Best Places to Rollerblade in the US?
 

Hi All~ wondering if anyone in this forum knows of some good rollerblade trails. I can think of Santa Monica/Venice Beach, and Lover's Lane in Monterey. Also our local trail in Avila Valley called the Bob Jones Bike Trail. Anyone.....anyone?

Oh yeah, New York's Central Park. Many miles of roads, closed to traffic on weekends. Can't beat it.

(On weekdays there's a wide lane for bikers/rollerbladers/runners.)

Shining Sea bike path Falmouth, MA (unbelievable!) and Charles Riverbank Boston/Cambridge, MA.

Hey guys/gals~ thanks for the suggestions! Any more specific comments [i.e. level of difficulty, any particular hazards or things to look out for, flat or inclines,particularly pretty views (of what)]? I will start keeping a list of places to rollerblade so I can start skating on my travels :-)

There's a great bike trail from Alexandria VA up past Reagan National airport. It's a terrific area to ride bikes and roller blade and watch the planes and what's happening on the water.

The Strand in Hermosa Beach, CA-- part of a bike/running/blading path extending from Torrance Beach all the way into Venice Beach. In my hometown of Long Beach, the beach bike/running path goes from Naples up to Shoreline Village and the Aquarium of the Pacific. And if you're in Miami Beach, the winding sidewalk along South Beach is popular with leisurely rollerbladers-- and I think it extends up to the "boardwalk" farther up the beach, though I'm not sure.

This is great! LN: I will be going to D.C. with hubby for a conference in March. Now I know I can bring my blades and do that while he is sitting in a convention room......:-)

rjw_lgb_ca: I go down to So. Cal a lot so I will definitely "Do" the strand. Actually, when I was a flight attendant I had a crash pad on Catalina St. in Redondo Beach, and I have ridden bikes and walked down there. For some reason I forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder!

There's a great bike/skate trail at Tahoe. There is a nice section from near Meeks Bay along 89 and down to River Ranch and beyond. Some incline and trail debris from the trees.

Nice thing about the Strand: Great places to stop for a drink or some grub in Redondo (the Pier) and Hermosa (anywhere off of the main drag). So handy!!

In Vermont, the Stowe Recreation Path and the Burlington Bike Path.

Around the lakes in Minneapolis. We are only there for a week or two in the summer but always make sure we rollerblade there everyday. Such a pretty area.

Hi again Slopugs

The path runs past Crystal City, and is right in front of the end of the airport runway by the 14th St bridge and Rt 1. You should enjoy it!!

Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, FL. It got an award from AAA as one of the best roads in the US (only 10 roads in the US received this award). Also, it has the distinction of being the longest uninterrupted sidewalk in the country. It's flat, I think 4-5 miles long, with the beautiful water on one side and gorgeous homes on the other, lined with palm trees. The sidewalk is nice and wide, with plenty of room for bladers, bikers, walkers, and runners. Next time you're in the Tampa area, give it a try!

The trail LN is talking about is the "Mount Vernon Trail" through Alexandria. Search for it on the internet and it has maps that may be helpful for you. It also links to another great DC area trail, called the W&OD trail.

To echo Cali's post - around the chain of city lakes in Minneapolis. After all, Rollerblades were invented in Minneapolis!

Kelley Drive in Philadelphia's Fairmunt Park. During the summer they close off part of Kelley Drive to rollerbladers, bicyclers, etc. on the weekends.

I was so happy to see Bayshore Blvd. already mentioned in Tampa. I live close to the street and it is a great place for rollerblading and biking, walking, etc. I really like it since we have such mild weather in the winter, you can use it all year long. :)

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions! The more details, the better!

Has any one rollerbladed in Chicago? How is the lakeshore trail? Is it fairly flat? Does anyone know of any other trails in Chicago or San Francisco that are good gor skating? We will be staying at the W Hotel Lakeshore near Navy Pier. Does anyone know if the lakeshore trail is easily accessible from its location?

Bayshore is OK. I prefer an asphalt trail. My favorite is north of Tampa on a path that runs along the Withlachoochee River. It's an old railroad track that was converted to a biking/blading path. And there's a stop at a country store called Makin' Bacon. Buy a pepsi and a slab of ribs!

Also, Ft. De Soto Park in St. Petersburg has a path that starts near the old fort, runs along the Gulf, into the campgrounds, up to the marina, then back out to the Gulf.