Mountain Biking in the San Francisco Bay Area

Index General Local clubs North Bay San Francisco San Francisco Peninsula & Santa Cruz Mountains   East Bay Hills   Southern Santa Clara Valley Relatively Flat Rides (all areas) Elsewhere in northern California, or (if you insist) southern California

(image courtesy of Mark Hessenflow)

• A description of the "O/T/E" ratings (used to rate many of these trails)
• For more information on these (and other) areas, see: the "Bay Area Ridge Trail", "Bay Area Hiker", "Bay Area Backcountry", "Portola: A guide to the trails of the San Francisco peninsula", the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, "The Trail Center", and "Virtual Parks" (with several VR panoramas from local preserves) (Note that not all of the areas described on these other sites are open to bikes.)
• A list of regional parks that are accessible by public transportation. (Note, however, that not all of these areas are open to bikes, and not all public transportation will accept bikes.)
• "BikeMapDude Productions" sells several Bay Area mountain biking trail maps.
• Too wet to ride off-road? Here is some information about the steepness of some of the local roads
• Upcoming races near San Francisco: from Ron Moles; from "California Sports Marketing"
• The "Groovy Gravity Games" downhill races, near Livermore, March 30, 2003
• "Trips for Kids" provides mountain biking outings for disadvantaged youth in the Bay Area (and elsewhere in the U.S.)
• Identification and treatment of poison oak (present on many Bay Area trails).
• A "San Francisco Chronicle" article about local mountain biking areas (by Marshall Wilson, 1997.08.22)
• "Let's Open the Trails to Mountain Bikers" (by Ted Stroll, "San Francisco Chronicle", June 18, 1999)
• Trail access problems in Marin County:
  • Articles from the "S.F. Chronicle/Examiner": by Jon Carroll (1996.03.20); by Torri Minton (1996.05.08)
  • Three "Farley" cartoons by Phil Frank (from the S.F. Chronicle/Examiner)

• The R.O.M.P. group is active in representing the interests of mountain bikers in the South Bay
• Other Bay Area activism organizations: The Redwood Empire Trail Assistance Group (RETAG), the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin (BTCM), the Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay, Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz, and "Team Wrong Way"
• "Mere Mortals Mountain Biking", Grizzly Peak Cyclists (Berkeley), Diablo Cyclists (Walnut Creek), Santa Rosa Cycling Club, the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, and Single Cyclists have several organized rides (including MTB rides)
• Local high school mountain biking clubs: Berkeley High School

• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Annadel State Park (Santa Rosa) [O7/T8/E9]
• Mountain biking at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (Kenwood)
• The "Northern California Cycling Forum", including local mountain biking
• An organized ride:
  On the first and third Saturday of each month, Rincon Cyclery sponsors a recreational mountain bike ride through Howarth, Spring Lake and Annadel Parks. The ride is suited to the level of those attending, but is intended for beginning to intermediate off-road riders fit enough to ride three hours including uphill off-road. The ride begins at Rincon Cyclery at 9 a.m. and will be led by the owner, Russ McCracken. (4927 Sonoma Highway, Santa Rosa. Phone: 538-0868.)

Napa County

• Eric Apgar's Napa County Mountain Biking page describes several local rides
• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Pacific Union College (Angwin)
• The Oat Hill Mine Road (Calistoga): Reports from Pete Fagerlin, The Ogre's Guide, and "Mountain Bike Bill"
• Mountain biking at Skyline Wilderness Park (Napa): Reports from Pete Fagerlin, The Ogre's Guide, and "Mountain Bike California"

Solano County

• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Mountain biking at Rockville Hills Regional Park (Rockville, off I-80, west of Fairfield)
  (See also Pete Fagerlin's page, with photos and videos, several photos (from "The Ogre's Guide"), and Brett Bymaster's report)

Marin County

• "Marin Trails: Mountain Biking in Marin County"
• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Big Rock Ridge (Novato)
• Mountain biking at China Camp State Park (San Rafael)
  (See also John Blenio's trail map, and Scott Kendall's ride report)
• Point Reyes area
  • A listing of several trails, with maps (from "Cycle Point Reyes")
  • Mountain biking near Tomales Bay State Park (Inverness)
  • The Estero Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore
  • More on mountain biking in this area: from "Mountain Bike California"; from "The Ogre's Guide"
• Mount Tamalpais area
  • Descriptions of several local rides (from "Mountain Bike California")
  • The Pine Mountain Loop (west of Fairfax): descriptions from Keith Flood; Scott Kendall and "Mountain Bike California"
  • The "Repack" trail (where mountain biking began)
    (See also this "Mountain Bike California" description)
  • The "Wagon Wheel" trail (Fairfax): An article from the "San Francisco Chronicle"
  • "The Lakes Ride", including Eldridge Grade (west of Ross)
    (See also Scott Kendall's ride report)
  • Mountain biking at Camp Tamarancho
    (Note: a permit is required to ride here)
  • Mount Tamalpais State Park (official site)
• Mountain biking at Samuel P. Taylor State Park and nearby Bolinas Ridge (Lagunitas)
• Another ride that includes Bolinas Ridge
• Mountain biking at Mt. Burdell Open Space Preserve (Fairfax)
• Mountain biking at Loma Alta Open Space Preserve (Fairfax)
• Marin Headlands (Golden Gate National Recreation Area)
  (See also this article about legal(!) night riding here.)
• Some rides at Angel Island State Park (San Francisco Bay, near Tiburon)
  (See also this description from BTC Marin)
• A list of Marin County Open Space Preserves (Note that none of these preserves allow bikes on singletrack trails :-(
• Rental bikes available at: "Summit Bicycles (1820 4th St., San Rafael, (415)456-4700); "Cycle Point Reyes" (Point Reyes Station)

