Where to Bike, Surf, and Unwind in Huntington Beach

With its all-season sunshine and expanse of Pacific coastline, Huntington Beach has long attracted the greatest athletes in the world to train under its clear skies. For legendary beach volleyball player Jake Gibb, the city’s appeal extends far beyond the court.

The four-time Olympian has made the Southern California beach town his home. As the founder of Spiker Beach Volleyball Club, he’s now committed to keeping Huntington Beach among the world’s elite beach volleyball capitals for generations to come. We spoke with the longtime local about what makes Huntington Beach his favorite place on the planet. From block parties on Main Street to fishing on the weekend with his son, here’s how you can get a taste of what makes this place so special.

Play volleyball at Spiker Beach

Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach

While it’s also called Surf City USA®, Huntington Beach has long been known as one of the world’s prime destinations for beach volleyball. The city has hosted more Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tournaments in the last 25 years than anywhere else in the world.

It’s this reputation that first brought Gibb here in 2002, kicking off a 20-year career. (He went from AVP Most Valuable Player in his rookie season to being the oldest Olympian in the history of the sport in Tokyo at the 2020 Summer Games.)

After hanging up his signature backward hat on the global stage, the athlete realized something was missing in Huntington Beach. When he first moved here, he says, “everyone used to go down to the pier…we’d play all day, and it was just a fun, fun culture.” Some of this energy was lost in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It inspired Gibb to found Spiker Beach Volleyball Club a few miles south of the pier on Newland Street.

There, he and his team help train young athletes on pro-quality courts. The idea is that Huntington Beach will continue to attract new talent for years to come, whether at Spiker Beach or back at the Huntington Pier. To Gibb, it’s sublime. “You come play beach volleyball all day, and right next to the Club, there are fire pits. So, you bring some firewood and have a big campfire, go jump in the ocean. Or, if you’re a surfer, you do that,” he says. “I don’t know how many places in the world it gets that good.”

The Newland Street courts are free and open to the public whenever the club isn’t running its camps or tournaments, so visitors are welcome to drop in and play. Or if you prefer to cheer on the next generation, Spiker Beach hosts the Mountain Pacific League Championship (April 22–23, 2026). The largest junior beach volleyball tournament in the nation, presented by BVCA, takes place May 9–10, 2026. Back at the pier, AVP holds the annual Huntington Beach Open from May 15–17, 2026.

Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach

Attend Huntington Beach festivals

Huntington Beach also has plenty of other festivals to build an itinerary around. This past April, thousands of four-legged friends and those who love them gathered on the beach for what might be the world’s fluffiest festival, Corgi Beach Day.

On October 10, 2026, Surf City USA celebrates an oft-overlooked community and culture with A Great Day in the Stoke. The event is the largest gathering of African-American surfers anywhere in the world.

Go to block parties, dine outdoors, and drink craft beer

Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach

According to Gibb, one of the most beautiful aspects of Huntington Beach is that it offers all of the benefits of its neighboring cities with a laid-back vibe. “I never put a tie on,” he says. “It’s just not my style.”

For a taste of that easygoing, welcoming spirit, the first thing he recommends for any visitor is to head down to Main Street on Tuesdays for Surf City Nights. There, vendors congregate from all over the city to serve Southern California–quality cuisine. Gibb heads straight to the folks at Primecut Taqueria for tacos topped with fried cheese.

When he’s with his family, he also enjoys heading to BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, located a block from Main Street, for their “pizzookie” (a hot, fresh-baked cookie served in a deep-dish skillet and topped with ice cream). For special occasions, the Olympian might relax on the terrace of Jolie, where he can enjoy the city’s best cocktails while wearing a nice pair of jeans and a T-shirt (though a sports coat or sundress couldn’t hurt).

For other culinary excursions, Huntington Beach has quietly become one of the most exciting craft beer destinations in the state. The Surf City USA Barrel Trail makes it easy to taste why.

This self-guided tour connects some of the city’s best taprooms and bottle shops. At Huntington Beach Beer Co., you can enjoy a pint of the house Kölsch on the terrace.

