Mountain Biking
MTB New Trails, Bike Clubs, Races
With a variety of terrains & scenery, California has an abundance of areas to ride bikes off road. Mountain biking was supposedly born in California between 1970-80’s (Marin County to be exact) and therefore, it is a very popular activity in the golden state. History of Mountain Biking
California biking clubs: social, hobby or hard core! From beginner to advanced, you’ll find a new trails on here.
Many alpine snow ski centers become mountain bike havens in the summer months. They shuttle you up on their ski lifts and then you get an exhilarating downhill.
places NOT to ride:
- Limited use inside National Parks
- No bikes on Wilderness Lands
- On top of natural land bridges
- On mortero rocks, or ancient lava flows
- Along train tracks
- Ghost towns or old mines
California National Forests
San Bernardino
Shasta-Trinity
Mendocino
Los Padres
Six Rivers
Stanislaus
Cleveland
El Dorado
Klamath
Angeles
Sequoia
Toiyabe
Plumas
Lassen
Modoc
Sierra
Tahoe
Inyo
Mountain biking near the Grandview Mine in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, overlooking the Eastern Sierra
Real Maps: the best trail maps around are HARD COPIES = Tom Harrison Maps – water & tear resistant plastic topo maps
small towns for mountain biking:
Downieville
Tahoe
Angels Camp
Idyllwild
Sierraville
June Lake
Garberville
Weaverville
Bridgeport
Borrego Springs
Kernville
Chester
Markleeville
Sonora
Ponderosa
Mariposa
Santa Barbara
Santa Ynez
Arroyo Grande
Outdoor recreation mecca – MOAB has so many locations to ride; from secluded dirt roads, to red rock canyons, slickrock faces, to upper elevation aspen groves in the La Sal mountains. Moab is a very popular destination, so make your reservations early. Or just grab a good maps and pitch a tent on any dirt road (and sleep for free).
Mountain Bike Tours / Guides
Gravity Activated Sports
Palomar Plunge
16220 Hwy 76
PO Box 683
Pauma Valley, CA 92061
800-985-4427
619-742-2294
Marin Mountain Bike Tours
415 387-1486
Rock Industries Unlimited, Inc.
PO Box 5081
Norco, CA 92860-5081
714-448-6075
Santa Barbara Adventure Co.
PO Box 208
Santa Barbara CA 93102
888-596-6687
805-882-2096
Stoked SF
San Francisco Bay Area
519 Nevada Street
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-515-8692
California Bicycle Coalition
– transportation & recreation
Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association
multi-use trails in Santa Monica Mountains
East Bay Bicycle Coalition – transportation & recreation
International Mountain Biking Association
Pasadena Mountain Bike Club (?)
San Gabriel Mountains
San Diego Mountain Biking Association
SHARE Mountain Bike Club
– Orange County Biking Club
Silicone Valley Mountain Bikers
– San Mateo & Santa Clara counties
Southern California Mountain Biking– mountain bike club
Big Bear Lake
Snow Summit Ski area
909-866-4565
Open to mountain biking with chair lift
Snow Valley
909- 867-2751
Running Springs, CA 92382
Ppen to mountain biking from Memorial Day to Labor Day
San Bernardino National Forest
Miles of forest roads around Big Bear Lake & most all trails allow mountain bikes. “Rim of the World Drive” Fawnskin and Holcomb Valley with a network of dirt roads.
Borrego Springs
The Palms at Indian Head
Mountain Bike Rentals @ Hotel
Gold Country
East Bullards Bar Trail, near Yuba City & Lake Oroville
Folsom-Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition (FATRAC) – group of volunteers educating riders and building trails. They maintain trails and have weekly rides in the area.
North Mojave Desert
Randsburg (Mining Camp)
Ridgecrest
Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Mountain
Alabama Hills Eastern Sierra, Lone Pine, CA
June Lake dirt back roads
Inyo National Forest
San Diego
Rancho Cuyamaca on Hwy. 79 @ S-1 jct
Cleveland National Forest
San Francisco
Bay Area Ridge Trail
multi-use trail overlooking the San Francisco Bay
