The trail (or fire road) to get to Viper Trail and Viper itself are 2 completely different riding experiences. The 4 mile ride up to the trailhead is pretty uneventful but Viper itself is a lot more fun. It's a mostly downhill singletrack ride with a few short climbs along the way. For the most part the trail is not too rough or too loose. Many parts have a sort of sandstone like terrain which can be a little on the loose side. Since there are some short climbs it's more like a roller coaster ride where you can get some serious speed after you get to the top of each "hump" and start your way down.

Viper Trail, Filmed and Rated by Jim Bernstein Review Date: 1/17/2014 Trail Ratings  Fun Factor:  Technical:

You will also come across a few really steep sections where your brakes my not do you much good. They are not too long but long enough to get some serious speed whether you like it or not. For the most part they are rideable but if there has been some decent rain then they can be really rutty making it hard to find a good line. Once you get closer to the bottom it levels out until you get to the last section where you get some technical singletrack right before getting back to the parking lot.

Viper Trail Video

Viper Trail Review

For the most part Viper Trail is a pretty fun ride. The top section is the most fun because you have the faster and steeper sections which equals more fun of course. When we rode Viper it was after some serious rains so there were a lot of ruts to deal with making it more of a challenge to keep the speed up on the descents. As mentioned there are some really steep sections that you either have to just go for or walk down. If you decide to ride your brakes then you are asking for some trouble. These areas were super washed out and we had to walk some parts of them because there were no good lines. Even walking down is a challenge because of how steep it is. We would say that beginners should walk these sections.

The trial loses some excitement near the bottom when it becomes much more level with some minor ups and downs making it more of your typical XC ride. Once you are through this section you will ride a short section of fire road and then need to watch for the singletrack to continue on the left. Then you will go up a short hill and then down for some technical fun terrain. It's not too steep but has some nice turns and rocky sections. The whole trail is 3.5 to 4 miles depending on where you call the end. The trail pretty much dumps you back out at the park and ride on Newhall where you start. Overall it's not a really difficult trail and most riders should be fine on it except for maybe the really steep parts. You also need to look out for hikers and wear your bells to avoid any accidents or dirty looks.

Viper Trail Pictures

Directions to Viper Trail

To get to the park and ride parking lot make your way to the 14 Freeway and exit on Newhall Ave and you will see the park and ride dirt parking lot right off the freeway. If it's during the week it will most likely be full of cars but you can park in the pay lot which is maybe $5 per car for the day. From there you will see a couple of ways to start your ride. The best way is the trail that leads right up from the gate of the pay lot. Just be sure to keep to the left at the fork so you don't go the wrong way. As you climb the fire road you will get to a gate that you can ride around as well. After that you will come across a T in the road where you will make a right. A little ways after this there will be an opening on the left on a bend in the road where Viper starts. It's best to use your phone or bike computer and measure 3.8 miles from the parking lot to make sure you don't miss the trailhead.

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