When I bought my road bike, one of the first questions I had was, “How do I find road bike trails and routes near me?”
As a new cyclist, I wanted to find bike-only trails to practice my road bike skills before graduating to busier roads.
So how did I find the road bike trails near me? And, more importantly, how can you find bike trails near you?
Keep reading, and I’ll share some of my favorite resources for finding new bike trails that I hope will help you too.
Let’s dive in.
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Google Bike Maps
My first stop, whether for running or cycling, is Google Maps. It’s an obvious choice, but I like to start out with Google Bike Maps for a general overview of the area I’m in and the bike routes, streets, and paths available.
In Google Maps, if you begin with a specific city, click on ‘layers’ on the map. It’ll expand and give you a ‘biking’ option. This will display trails, dedicated lanes, bicycle-friendly roads, and dirt/ unpaved trails.
If I’m looking for a planned bike route, I can have Google Bike Maps create one for me if I enter a start and endpoint.
I like to follow the bike route through street view, so I have a good idea of what to expect along the way.
Garmin Connect
I also like to use the Garmin app, but this is only truly useful if you’ve got a Garmin bike computer.
With the app, I can search for a route near me or have Garmin create a course.
Garmin’s create a course is easy to use because the app automatically plots a cycling route, with just a few taps. The downside is, I’ve found that it can chart a course on busy, high-traffic roads, but that might not be as much of an issue for you.
Usually, I’ll double-check with Google bike maps and street view if I’m unfamiliar with the area. If you like this Garmin option, follow these instructions to find out how to find and create a biking route near you.
Strava
When I’m traveling to a new city and want to explore it by bike, I like Strava’s Heat Map where I can see the most popular roads and paths taken by local cyclists. (There’s also another option—Strava Local Guides—which lists bike routes completed in select cities.)
If you do use the Heat Map, you’ll remember to filter by the activity type, which is the bike icon for cyclists.
In Strava, much like Garmin, you can plot out your bike route if you’re cycling alone, or have Strava suggest a bike route for you.
Strava’s bike route suggestions combine what you’re looking for in a route (distance, terrain, and hills) with what’s popular in the area.
TrailLink
If I’m looking for information on a bike trail in the United States that’s over a handful of miles, I’ll look at TrailLink.
A search within any U.S. city pops up with nearby bike trails.
And here’s where I can see the bike trail distance, where to park, and how to access the trail.
I particularly like the pictures of the trail (where I may not be able to see with Google Bike Maps) and what type of trail surfaces to expect (dirt, gravel, concrete).
Ride with GPS
For me, Ride with GPS is the simplest way to create a bike route, with turn-by-turn directions.
I like looking at the elevation here along with the directions, so I know what kind of climbs to expect along the way.
And finally, if you want an alternative to Strava’s Heat Maps, Ride with GPS also has public heatmaps you can use to find the most popular bike trails in an area.
Local Bike Store
And don’t forget, your local bike shop (or wherever you’re visiting) has the inside scoop of local bike trails and bike maps.
Whether you’re looking to explore a new city or bust out of your regular bike trails, I hope that these resources—from Google Bike Maps to your local bike shop—can help you find some of the best bike trails near you.
