If you do brave the crowds or find an off-peak time to ride, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful network of intricate singletrack trails climbing high into a set of hills that feels surprisingly remote for being located right on the edge of the city. You’ll quickly forget the hustle and bustle of city life and the press of traffic as you soak in the natural beauty of the untrammeled hills all around you.

With so many trails running in all directions, it’s possible to build loop and ride combinations of many various types here at Santiago Oaks. The route mapped here is one of the more aggressive ride options, with a penchant for the more technical downhills in the area. That said, it’s also possible to construct a ride that focuses more on flowy, XC trails—check the local maps for trail difficulty ratings.

If you do brave the more technical trails, you can expect to encounter classic So Cal loose-over-hardpack conditions, chunky, embedded rocks and rock gardens, rock rolls, and even some respectable drops. Some sections of the more technical trails are actually quite steep for being in a suburban park. Don’t underestimate Santiago Oaks just because it’s right on the edge of town—some of these trails can pack a punch!

Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNPz6vyMDNM http://www.ocparks.com/parks/santiago/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMKDtPhHiBA