Mountain Biking - Bay Area - South Bay
- Fort Ord (max singletrack loop)
- Henry Coe (Middle Ridge Loop)
- from Monterey, 68E
Trail Map: BLM map
Video: Trail ride(arinca.csustan.edu)
More info: BLM / Fort Ord Public Lands
Henry Coe (Middle Ridge Loop)
Type: Mix of fireroads and singletrack
Distance: 9.5 mile loop
Location: Near Morgan Hill, CA [Map it]A big drive from SF (2hr), so try to head out early to maximize your time in this mountain biking mecca - you may need it just to make it back to the car before dark. Huge (80,000 acre) park with a variety of routes to choose from. So far, I've only done the popular Middle Ridge Loop, just scratching the surface of the variety of rides possible in this paradise. The narrow singletrack Frog Lake Trail is a treat, offering up views of Middle Ridge and the terrain to come. The singletrack climb from Frog Lake to the top of Middle ridge is a POC, and then it's downhill for miles, one of the best downhills I've ever experienced. Towards the end of this bomb, things get progressively more technical. A group of three of us accumulated a double-digit wipe-out count, the best being when one guy intentionally baled because he thought a huge fallen tree was blocking the path (it wasn't - the trail just turned sharply in front of it). After reaching Poverty Flat, we were running out of time, so we took the most direct route back - the hellish Poverty Flat Road . Time to pay the piper - this road climbs 1400ft in 2 miles. The first part is the steepest - and sandiest - but things really don't let up until you make it back to the Manzanita Point Road, or should I say the infirmary.
Directions from SF:
101S south of San Jose
Exit onto E. Dunne Road (look for Henry Coe State Park signs)
Head east and follow signs (30 min)
Park at park headquartersTrail Map: Lee Dittmann's Official Coe Maps(click Northwestern region for Middle Ridge Loop), Profile(von-kaenel.com)
Photos: Middle Ridge Vista(parks.ca.gov)
More info: Henry W. Coe State Park
MTB.LIVE555 trail info
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(last updated June 2003)
Fort Ord (max singletrack loop)
Type: Mix of fireroads and singletrack
Distance: various loops up to 15 miles
Location: East of Monterey, CA [Map it]With the possible exception of Boggs Mountain, Fort Ord is the furthest ride from SF that is covered on this site. Although there are moments of fun singletrack, the 2+ hour drive is not worth it -- all of the top 10 rides are closer than this. The vegetation here is much like the East Bay - dry, hot, grassy hills. In some places, such as near Toro Creek, the sand is quite loose and makes the going tough. The singletrack of Trail 47 is a definite highlight (pictured above). Recommend this ride if you find yourself near Monterey or Salinas and have some extra time (I escaped from a beat conference in Monterey), otherwise stick to the other, closer top 10 rides.
Recommended loop:
Red denotes singletrack, blue fire road
Directions from SF (~2 hrs):
