On MacLeod Nine

Bike Ride to MacLeod Ale Brewing Company

MacLeod Ale Brewing Company is gaining notoriety for its tasty dark ales, but it's bright green that dominates the scene as you bike towards this beer haven. The 8-mile (round-trip) pedal to the brewery starts from Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area and its 2,000 acres of green parkland, sports fields, and a golf course surrounding Lake Balboa. Leave the park and roll up to the Orange Line Busway Bike Path to connect to the brewery. As its name suggests, the bike path parallels the busline, and a nice long strip of trees en route offers a little seclusion. The lime green bike rack outside MacLeod is a beacon for beer enthusiasts on two wheels. Order a flight of their fine session-style English ales or skip right to an imperial pint. (The current seasonal brown ale and porter should not be missed.) The taproom has the ambience of a British pub. Grab a basket of peanuts and chuck the shells right on the floor or play some darts. After wetting your whistle, pedal back through the park around Lake Balboa, a 26-acre gulp of tranquility in the San Fernando Valley. Ale good!

TIP: Bike rentals are available next to Lake Balboa from Wheel Fun Rentals.

Take the 101 Fwy. to exit 21 in Encino. Drive north on Balboa Blvd. for 0.5 mile and turn left into a parking area just south of the LA River. Use the bike trail along the river to pass under Balboa Blvd. and take the trail north along the park for one block. Turn right on Orange Line Busway Bike Path and go 2.7 miles to Kester Ave. Turn left and make the second right to find the brewery at 14741 Calvert St. in Van Nuys. On the ride back, leave the Orange Line at Woodley Ave. Go south and make the first right to loop back through the park around Lake Balboa. Bike path is dog-friendly. MacLeod Ale Brewing Company is dog-friendly.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Bikers and walkers on the Bay Area Ridge Trail with the Golden Gate Bridge behind them

    National Park City Walk

    See San Francisco the way locals do by hiking the Presidio, a national park right in the city! Wooded trails, secluded beaches, and epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge feature on this 5.5-mile out-and-back on the Bay Area Ridge Trail. It’s a lovely slice of the City by the Bay.

    View
  3. Bucks Up!

    Come on in, the water is beautiful. Whether you like swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddling, or heading out on a bigger boat, Bucks Lake is a high mountain haven that’s easy to access, blissfully uncrowded, and surrounded by sandy beaches, picnic areas, pines, and aspens.

    View
  4. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Bear Hug

    This 5.5-mile loop through Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park explores one of the newest segments of the acclaimed Bay Area Ridge Trail, one redolent with trees ranging from madrone and manzanita to buckeye and blue elderberry (with a bubbly post-hike bonus).

    View
  2. Two kayakers on Upper Klamath Basin on tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures

    Zen & the Art of Kayaking

    It’s the most meditative and relaxing experience you’ll ever have on a kayak. Yes, you read that right, a Zen experience on a kayak. It all happens in beautiful Klamath County when you head out on a guided tour with Sky Lakes Wilderness Adventures.

    View
  3. A Rose in the Pines

    A crackling fire, a bottle of wine, a bubbling Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall … now the big question: Marvin Gaye tunes or not? In the morning (ahem) it's breakfast in bed and a leis

    View
  4. Alex Villicana, Villicana Winery and Re:Find Distillery

    Locals' Feature: Alex Villicana

    Tech booms, AI revolutions, okay that’s all fine, but you wanna know what else is really cool? Being a pioneer in a world-famous industry that—in Paso Robles—remains solidly down to earth. When Alex Villicana established Villicana Winery in 1993, he clearly had grape expectations...

    View