Biking Coronado Silver Strand
Coronado is an independent city set across the bay from downtown San Diego. This is one of the best places for biking in the region. This is a 15-mile bike ride down the Silver Strand.
Coronado is an independent city of about 20,000 that is right by downtown San Diego and the airport. The city is pretty much an island, except for the small strip of land that connects the city to Imperial Beach 10 miles to the south. This strip of land is known as the Silver Strand.
The Silver Strand runs about 7 miles from downtown Coronado south to the city of Imperial Beach. This bike ride starts near the Hotel del Coronado and goes to the end of San Diego Bay at the start of Imperial Beach.
The entire Silver Strand Bikeway is a trail of 12-miles from Ferry Landing in Coronado to Interstate 5 near Chula Vista. This route only includes the 7.5 portion down the Silver Strand.
This route is entirely on dedicated bike paths, so it is great to do with kids. The route goes back the way you came so if you start getting tired you can turn around at any point. Obviously, you can also start from the south end in Imperial Beach.
The Silver Strand is a narrow spit of land with the ocean on one side and San Diego Bay on the other side. Being at sea-level, the ride is flat. However, there can be strong breezes that make riding challenging if you go into a headwind.
There is usually free parking to be found in the area near the Hotel del Coronado. This can be on side streets or at the start of the strand by Coronado City Hall. Even on busy weekends we have never had to much of a problem finding free parking.
There are several places to rent bikes on Coronado, including by the Hotel del and the intersection of Orange and Dana. Note full-day bike rentals can be included with a Go San Diego Pass. You can find more information on this pass here.
This route officially starts at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Pomona Avenue in front of the Hotel del Coronado. This is where Orange become Silver Strand Boulevard.
The first part of the route goes along Glorietta Bay by City Hall and the Coronado Community Center. This is a popular recreation area for sail boats, kayaks and paddle boards.
On the left, at the end of Glorietta Bay is the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. This is headquarters for the elite Navy Seals.
Past the Naval base the bike trail runs parallel to Silver Strand Blvd on the San Diego Bay side.
About 2/3 of the way down the strand is Silver Strand State Beach. This beach is on both the ocean and bay side. Three pedestrian tunnels allow visitors to Silver Strand State Beach to cross under Highway 75 from the ocean to the bay side.
On the left, right past Silver Strand Beach is the upscale community of Coronado Cays. This community sits out in San Diego Bay. It is known for its canals which even have gondola rides. Coronado Cays is home to the luxurious Loews Coronado Bay Resort.
At the end of the Silver Strand is the massive new Silver Strand Training Complex. This 450-acre complex is used for training U.S. special forces, including Navy Seals.
Past the training complex the San Diego Bay ends. The Silver Strand Bikeway curves inland along the northern end of Imperial Beach and the southern tip of the bay. The turn around point is around 7th street where a short trail heads into Imperial Beach.
At this point the route has gone about 7.5 miles. The route back makes this a 15-mile ride. The Silver Strand Bikeway goes another two miles until it reaches Interstate 5.
To make a 20-mile bike road that goes through all of Coronado, combine this route with the 5 mile-loop around the heart of the city.
There is also a 24-mile bike ride that goes around all of San Diego Bay. However, a good portion of this route is still on roads. The plan is to make the full loop on dedicated bike paths but that is a work in progress. You can find full information here.
There are several places to stop along the trail and enjoy the view. There are several signs discussing the history of the area and the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge which includes most of the southern end of the bay.
Overall, the ride down Silver Strand is one of the best family bike rides in San Diego. It is a long ride, but it is flat and there is no need to worry about traffic. With San Diego’s temperate climate this ride can be done year-round.
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