as fast as you want without worrying about pedestrians. Just watch out for car doors opening when you pass vehicles parked at the curb. The sidewalks end at the electric plant, about a mile and a half south of Pine Street. If you continue skating south on the bike lane, after a temporary break in the lane, you will reach another beach less than a mile away. Stay to the right when you come to the branch in the road at Cerezo Drive. Turn around when you reach the pullout parking lot on the left side of the road. The pavement gets too rough for skating beyond this point.