Huntington Beach Bike Trail

I highly recommend starting your trip at this end of the trail. That way, you'll (usually) have a headwind on the first leg of your journey and a tail-wind on the way back. It's also nice to start and end your trip on the Newport Beach end because of the abundance of bike rental businesses, restaurants, and shopping opportunities.
If you want to ride or walk the entire trail, you'll begin at E Street, the southernmost portion of the trail.

As mentioned in the last POI, Newport Beach is a great place for renting bikes, surreys, and other modes of trail transportation. It also makes a great place to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a bodacious snack. As if all that isn't enough, you'll likely enjoy just browsing around, shopping for souvenirs, and savoring the one-of-a-kind shops located here.
The one downside to Newport Beach is the lack of affordable parking. There are a couple all-day parking areas/structures in the $15 range. Hourly and metered parking is quite expensive and often limited to a couple hours. Although free neighborhood may be available on weekdays during the off-season, it's almost non-existent in the peak season and during weekends.
One inexpensive option for renting a bike is from Dale at Back Alley Bikes. Dale offers a cruiser bike rental for $10 for the entire day.
If you are hungry before or after your bike trip, there are a number of great dining options. One restaurant that is less than a block off the trail is Great Mex. It has excellent shrimp tacos and carne asada for a reasonable (comparatively speaking) price. Taco Tuesdays are especially reasonable with specials on most of their scrumptious tacos. This place is definitely a local favorite judging by the daily lines out the door. It ain't fancy, but it sure is good.

This area is an especially nice section of beach that is slightly less crowded than other areas.

This is a great place to stop for souvenir shopping, snacks, lunch, or recreational equipment rentals. If you're not too concerned about starting the trail at the very beginning, this would be a great spot to begin your journey.
Some of the fine dining establishments here include Jake's Corndogs, The Spaghetti Depot, and Charlie's Chili.
It's also fun to stroll out onto the pier for a glimpse of life on the boardwalk. You never know who or what you're going to see.

No this isn't the end of the trail and as long as you have this guide, you're not lost. At this point, you will turn east for less than half a block and then...

... turn left/north onto Seashore Drive. You'll now be going the wrong way on a one-way road, but since you're a trail-user, it's perfectly legal, acceptable, and okey-dokey. You will see arrows, lines, and all kinds of confirmations leading you onward and forward.
You've just navigated the first confusing part of the trail, thanks to this handy-dandy guide.
You're welcome! (-:

... and then left/north on the Pacific Coast Highway (oops, I mean the PCH) to cross over the Santa Ana River. Don't worry, you're not actually on the highway but on a very wide, raised sidewalk beside the highway... and you won't be on it for long.

This is my favorite spot on the trail and not because of the beach views, fantastic food, or excellent shopping.
This is where you can cross under the PCH (finally got it right) and start a fantastic journey on the 29 mile (soon to be over 100 miles) Santa Ana River Trail. But that's a story for another guide, so just keep heading north on the Huntington Beach Bikeway. (Yes, this trail goes by many different names, and I'll use them all in this guide just so you get the idea that they're all one in the same.)

There is both a city beach and a state beach here. There may also be a county and federal beach here also, for all I know. But as far as the trail goes, it doesn't matter. It's just one mighty fine stretch of sand and ocean.
Whatever you choose to call it, and whoever owns it, you'll find plenty to see and do here including lots of food vendors, bike renters, and sun-bathers. Enjoy the sand, sun, and scenery.

All along this stretch of beach, you will find plentiful purveyors of food and fun.
You will die of neither starvation nor boredom here. Hedonists rejoice, for ye have found our Shangri La.

If you leave the trail at any point, this is the point to do it. You'll have to cross the busy PCH (Don't I sound local?) so be careful. But it's worth it.
You'll find some pretty swanky shops and positively delightful restaurants. Enjoy some fish tacos and a tailor-made ice cream sandwich. That's right, you can choose your own cookie and ice cream flavor.
Now that you have that out of your system, get back on the trail. There's beach to explore.

... do the same.
The general rule for staying on the Huntington Beach Bike Trail, to paraphrase the munchkins, is "Follow the yellow-striped path." When in doubt, those yellow dashes will lead you to the promised land.
This spot is no exception. Although it looks like you have two trail choices, you are best to take the high-road, especially if you're on a wheeled vehicle. The lower, unstriped trail is more for walkers, joggers, and beach access.

If you bring your own bicycle, this end of the trail has one very small advantage: It has slightly less expensive parking than in Newport Beach. However, I still recommend starting at the southern end.
If you haven't already gotten your fill of corn dogs, cotton candy, saltwater taffy, fish tacos, ice cream, and other beach food, then you can stuff your face at the Jack In the Box located near this end of the trail. Don't worry, you'll burn off all the calories on the way back.

In addition to Easy Ride Back Alley Bicycles, you will also find numerous rental outlets along the trail. Many of these rental shops rent bikes and a variety of other trailworthy vehicles including surreys, steppers, recumbent trikes, bike trailers, and choppers. It is important to note that surreys (pedal-powered cars somewhat like those driven by the Flintstones w/ slightly better braking systems) are no longer legal to ride on the Newport Beach portion of the trail.

The majority of the rental shops are concentrated in the Newport and Huntington Beach areas, but since that encompasses much of the trail, you should have little problem finding bike rentals once you get to the trail. Unfortunately, the bike rental shops have very little internet presence at this time. I have included the one bike rental web address that I found in this guide.

You'll delight at the sights of this unique and fabulous trail.

It's not called a beach trail for nothing. You will enjoy mile after mile of beach access complete with all the sights and sounds of a day on the ocean.