One of the best flow trails in the nation rests beneath towering trees in Soquel Demonstration Forest

Statistics

1 - 2

hrs

616

m

616

m

6

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

Soquel Demonstration Forest, or "Demo Forest" for short, has long been one of the must-ride trails in California.

In 2015, a new addition to this iconic network was completed: the Flow Trail. The Demo Forest Flow Trail drops about 1,250 vertical feet over the course of 3.75 miles, according to an article on MTBR.com.

"It takes the average rider about 15 minutes to descend the trail with very little pedaling involved," writes Francis Cebedo on MTBR.com.

"The trail is simply that long as the hundreds of berms and undulations never cease to excite and involve the rider.

Unlike most trails with straightaways and mundane parts that rack up the mileage, this trail always undulates up and down an turns left and right with massive berms demanding complete focus from the rider." Like all well-built flow trails, the Demo Forest Flow Trail is accessible to riders of all ability levels.

Beginners and intermediates can roll the tabletops and flow through the berms while advanced riders can air out the tables and rip into the sharp bermed turns.

That said, according to BayAreaRides.com, "if I had to make a comparison with the only other flow trail of this kind currently in existence in the Bay Area, this Flow Trail features a noticeably higher difficulty level and skill requirements than Endor Trail at Camp Tamarancho." "This trail has more aggressive slopes and angles in some of the dips and rises it follows and features several steep ramps clearly meant for catching some serious air," the writer continues. The Flow Trail has become an instant favorite, but unfortunately, this massive popularity in a part of the nation that's home to thousands of mountain bikers means this trail suffers the effects of significant usage, like braking bumps, potholes, and cupped berms.

Local riders continue to work on and maintain the trail to help keep it in good condition, but those maintenance efforts can only go so far. Wear and tear aside, the Demo Forest Flow Trail deserves a spot on your hit list! Sources: http://reviews.mtbr.com/first-segments-of-new-flow-trail-at-soquel-demonstration-state-forest-now-open https://bayarearides.com/rides/demo4/ https://calfire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/downloads/Soquel/SDSF_Brochure.pdf