The Best Singletrack MTB Gems near Los Angeles, CA

Uncover a wealth of singletrack mountain biking gems hidden in the hills and mountains surrounding the megalopolis of Los Angeles, California.

Greg Heil

Images

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View of the Mount Lowe Railway. Photo: Scrubhiker (USCdyer) via Flickr Creative Commons

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View of the Mount Lowe Railway. Photo: Scrubhiker (USCdyer) via Flickr Creative Commons

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View from the Sam Merrill trail segment. Photo: Scrubhiker (USCdyer) via Flickr Creative Commons

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Dead tress from a wildfire. Photo: Scrubhiker (USCdyer) via Flickr Creative Commons

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Where the Sam Merrill trail meets the Mt. Lowe Trail. Photo: Scrubhiker (USCdyer) via Flickr Creative Commons

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View of Pasadena and the Los Angeles skyline. Photo: Scrubhiker (USCdyer) via Flickr Creative Commons

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Mount Wilson Observatory. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the Mount Wilson Trail. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the Mount Wilson Trail. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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On top of Mount Wilson. Photo: Nauly22 via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the Mount Wilson Trail. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the top of Mount Wilson. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the top of Mount Wilson. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the top of Mount Wilson. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the top of Mount Wilson. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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View from the top of Mount Wilson. Photo: Matthew Dillon via Flickr Creative Commons.

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Turnbull Canyon Sunset waynewhuang

by waynewhuang

Creative Commons: Attribution
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Description

Los Angeles is a sprawling metropolis filled with cars, buildings, and strip malls for miles. With a population of 18.7 million people in the Los Angeles-Long Beach combined statistical area, most outsiders wouldn’t even dream of coming to Los Angeles to mountain bike. But the millions of adventurous people that live here know that despite being such a massive megalopolis, LA has easy access to incredible singletrack trails right on its doorstep!

Los Angeles is confined to a relatively limited geographical area by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the San Gabriel Mountains on the other. The San Gabriels soar to heights over 10,000 feet, rising dramatically from the edge of the city. Most of this mountain range is protected by the Angeles National Forest, the most visited national forest in the United States. The mountain biking opportunities in the Angeles National Forest are abundant! Even closer to home for the locals, the greater LA area—especially Orange County—has a surprising number of fantastic suburban parks chock full of trails for shorter outings.

The origin of mountain biking in Marin County just north of San Francisco combined with the hub of business and culture that is Los Angeles has led to Southern California becoming the de facto headquarters of the mountain bike industry. While the Front Range of Colorado is making a bid as the new industry HQ, the influence of the mountain bike industry on the Southern California scene is strong. The trails teem with riders, races of all types continue to proliferate, and shops and businesses support the continuation of the sport.

While perhaps you might not travel to Los Angeles specifically to mountain bike, if you happen to live in LA or visit with your bike, this guidebook will help you uncover the true mountain biking gems in the region.

Adventures

El Prieto

One of the most popular loops up into the mountains for Los Angeles-area mountain bikers.

Mount Wilson

A steep, technical shuttle run down Mount Wilson of epic proportions.

The Luge

An iconic flow trail that predates the advent of the modern flow trail.

San Juan Trail

Arguably Southern California's most iconic mountain bike ride.

Whiting Ranch

An expansive open space offering connections to other nearby trails.

Santiago Oaks

One of the most popular mountain bike trail systems in Orange County.

Strawberry Peak Loop

A visually-stunning loop around the highest peak on the San Gabriel front range.