Top Ten California Singletrack
Introduction
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Brand new trails are popping up all over California faster than Starbucks and most of them are the culmination of years of dedicated trail advocacy and sweaty singletrack construction. Even old stodgy Marin County, home of the original "radar rangers" and $250 tickets, is starting to change for the better.
A good case-in-point is China Camp State Park, a half hour from San Francisco. It's one of the best bike-legal singletrack networks anywhere and extends for about 15 miles, a continuous bliss-out all the way. At Tamarancho Trails, another nearby riding area, there's even a big sign at the entrance that states, "Bicycles MUST stay on the singletrack!" It actually does mean stay off the fire roads.
So let's just get down to it and see what's currently available for visiting hammerheads. Here's my little road-trip scenario for bagging the best California rides in a single two-week period, though realistically you would want to spend a month at the attempt.
Remember to take lots of water, especially in the interior of the state, as most of these rides do not have any water available, even at the trailheads. Always wear a helmet and ride safely. Also, please be courteous to other trail-users because too much is at stake to blow it over a few angry hikers!
For a series of good California State Park maps, click here.
