exploration of San Clemente bike route, Salt Creek Trail

August 10, 2010

0.23 corner of Cristianitos Rd and El Camino Real in San Clemente

I'm going to survey that bike route through San Clemente

WB on Cristianitos

0.37 end of Trestles Bike Path is to my L

0.39 R Ave Del Presidente and enter Orange County

1.14 Ave San Luis Rey to R and a San Clemente State Beach to the L

1.45 L on Ave Calafia at all-way stop

1.50 R on S Ola Vista

2.12 slightly to R to stay on S Ola Vista, to R is W Ave de los Lobos Marinos

that was a five-way intersection and all-way stop

2.29 another slightly confusing intersection, all-way stop, just ever so
slightly L to follow S Ola Vista

2.92 L on Ave Santa Barbara at a four-way stop

3.02 this is a five-way intersection, keep slightly R to enter S Calle
Seville, the road to the L and R is Ave Victoria, Ave Santa Barbara veers
about 45 degrees to the L

cross Ave Del Mar, and this is N Calle Seville

3.25 R on W Ave Palizada

3.37 L on Calle Puente

3.70 Ave del Poniente is on R, and just beyond that, a park [Max Berg Plaza
Park] is to the R

3.80 Ave Aragon LR, and the end of that park

3.85 L on Ave Pelayo

no stop signs in this direction, but there are stop signs on Pelayo

4.02 at a yield sign in this direction, R on to a steet marked as a bike
route, but with no street signs

sign at the next block shows that this is Ave Florencia

4.13 L on Calle Sacramento

4.31 L on Calle Las Bolas

4.39 three-way roundabout, keep slightly L to stay on La Bolas

this actually became Boca de La Playa, probably at the roundabout

4.43 R on Ave Pico

4.48 the official bike route goes L onto Calle Deshecha, but I go SA

4.50 L on El Camino Real

5.57 at Camino Capistrano, I cross the street and enter a separated bike path
on the other side

7.24 Palisades to the R, Beach Rd to the L, I turn L

7.27 I turn R into a bike path next to the beach

7.37 bike path enters Doheny State Beach, and I continue to ride N in the
parking lot

7.61 the high pedestrian bridge over the Coast Hwy is to my R

8.69 R Dana Point Harbor Dr at a traffic light

8.80 L on Pacific Coast Hwy

at St of Copper Lantern, bike lanes begin and the highway becomes divided

9.91 the parts of the highway come together

9.97 I cross the Blue Lantern

the bike lane continues, but there is an asphalt path to my R which would
make a reasonably good bike path

1.57 I turn R into a path which is either golf course access or a bike path
previously surveyed [it is both]

1.63 a side path sharply off to the R which has a striped yellow line down the
middle, and a posted map of Monarch Beach Resort, which I photograph

I turn R to see where it goes

I go through a tunnel [under the Pacific Coast Hwy], and at the other end I
turn L because it's marked as a public trail to the L

I'm riding right along the edge of the beach, which is to my R and about 50
feet below me

2.17 trail crosses a narrow road going down to the beach, I continue on the
other side, it is signed as the Ritz-Carlton Public Beach Access

[the Orange County Bike Map shows this as the end of the trail, as did my
previous description]

2.38 the path narrows here, and this is probably the end

I continue on a narrow path, looking for another outlet

2.44 I come to Jean-Michel Cousteau's Outdoor Learning Center, and this is
still signed as Ritz-Carlton Public Beach Access

2.58 I climb four sets of 6 steps and pass through an unlocked gate to reach a
small street, the trail ends here, and it is still signed as Ritz-Carlton
Public Beach Access

I turn R and almost immediately to my R is a small street marked as Cabrillo
Isle, and this street is signed as Ritz-Carlton

2.66 L on Pacific Coast Hwy at a traffic light

2.91 Ritz-Carlton Dr is to my L, and there is not traffic light

3.26 R into the same path

3.31 I pass the junction where I turned R, and this time I keep L, hoping to
explore the whole path

3.39 golf course entrance to R, public trail SA

3.79 I begin an area of rough surface

3.87 the rough area ends

there is a closure sign on it, but I managed to ride it with care

4.19 apparent street access to my L, I pass under a bridge

4.28 side trail L, I contine roughly SA, although I think L is the main trail

4.34 sure enough, the trail emerges on the sidewalk [Camino Del Avion},
I turn around and go back

4.40 R into the side path

4.49 opening to the street to my L, I turn R to follow the path

numbered posts next to the trail, this is probably some kind of nature walk

5.52 the trail is about to emerge on a street, but I turn very sharp R and go
under the street [Niguel Rd]

just before I reach the tunnel, there is a side path to the R going up to the
street

5.56 through the tunnel

on the other side, the path turns L

5.65 on the L is access to the street, with a curb cut

5.79 T intersection of paths, L apparently goes to the street, I turn R to
keep going up the canyon

all along here, I've been going uphill and there's been a canyon to my R

the trail turns L and there's a little sort of street sign that says
"Anderson", I wonder what it means

I approach a park [Chapparosa Park], and this trail is signed as Salt Creek
Trail

6.62 I enter the parking lot next to a baseball diamond

6.87 R into an obvious trail continuation

7.64 just before coming to a street, the path swerves to the R and goes under
a street, I follow it under the street [Street of Golden Lantern]

7.70 just before I turn L to go through the culvert, I notice an unpaved path
SA that seems to go up to a parking area [for a dog park], I go through the
culvert

7.79 the path emerges on the other side of the street, I turn L and ride on
the sidewalk

7.85 fire station on the other side and a traffic light, I use a pedestrian
signal to cross over here

the fire station is signed as 31461, it's Orange County Fire Station Number 4?

there is a dog park next to the fire station, and that parking area was
parking for the dog park

I continue in the same direction in the bike lane

8.10 first intersection, Beacon Hill to the R, and this is Golden Lantern

0.82 I cross the NB lanes of the Pacific Coast Hwy

0.94 I cross the SB lanes of the Pacific Coast Hwy, which are signed as Del
Prado

1.27 L on Dana Point Harbor Dr

1.59 I pass the entrance to Doheny State Beach, end of this part

[I have lunch on Pacific Coast Hwy]

SB on Pacific Coast Hwy [actually, more nearly EB than SB right here]

2.00 I cross Del Obispo St and Dana Point Harbor Dr

3.36 I cross Palisades and Beach Rd and enter the separated bike path

5.03 Camino Capistrano and end of bike path, I continue in the bike lane

5.97 R on Ave Estacion to follow the San Clemente Coastal Bike Trail

5.97 L to follow Ave Estacion

6.01 L on Calle Deshecha

6.11 L on Ave Pico, and I turn off the bike route her

6.15 R on El Camino Real

9.25 passing San Luis Rey and the San Clemente Bike Shop

9.98 Cristianitos Rd, end of this part

[actually 29.98]