Head to Matter of Craft for a craft bottle shop and bar with a rotating tap list that reflects the best of what Southern California brewers are producing right now. Main Street Wine Company is a friendly, neighborhood favorite with an approachable, well-curated wine list. Whether you’re looking for something more formal or want to keep things casual, you’ll find several worthwhile detours on this trail.

Go fishing, kayaking, and more

Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach

When it comes to outdoor recreation, Gibb cherishes few things more than time fishing with his son at the Santa Ana River Jetties north of Newport Beach. Avid anglers can also set up shop in several places across town, including Huntington Pier and Central Park’s Lake Huntington and Talbert Lake. You can even cast by kayak in Huntington Harbour.

Even if you aren’t fishing, it’s well worth the trip just north of the city’s namesake beach. Home to thousands of residents across its five islands, the Harbour doubles as an aquatic playground.

The tranquil waters are also great for kayaking, even without a rod and reel. Everyday California leads guided tours through the harbor for paddlers—and paddleboarders—of all skill levels. Families in particular enjoy visiting the beaches here, thanks to shallow, protected waters, which make them accessible to kids for swimming. The water is also a few degrees warmer than the Pacific during the summer.

Finally, if you’d rather kick your feet up and enjoy the view, Prince Charters offers tours aboard a vintage wooden boat, where you can pack a picnic, bring along a dozen of your friends, and leave the navigation up to your expert captain.

Bike or roller skate the Huntington Beach Bike Trail

Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach

From pier to harbor or from Main Street to Newland Street, there’s perhaps no better way to travel than with that sea breeze whipping through your hair. Covering the full eight-mile span of the city’s coastline, the Huntington Beach Bike Trail is a coastal greenway for all kinds of riders, with scenic views.

Rent or buy a custom electric or pedal-powered beach cruiser at Huntington Beach Bike Company. Then, see where the day brings you. If you don’t want to commit to the full trail, start with an easy three-mile ride alongside Bolsa Chica State Beach, from Seapoint Street to Warner Avenue. Or rent or custom-order a pair of roller skates from Surf City Skates.

However you roll, stop at one of the many beachside outposts along the trail. Jack’s Beach Concession is perfect for grabbing a cold drink and soaking in the scene. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, Sandy’s Beach Shack serves casual boardwalk fare right on the sand.

Shop independent boutiques and browse local art

Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach

In Huntington Beach, an abundance of independent shops specialize in comfortable and relaxed yet stylish looks. Gibb recommends starting with a stroll through the spectrum of shops and bars that are oceanside at Pacific City.

If you need some beach gear, Jacks’ Surfboards has been a local landmark since opening its first location at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in 1957. And speaking of history, across the street from Jack’s, Huntington Surf & Sport’s flagship location (one of three in the city) contains a Surfer’s Hall of Fame where you can learn about the sport’s most legendary figures as you browse the goods.

For a slightly more eclectic shopping experience, Inretrospect is an expansive second-hand shop just east of Huntington Central Park that rewards curious rummagers with bold vintage looks, memorabilia, and other curiosities. More browsing awaits at the Huntington Beach Art Center, a nonprofit gallery space showcasing the work of local and regional artists through rotating exhibitions and events. Like the city itself, it’s casual, vibrant, and will shed new perspective on what you thought you knew about Southern California.

Hiking and horseback riding through Huntington Central Park

Courtesy of Visit Huntington Beach

For a change of pace from the beach, Huntington Beach also has several bucolic escapes worth adding to your itinerary. Urban Forest is a green, shady retreat in Huntington Central Park that provides an education on Orange County’s natural history, with walking paths that wind through native foliage and old-growth trees.

To dive even deeper into the city’s green spaces, the Huntington Beach Equestrian Center’s horseback rides take you through a surprisingly pastoral side of the city, from the forest to the lake and back, with an optional romantic picnic. It’s yet another reminder that from the beach to the volleyball courts and beyond, there are seemingly a million ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Huntington Beach.

Explore what else the outdoors offers in Huntington Beach by visiting SurfCityUSA.com.