The Chiquito Trail may seem like a short route down from Blue Jay campground, but don’t let the mileage fool you. And don’t think that just because this a shuttle ride that it’s going to be an easy downhill ride. It’s not! This trail has some of the most Advanced technical features of the entire area.
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This route combines the upper section of the San Juan trail with the Viejo Tie and Chiquito trails. Although only 14 miles, it will feel like double that. This route for Advanced and Expert riders only. Count on 3-4+ hours of riding on 100% single track trails with plenty of rocks and some cliff exposure.
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This ride begins with a flowy singletrack through meadows and pine trees, includes an EPIC level singletrack through oak trees and sycamores and ends with a desert like terrain with jagged rocks, cactus plants and cliff edges over the canyon floor. Continue reading
Maple Springs is the Silverado Canyon gateway to the Santa Ana Mountains. Popular destinations from this entry include the Maple Springs to Four Corners out and back ride, Santiago Peak, and for the ultra long distance riders, connections to Harding Truck Trail, Joplin, and Holy Jim.
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If you’re going all the way to Pine Valley, California you may as well get the most you can out of one day of riding. And that’s why XEN MTB suggests starting Noble Canyon with a gentle ride through the Laguna Meadows. You’ll dodge cow pies on the trail and absorb the beautiful high country views and air.
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If you prefer to earn your downhills, this loop is the way to go for Noble Canyon. It starts with a somewhat steep paved road for five miles with 1,665′ of climbing, followed by five miles of pure bliss down the best parts of Noble Canyon single tracks.
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Whether you ride up San Juan trail or down as a shuttle option, there’s plenty of steady technical riding to be had here. This trail surface is smooth in most parts and extremely fast. The dirt grips amazingly well to your tires,
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For most people, this is the traditional San Juan Trail route. You ride up to “cocktail rock”, then around the upper loop in either direction (each way has its advantages and disadvantages), and then come right back down the way you came. Getting to the rock is the easy part to navigate.
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Please note: This is NOT a shuttle-assisted ride. You start at the top, drop down, climb a hill, go down again and then back up what you started at the end. This cuts about half the climbing of starting from the bottom of the San Juan trail and effectively doubles the climbing of the shuttle-assisted option.
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Santiago Truck Trail to the Luge is a Beginner level ride just outside Foothill Ranch that begins with a moderate single/double track climb, and ends with a very narrow, twisty and fun single track to reward your efforts. It is one of the few places that can also be ridden at night.
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Trabuco Canyon is one of the most beautiful places in the Santa Ana Mountains. The Trabuco Wash ride from the street to the Holy Jim parking area is a great Beginner ride featuring a gentle climb, a lot of it under the canopy of Oak trees.
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The Trabuco trail is a narrow, steep and rocky climb with cliff edges in some parts that is challenging even to the most fit riders.
There’s an optional hike-a-bike short cut (West Horsethief) but XEN MTB recommends doing the whole route. Once at the Main Divide,
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The Trabuco Wash is a fire road that provides access to the Holy Jim area and Trabuco Trail, following the Trabuco Creek the entire way. There is one water crossing on the way up that is usually no more than a foot deep.
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The “grand tour” of the foothills, on this Intermediate level ride covering 20 miles of local terrain, you’ll see everything that the Santiago Truck Trail has to offer, plus Whiting Ranch and O’Neill Regional Parks. There will be plenty of Oak lined trails and if you’re lucky enough to visit here in the winter or spring,
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This is a combination of two areas to ride: Whiting Ranch and the Santiago Truck Trail. Individually, both are great and could be done by themselves for a shorter ride. Together, they make up an endurance-testing combination that will leave you exhausted and thrilled at the same time.
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