While Mount Wilson's name rings louder than Mount Lowe in the mouths of local mountain bikers, the trail down Mount Wilson is downright difficult on a mountain bike. Tight, exposed singletrack traverses the steep mountainside, turning abruptly in switchbacks that only the craftiest of bike handlers can feasibly navigate. Rock up-and-overs along with burly rock gardens and ledge drops—all with that same mountainside exposure—demand total confidence and control over your mountain bike.

In comparison to Mount Lowe where you can basically just let-er-rip, Mount Wilson is a downhill tech fest that drops to slow speeds despite the massive amount of elevation loss. It's also quite popular with hikers, so be aware of other trail users when the speeds do pick up on the occasional open straight away.

While Mount Wilson is by no means easy, the temptation of over 4,700 feet of sustained descending is a treat too tantalizing for most mountain bikers to pass up!