Explore the best rated trails in Taft, CA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Ojai Valley Trail and Taft Rails to Trails . With more than 3 trails covering 41 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
This is a great trail. We start in Ventura and head up. As long as you pay attention you are fine. The guy behind us took quite a spill on a section of pavement that lifted due to tree roots. We all stopped to check and minis quite a road rash, he was thankfully OK.
Rode the length of the trail from Foster Park, with my wife. We're both in our 70's. While sections of this ride are excellent, what keeps it from being a five star path are a number of factors. In parts, the trail is rough, and needs maintenance. The fairly frequent road crossings as you approach Ojai set this path aside from five star paths that use underpasses or overpasses. Signage is only fair. Not for inexperienced young riders, secondary to the road crossings and rough sections. All that said, for moderately experienced riders, this is a very good ride.
It’s a nice, paved trail but lots of homeless camped along it and have large dogs off leash. Also lots of garbage…Bakersfield needs to clean it up. Also never have seen such a squirrel infestation as their parks have
I have ridden this trail all the way. It is a very good trail,but from Enos Lane to Buena Vista Lake, it needs the tumble weeds cleaned up and from Hwy 119 to Buena Vista Lake all the broken glass and trash cleaned up to bring it up to par.
We have used this trail several times. We have not gone on the entire trail but we have ridden 35 miles. We prefer to go west on it as it is more scenic and there are not any homeless or sketchy areas. If you go east you will encounter many homeless people and the area doesn’t seem safest. We have not been bothered by the homeless, it is just a little uncomfortable seeing some using drugs, as we have a teenage daughter. Overall this trail is well kept. You can tell the city cares deeply about this trail. It’s in our top 10 in the country!
I’ve been riding this trail a couple times a week since I found it. With very few interruptions or vehicle crossings, this is a great trail for settling in and peddling away.
I started at the Foster Park trailhead. At least on a Wednesday afternoon there was plenty of parking under the bridge just before you get to the trailhead. I was on an ebike and it was an easy uphill cruise, with a gentle slope, all the way to Ojai. When reaching Ojai I would recommend turning around at Montgomery Street. Trail gets pretty junky for the few hundred yards after that. Few
I did this ride with my girls, 14 and 10 years of age, —very doable. The incline is slow and gradual so it’s easy to take in the beautiful scenery around. We enjoyed it.
I have been using it for the past three years almost every weekend. I enter the trail off of Mohawk being that I live near by. Going East the landscape is more varied in comparison to going west. Each side has its own type of beauty. The trail is mostly asphalt and very well maintained. I really like the fact that there is no place on the trail for cars to cross so you do not need to stop for traffic. You can ride non-stop the whole 22 miles.
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Parking: The Park at River Walk & Kern River Parkway park
Trail Condition: Excellent wide asphalt pathway. Well maintained.
Signage: No directional route signage. We did have to stop at one location and review our map. Otherwise route is mostly obvious. There is plenty of “rules” signage. Would be a nice improvement to provide directional route signage.
Comments: We rode this in two sections. First starting at the “Park at the River” and riding south to the trail end. This portion of the trail enters the open space/ground water banking area outside of town. The wide trail gets away from traffic and city noise. We spotted roadrunners, a coyote, and lots of other birds and animals along the trail. Every so far are some benches and at one time had some sort of emergency phone system but they are in the process of removing. A number of other cyclists were encountered on the trail, most offered a wave or friendly hi. Back in the urban part of the trail a number of walkers were also on the trail. Obviously a popular trail.
Section two started at Kern River Parkway park and traveled north. Trail remained mostly in good condition. Since this section goes through the main part of the city the scenery is as can be expected with housing, traffic, and shelters in the trees along the river bed. Once passed through the urban setting the trail is a little bit more “country” but isn’t nearly as long as the southern end of the trail. Plenty of folks out enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon on the trail.
Highly recommend the southern portion of the trail.
I walk this path every day. There are two new sections, one at each end so it's much longer than the 1.4. I would like to know the distance myself. There are water fountains that include dog basins. It a nice pleasant walk. Many people bike and or run.
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