Countywide : 2-Mile Segment of Bike Path to Forest Gets the Go-Ahead From Supervisors

They call it the “Forest to the Sea” bike path.

County officials envision that one day, bicyclists will use the route to pedal from South County beaches to the rugged wilderness of Cleveland National Forest.

The county plans to build the path in small sections as funding becomes available, eventually connecting the segments into a continuous path running for more than 20 miles. So far, there are just a few miles of path.

The Board of Supervisors recently voted to move forward with design plans for a two-mile stretch that will run through O’Neill Regional Park and the Rancho Santa Margarita area.

“This is a tiny piece of a long bicycle trail,” said Denton Turner of the Harbors, Beaches and Parks Department.

The county will spend about $16,000 for the design work by Smithgall Associates Inc.

It has not yet been determined when exactly the trail will be ready for riders.

Turner said the segment now being planned follows Trabuco Creek and is filled with vistas of lush parkland, trees and canyons.

It is also fairly close to residential development in the foothill area.