Great Southern California Mountain Bike Rides

Living in Southern California allows you to do summer like outdoor activities pretty much all year round. And this is great if you are an avid mountain biker. If you live in the Ventura County or Los Angeles County areas then you know how many mountain bike trails you have at your disposal. Sure they may not be as exciting or scenic as trails you would see in the mountains or other states such as Washington or Colorado but when it comes to convenience and variety you can't beat them.

In this article we will discuss some of the best trails in the Ventura and LA County areas so you can go out and try something new if you have been looking for some different rides to do. Keep in mind that there are different types of rides and not everyone may be interested in the best downhill trails in the area so we will discuss different types of trails.

Let's start by talking about the Backbone Trail system. The Backbone Trail stretches over 65 miles from Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades to Point Mugu State Park and offers a variety or riding conditions from smooth rolling singletrack to steeper rocky downhill sections. One good thing about the Backbone trail is that you can ride various sections since it has many road crossings so you don't have to try and do it all at once. One of the best sections is the part that goes from Etz Meloy Mtwy to Encinal Canyon Rd near Malibu. It has sweeping smooth turns with banked berms and is a lot of fun to ride down and not too difficult to ride up.

You can find reviews of many parts of the Backbone Trail on our trail review page.

If you are near Simi Valley and want something a little challenging and technical then you should check out the Chumash Trail. It's only about 3 miles long but makes for some good exercise if you climb it and then its real fun coming down. It starts out pretty rocky and then starts to smooth out and get faster on the way down. If you want to extend the ride you can do it as a loop and include the Las Llajas Canyon Trail and connect to the Rocky Peak fire road.

For something a little more relaxing and less challenging you can take a ride in Sycamore Canyon and branch off on some of the various trails in the area. Sycamore Canyon starts off in Newbury Park and has a wide trail that will take you all the way to the beach off of PCH. It's a very easy ride except for the ride up the blacktop road back to Newbury Park which will get your heart rate going. It's not too long or too steep but on a hot day it can wear you out if you are not in shape. If you want to add some excitement or extra cardio to your ride you can branch off and ride some of the other trails such as Backbone or Guadalasca. And if you like riding up hills then give Hell Hill a try to feel the burn.

For a similar riding experience in Santa Clarita check out the Los Pinetos Trail. To get to the trail you will need to do some fire road riding and then get a fun 2.3 downhill singletrack thrill ride as a reward for all your climbing efforts. Just avoid it during the weekend since it will be full of hikers.

For a nice loop ride that has a little of everything check out the Rosewood to Space Mountain loop in Thousand Oaks. This ride offers some nice climbing, technical rocky downhill sections and even a little fire road riding if you are into that. You can do the loop in both directions to mix it up and get 2 different rides out of it.

For the downhill fun you will have to do a little driving since there is nothing too close by except for maybe some short lesser known trails. For unofficial downhill trails check out Mount Wilson in Pasadena which is a rocky technical run that will challenge your balance and your bike's suspension. There are multiple runs that you can take and also a shuttle service that will take you and your bike to the top so you don't have to worry about it. Pricing varies depending on what run you do but the main run is $15 per person.

If you are near the Frazier Park area then Mt. Pinos will give you show you a good time as well. It's a 9 mile run starting at 8000 feet and is smoother and faster than Mt. Wilson but not quite as exciting. There is a road that will take you from the bottom to the top so it's possible to do your own shuttling. Just avoid it during hunting season and winter when there will be snow.

If you are closer to Santa Barbara then you can check out the Tunnel Trail, Cold Spring Trail and San Ysidro Trail for some rocky downhill fun. These trails are very technical so make sure to bring the right kind of bike and the right kind of protection.

For the ultimate downhill experience check out the Snow Summit bike park in Big Bear Lake and the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park in Mammoth Lakes. These areas offer ski lift service to the top of the mountain as well as custom made downhill trails with jumps, drops and other obstacles. There is also some cross country riding in the area if you want to mix it up a little.

Keep in mind that these are just a few examples of some of the great trails we have in the area so be sure to check out our trail review page for additional trail reviews, photos, videos, maps and directions.

Posted by Preston Mason