Mountain biking Guides and Trips

Covington Flats in Joshua Tree National Park is a great place to bike ride.  The dirt roads are seldom used by cars, and the ride back is all downhill. I parked at the where the paved road ends and the dirt road starts at La Contenta Rd.  There is plenty of room in the dirt by the side of the road to park.  The elevation gain is significant, but not too steep except...

This bike ride had two parts:  1. An easy paved trail section good for even beginning bike riders.  2. A steep dirt mountain bike section good only for strong, experience mountain bike riders. The easy paved trails are in the Livermore valley.  All the trails are off streeet, but cross streets ocasionally.  The serious mountain bike riding is in Del Valle Regional Park.  It has many steep hills.  The trails include loose gravel...

This bike ride had 3 distinct parts: 1. The Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail2. Pillar Point Marina and Bluffs3. Bike riding on the Beach The Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail has 3 distinct parts: 1. The paved path that goes through the state park2. The dirt section South of the State Park and North of the Ritz3. The section through the Ritz Carlton property and gold course The paved section that goes through the state park...

Pinkham Canyon Road is a good dirt road for a mountain bike ride.  I actually rode my fat tire bike which made the spots that had soft sand or a bit rocky much easier, but a normal mountain bike will do fine too.  I turned around because I was out of time (you can see in my last pictures the sun is near setting), but you can ride much farther, and if someone...

This is a nice bike ride on dirt levees in Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont.  It is only 6 miles if you just do the Newark Slough Loop Trail.  I rode a lot of the side trails too. Don't do this ride or walk if it has rained recently.  This dirt becomes very soft and sticky mud when wet.  Allow several days for it to dry after it rains, longer if...

This mountain bike ride is 2 different short rides connected by a short bit of road in between.  We parked above Spooner's Cove (just past it on the road) at Montana de Oro State Park and rode the Bluff Trail to the south.  It is only 1.5 miles each way (the last bit of the trail to the end of the road is away from the ocean and very eroded and difficult on a...

This is actually a beach bike ride on a Fat Tire Bike.  It would be tough to do on a mountain bike.  It would make a great walk or two, but the section just north of the Scripps Pier can only be passed at a mid to low tide, and requires some serious rock hoping, so shoes are recomended eventhough it is on the beach. La Jolla Shores has a nice, free, public...

I actually rode my Fat Tire Bike on the beach.  I did pass someone on a mountain bike going the other way.  He saw my fat tires, and said that that is what he needed.  So, it was probably a bit tougher for him on standard mountain bike tires, but it did not look like they sank in the sand much. There is a very big, nice state park parking lot (costs a...

San Lorenzo County Park in King City is a nice place to stop for the night if driving up or down highway 101 to Pismo Beach or somewhere.  They have a nice short trail in the park around the campground and two museums.  You could actually spend a day or two with the museums.  One is on farm equipement, and the other is on irregation equipment.  Part of the trail we bike...

The Warm Springs Trail in Fremont is only 3/4 of a mile long (the first 3/4 mile south of Cushing Parkway) and the rest of this area is closed to the public.  I am a wildlife refuge volunteer that does trash cleanup, so I am authorized to go beyond the public trail.  Park on Northport Loop W on the street because if you park at Lam Research or another company you may...