• Many of these parks (& more) are described on the East Bay Regional Park District page

Contra Costa County

• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Black Diamond Mines Regional Park (near Antioch):
• Mountain biking at Shell Ridge Open Space (Walnut Creek, near Mount Diablo)
• Mount Diablo State Park (east of Walnut Creek)
• Some rides at Briones Regional Park (near Lafayette)
• Los Vaqueros watershed, and Round Valley Regional Preserve (eastern Contra Costa County)
• The Sand Hill bicycle sports park (Brentwood)

Alameda County

• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Mountain biking in Redwood Regional Park (Oakland)
• Mountain biking in Tilden/Wildcat Regional Parks (Berkeley)
• Some rides at Joaquin Miller Park (Oakland hills) [O6/T7/E4]
• Anthony Chabot Regional Park (San Leandro) [O6/T3/E4]
• Mountain biking at Pleasanton Ridge (Pleasanton)
• Lake del Valle (Livermore): photos from "The Ogre's Guide"
• Coyote Hills (Fremont) [O7/T5/E5]

Santa Clara County

• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Alum Rock Park (eastern San Jose) [O6/T4/E3]
• Some rides at Joseph D. Grant County Park (east of San Jose)
  (See also "Greg & Greg's" photos of mountain biking here)

• Alert: Help to create a legal and sustainable mountain biking loop in Golden Gate Park
• "San Francisco Mountain Biking" (includes a map of local trails)
• Rental bikes available at: Adventure Bicycle Company (968 Columbus Ave., (415)771-8735, (888)544-2453); Roaring Mouse Cycles (1352 Irving St., (415)753-6272)

• Current trail conditions for MROSD preserves
• The route of the annual "10k B.A.R.F. ride" (10,000' of climbing on dirt) [O6/T6/E10+]

San Mateo County

• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Some rides at Montara State Beach, which includes Montara Mountain - aka. McNee Ranch
  (See also these maps.)
• Water Dog Lake Park (and the adjoining "John S. Brooks Memorial OSP"; Belmont) [O7/T7/E7]
• Along Skyline Boulevard (highway 35), in the Woodside area:
  • Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP [O7/T7/E8]
  • El Corte de Madera Creek OSP [O9/T9/E7]
• Update on Alpine Road: Its future is still uncertain; the county may abandon it.
• Rental bikes available at: "Summit Bicycles (1111 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame, (650)343-8483); "The Bike Connection" (622 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park, (650)327-3318)

Santa Clara County

• Sections of the Bay Area Ridge Trail accessible by bicycles
• Arastradero Preserve (Palo Alto) [O7/T6/E4]
• Along Skyline Boulevard (highway 35), in the Palo Alto-Saratoga area:
  • Russian Ridge and Coal Creek Open Space Preserves
  • Montebello Open Space Preserve [O7/T4/E8]
  • Upper Stevens Creek County Park [O6/T5/E6-8]
  • Long Ridge and Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserves [O8/T6/E6]
• Stevens Creek Dam and Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (Cupertino) [O7/T7/E5]
• Los Gatos area:
  • El Sereno Open Space Preserve [O3/T2/E4]
  • St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve [O5/T3/E5]
  • Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve [O2/T3/E9]
• Almaden Quicksilver County Park (western San Jose)
  (Some fireroads here are now open to bikes)
• Santa Teresa Park (southern San Jose)
• Rental bikes available at: "Palo Alto Bicycles"; "Garner's Pro Bike Shop" (Palo Alto); "The Bicycle Outfitter" (Los Altos, (650)948-8092); "Summit Bicycles (111 East Main St., Los Gatos, (408)399-9142)
• See also: Santa Clara County Parks (including trails open to bikes)

Santa Cruz County

• Big Basin Redwoods State Park [O7/T2/E5] (including Waddell Creek [O8/T2/E2])
• Wilder Ranch State Park (Santa Cruz) [O8/T6/E6]
• DeLaveaga Park (Santa Cruz)
• Soquel Demo Forest (north of Aptos) [O8/T9/E7]
• The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park (north of Aptos) [O8/T6/E8]
• Some photos of mountain biking in the Santa Cruz area
• Rental bikes available at: "Family Cycling Center", 912 41st Avenue, Santa Cruz - (408)475-3883

• Henry W. Coe State Park (east of Morgan Hill) [O9/T7/E10]
• Pacheco State Park (near San Luis Reservoir) (See also "the Ogre's Guide" report of a ride here)

• The (partially completed) Bay Trail will encircle San Francisco Bay, using low-lying trails
• See also Ron Horii's web page, which describes several flat dirt rides (that can also be ridden on road bikes)

Elsewhere in northern California

Continue down to southern California

Additional trail descriptions are welcome. If you'd like to contribute a trail description, please let me know by emailing "finlayson(at)live(dot)com".

I'll also list the names and addresses of any local bike shops that will rent out mountain bikes to visitors.

Return to the main mountain biking page

Some of these trail descriptions were derived from the USENET Guide to San Francisco Bay Area MTB Trails, ©1994, Doug Landauer

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Last modified date: 2007.11.13
©1995-2007 Ross Finlayson