A great downhill option for riding the San Juan which starts at Blue Jay campground. Continue reading
Blog Archives
San Juan Trail: Up, Around and Down
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. Continue reading
San Juan Upper Loop via Blue Jay Campground
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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Santa Ana River Trail
This ride will give you a great workout even on the way down and features spectacular views of the San Bernardino Forest. With XEN MTB as your mountain biking tour guide, you’ll know when to push hard up those climbs, when take it easy, and when to let go of the brakes and fly!
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Santiago Oaks
Santiago Oaks trails are mostly smooth with great bank turns making them very interesting and fun rides on the way down and totally climbable on the way up. Optionally, more experienced riders can try the more chunky lines. You’ll also get some nice panoramic views of Orange County as well at the top. Continue reading
Tags: anaheim, beginner, creek crossings, cross country, fall, flowy, half day, loop, meadows, OCPARKS, orange, orange county, quarter day, scenic, single tracks, spring, strong beginner, summer, switchbacks, tustin, winter, xc
Santiago Truck Trail
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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Santiago Truck Trail and O’Neill Park Loop
A beautiful ride with great views and the most Oak Trees you’ll likely see in one area of Orange County.
Photos of this route:
http://photos.3fbc.com/Santa_Ana_Mountains/20131129_STT_to_Luge_Plus_ONeill/
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Tags: cross country, fire roads, flowy, half day, intermediate, loop, orange county, scenic, single tracks, spring, switchbacks, winter
Strawberry Peak Loop
A very strenuous and steep climb combined with technical sections and steep cliff edges makes this a rewarding, but very dangerous half-day loop recommended only for those in excellent shape and without a fear of heights. Continue reading
Trabuco to Holy Jim
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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Tags: advanced, cleveland national forest, cliff exposure, creek crossings, cross country, fall, flowy, half day, limited cell service, loop, orange county, out and back, poison oak, rancho santa margarita, remote, rocky, scenic, single tracks, spring, stream crossings, switchbacks, technical, trabuco canyon, winter, xc
Turnbull Canyon
Turnbull Canyon is a popular spot both for mountain bikers and hikers between Whittier and Hacienda Heights. Continue reading
Tags: cross country, fall, fire roads, flowy, half day, intermediate, loop, los angeles county, meadows, scenic, single tracks, spring, strong beginner, winter, xc
Weir Canyon Loop
Tags: beginner, cross country, fall, fire roads, flowy, loop, meadows, orange county, quarter day, scenic, single tracks, smooth, spring, summer, winter
Whiting Ranch > Santiago Truck > Luge > O’Neill Park
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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Whiting Ranch South
This route inside Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park avoids all the trails which were closed due to the 2020 Silverado Fire. Although short on miles, you’ll get plenty of climbing. This route can be extended by starting near the corner of Bake Parkway and Toledo Way in Lake Forest and also be combining it with the Santiago Truck Trail to the Luge ride or the Santiago Truck Trail / O’Neil Park Loop.
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Tags: beginner, cross country, fall, fire roads, loop, orange county, quarter day, scenic, single tracks, spring, summer, winter
Whiting Ranch to the Luge
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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