Your Guide to the Rio Hondo Bike Path — Starting Right Here in South Gate

If you live in South Gate and you haven’t explored the Rio Hondo Bike Path yet, you’re sitting on one of the best-kept secrets in the Southeast LA area. It starts practically in your backyard — the southern trailhead is right here in South Gate, where the Rio Hondo meets the Los Angeles River near Hollydale Regional Park on Monroe Ave — and from there it stretches nearly 18 miles north all the way to Peck Road Water Conservation Park in El Monte.

Whether you’re a weekend cyclist putting in long miles, a runner looking for a flat and mostly car-free route, or a parent looking for somewhere to take the kids on bikes without worrying about traffic, the Rio Hondo path has something for everyone. Let’s break it all down.

What Is the Rio Hondo Bike Path?

The Rio Hondo Bike Path (also called the Rio Hondo Cycleway or Rio Hondo River Trail) is a paved, multi-use path that runs parallel to the Rio Hondo channel through the San Gabriel Valley. According to AllTrails, the full route covers 18.1 miles with an elevation gain of under 500 feet — which makes it approachable for all fitness levels, including families and casual riders.

The path is open year-round to cyclists, runners, walkers, and leashed dogs. Per the official LA County trail page, the northern trailhead starts at Peck Road Water Conservation Park in El Monte, follows the channel south through the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, and connects to the LA River path at the confluence in South Gate. While the route passes through a mix of urban and semi-natural landscapes, it links up with some genuinely nice parks and green spaces along the way.

Rear view of a person cycling away on a white bike along a sunny paved path with tall grass and railing in the background.

Fun fact: “Rio Hondo” means “deep river” in Spanish — though the channel itself is more concrete than canyon these days.

Starting in South Gate: Your Local Entry Point

The closest access point to Nova Storage’s neighborhood is Hollydale Regional Park at 5400 Monroe Ave, South Gate. This is your home base. The park itself is worth a visit on its own — it has picnic areas, tennis courts, basketball courts, a dog park with an agility course, and horse-riding space. It’s also where the Rio Hondo meets the LA River, so you can connect south onto the LA River Greenway, which runs all the way down to Long Beach near the Pacific Ocean if you really want to make a day of it.

A couple rides bicycles along a sunlit country path with trees and tall grass on both sides, smiling and wearing casual summer clothes.

From Hollydale, heading north on the Rio Hondo path takes you through:

Bell Gardens and Downey — both right in Nova Storage’s service area
Pico Rivera and Montebello
Whittier Narrows Recreation Area — a great midpoint stop with lakes, open green space, and a connection to the San Gabriel River Trail
El Monte — the northern end at Peck Road Water Conservation Park, with parking, restrooms, and shaded picnic tables

As TrailLink notes, several neighborhood parks along the way offer great spots to stop, picnic, or take a break — including Crawford Park and Treasure Island Park in Downey, John Anson Ford Park in Bell Gardens, and Grant Rea Park in Montebello. The full one-way distance is about 17–18 miles. Most riders doing the full round trip budget 3–4 hours, but plenty of locals just do a shorter out-and-back — even a few miles makes for a solid afternoon.

Tips for Making the Most of Your Ride

Go early on weekends. The South Gate section can get busy on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Mid-morning on a weekday is about as peaceful as it gets.

Bring water. There are limited water stops along the route, especially in the middle sections. Pack more than you think you’ll need, particularly in summer when South Gate temps can push into the 90s.

Watch for underpasses. A few spots under bridges have had issues with unhoused encampments and odor — this is pretty common on LA County river paths. It’s generally safe, but just something to be aware of if you’re bringing young kids.

Connect to the LA River Trail at the south end. If you want to extend your ride toward Long Beach, the LA River Greenway picks up right where the Rio Hondo ends in South Gate, heading south toward Compton and beyond.

Dogs are welcome (on leash). If you’re a dog owner, the Hollydale Regional Park dog park right at the trailhead is a nice warmup spot before you hit the path.

What to Bring for a Day on the Trail

For shorter rides (under 2 hours):

Water bottle or hydration pack
Sunscreen (no shade on most of the path)
Bike helmet
Phone/GPS — AllTrails and the Trailforks app both have the route mapped

For longer rides or all-day adventures:

Extra water (at least 2 liters)
Snacks or a packed lunch
Patch kit and a small pump
A light layer for the ride home if you’re going out in the morning

Cyclist wearing a helmet rides a paved bike path between golden fields on the left and green trees on the right under a clear blue sky.

Where to Store Your Gear Between Rides

Here’s the thing about bikes, scooters, and outdoor gear — they take up a lot of space, and if you’re in an apartment or a smaller home in South Gate, storage can get tight fast. A lot of locals end up with bikes parked in the hallway, scooters blocking the laundry room, or a garage so packed with gear that the car doesn’t fit anymore.

That’s where we come in.

Nova Storage in South Gate is located at 5951 Firestone Blvd, less than a mile from the 710 Freeway and just a short ride from the Rio Hondo trailhead. We offer a range of unit sizes — including drive-up units that make hauling gear in and out a breeze — so you can keep your bikes, scooters, camping equipment, golf clubs, and other outdoor gear organized and out of the way until your next adventure.

Drive-up storage is especially handy for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts: pull up, pop the unit open, load or unload without navigating hallways. If you want even more peace of mind for higher-value items like e-bikes or quality road bikes, our climate-controlled units keep heat and humidity from taking a toll on components over time.

We’re locally owned and operated, our units are individually alarmed, and we have 24/7 video surveillance and gated access. Month-to-month rentals mean you’re never locked in.

Whether you’re storing a single bike or an entire family’s worth of outdoor gear, we’d love to help you free up some space at home so the only thing you’re thinking about on your next ride is how far you want to go.

Nova Storage – South Gate 5951 Firestone Boulevard,
South Gate, CA 90280
(562) 928-4800
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Derek Hines Digital Marketing Specialist

Derek Hines is part of the Digital Marketing team at West Coast Self-Storage. He writes extensively on storage, moving, organization, and similar topics.