May is Bike Month! I’m updating the blog post since a few things have changed already. We love getting out with our kiddo and I want to share our favorite places to go for biking and scooting. Maybe we will see you there one day!
Meta Campus Burlingame / Bay Trail to Magic Mountain Playground
This is our favorite spot/route. There’s plenty of flat and open space, good coffee, great views, and an amazing playground. A little secret – if you bike/scoot/walk to the playground, you can skip paying the $6 parking fee for Coyote Point.
How to get there: You can find plenty of free parking on the Meta campus (look for “Public Shores parking signs), at the Anza Fisherman’s Park open lot, or along Bay Trail Lane on the north side of the Meta campus.
Coffee/Food: Equator Coffees Burlingame is located on the Meta campus and they are open 7am-3pm all week. Ava’s favorite is their blueberry waffles. There’s plenty of outdoor seating too.
Let’s go: The Meta campus itself is lovely for biking around. There are big newly paved spaces that are quite safe as long as you stay away from the roads. Ava also loves trying to look out the binoculars by the bay. You can regularly spot planes coming in for landing.
Getting out of the Meta campus, the bay trail bike path has been repaved and leads directly to Coyote Point beach (newly restored and amazing). You can also get to the amazing Magic Mountain Playground.
It’s only about a half-mile ride from the Meta campus to Magic Mountain Playground. The paved Bay Trail does continue through Coyote Point, and can get you to CuriOdyssey and the Coyote Point Marina for longer rides.
Oyster Point / Bay Trail
The Bay Trail at Oyster Point offers nice views, a little known beach area, and enough parking! Nearly all the businesses and restaurants are closed in Oyster Point on the weekends, but The Cove At Oyster Point is open daily for coffee and food.
How to get there: There are several Public Shores parking lots along the Bay Trail – search for them on Google Maps
Coffee/Food: The Cove at Oyster Point has a Starbucks and a few restaurants: Truffle Poké Bar, Nick The Greek, The Sandwich Spot, and Guapas Mexican Grill.
Let’s go: The Bay Trail goes all around Oyster Point. Choose your own adventure for where to start and go. We do like heading over to The Cove to stop for a grub and then head back. Going the other way (South), can actually get you to Costco!
Ryder Park / Bay Trail
Kiddo getting fast on their bike/scooter and tired of chasing them around? Ryder Park in San Mateo has a great paved loop and you can just let them go around and around. There’s also a nice playground right there for extra fun. The splash pad there has been closed because of the drought, but the rest of the playground is still great!
How to get there: There’s a parking lot for Ryder Park. It can get crowded especially if someone is hosting a birthday party there that day. We haven’t had any issues finding parking when we go early. If the lot is full, go around the park and it is possible to find street parking around Ryder St.
Coffee/Food: Unfortunately there’s not a place to get food within walking distance so we usually pack food with us. Kingston Cafe is a mile away and kid-friendly (there used to be a little play area inside but they’ve taken it away since the pandemic).
Let’s go: The paved loop is large and easy to spot. There are benches around the loop and seating by the playground. It’s a fairly popular spot so you’re almost guaranteed to see other kids biking, scooting, or rollerblading there. It has never been super crowded when we’ve been through, and you can find quieter stretches off to the side for new riders.
The park is right next to the Bay Trail, which is another great spot to ride. Going about 0.7 miles north is Harborview Park, where you will find another playground. Due to construction, the bay trail is currently closed going further north from there. If you want to ride longer, going south is your bet and pretty views await.
The Great Walkway (Highway) San Francisco
When it’s hot everywhere else, we love going up to SF by Ocean Beach where it can easily be over 20F cooler than the rest of the peninsula (always bring a jacket). The Great Highway along Ocean Beach is currently closed to vehicle traffic on the weekends (Fridays at 12 p.m. until Mondays at 6 a.m.). That leaves ~2 miles of straight, wide, paved road for pedestrians and bicycles only. There are also restrooms along the entire way (some cleaner than others). Consider making it a combo beach day!
How to get there: Parking can be inconsistent – it is San Francisco! There is a small parking lot at Upper Great Hwy and Sloat Blvd., where we have had luck getting a spot when we go early enough (by 9am). Before the zoo opens at 10am, Sloat Blvd. is another good option for street parking. You can generally find street parking around.
Coffee/Food: Just a few blocks away is Avenues San Francisco, where you can find coffee, musubis, and pastries to start your day. Musubi for breakfast? Yes! Don’t knock it til you try it – they are delicious! Ava also loves their scones. There’s a small patio area to eat outside and it doesn’t get too crowded since it’s mostly a grab-and-go place. They do run out of pastries and then musubi early (by noon).
Java Beach Cafe is another great option for coffee, breakfast, or lunch. There’s a location near the southern end by the zoo, and another location near the northern end closer to Golden Gate Park. They have some outdoor seating but can get crowded especially around lunchtime, so we like to order online and do pickup. For the location near Golden Gate Park, there’s a small shaded area with benches at Judah St. between Great Hwy and La Playa St. right across from Java Beach Cafe. Or make it a beach picnic!
Let’s go: The Great Highway is closed to vehicle traffic on the weekends between Sloat Blvd. and Lincoln Way. It’s about a 2-mile stretch of wide, paved road with barely any slope. The side closest to the ocean can get a bit sandy at times, but nothing you can’t navigate over. At the northern end, you will hit Golden Gate Park, where ‘Car-Free JFK Drive’ starts.
Advanced riders can continue riding in Golden Gate Park (after donuts, hopefully), but do note that soon after you enter Golden Gate Park it’s a moderate incline uphill. Make it up a few blocks and you will find Golden Gate Park 45th Avenue Playground / Boat Park on your right.