Author: Eddie Taylor

Fun	★★★★★
Fitness needed	★★★★★
Skill needed	★★★★★
Duration	2-3hrs
Shuttle needed	No
Start at	Saratoga Gap parking lot
Finish at	Saratoga Gap parking lot

For Kids

The Saratoga Gap trail is in the Santa Cruz Mountains and has plenty of climbs, downhill, singletrack and more! You will be surrounded by a temperate rainforest, and you will get to a beautiful viewpoint (Turtle Rock) and on most clear days you will even be able to see as far as the ocean. You should definitely use this trail if you want to go somewhere with heaps of singletrack.

For Adults

This is a ride only for experienced, confident kids who have reasonable stamina. It’s a respectable adult ride! Start at the parking lot at the junction of Highway 9 and Highway 35, then immediately cross Highway 9 on the Santa Clara valley side. There are a few fun switchbacks and also a terrific view across the Pescadero Creek basin from Turtle Rock.

Note that the far end of the ride (one of the most fun bits) is closed in the winters to avoid erosion.

If you’ve got this far, this website is not for you any longer, and you should go and check out adult mountain bike guidebooks! Congratulations!

The Steven’s Creek Trail is a trail that goes from Mountain View to a little cafe next to the Bay. There are no climbs or obstacles, but this trail is rather long. Once you get to the end of the trail you can refresh at the cafe with all types of food. You go over bridges, roads, and much more. If you’re looking for a ride that is not in the hills, and you don’t want to do much climbing, this is definitely the ride for you!

For the kids

A short trail that is in Fremont Older, near Saratoga. If you want to ride from Saratoga, you will have a decent climb on the road, up to the trailhead. Then you have a small climb up to a viewpoint (hunter’s point). First, there will be some singletrack with no scary drops to the side, but with TONS of poison oak. There are a few small roots in places but if you’re a beginner, the only thing that will bother you is the climbing. Then you get a bit of fireroad, that has tiny spurts of steepness on it. Once you get to the viewpoint, you will get a stunning view over the whole of silicon valley. You will not be able to see this view if it is foggy or misty. After that, you will have a descent into a valley. This valley has a few switchbacks, and is not amazingly steep. There is no poison oak and there are a few scary drops off the edge. Once you get to the bottom, there will be a climb, becoming less steep the further you go along. Once you get to the top of the climb you will be at the top of the first bit of singletrack. As you know, there are a few roots, and a bunch of poison oak. If you have NOT come from Saratoga, your car should be in the car park at the bottom of the trail. If you came from Saratoga, you have to go down the road over to Saratoga. Once You get there, you should know where your house is.

For the adults

A short but fun loop without a long drive. Go at a quiet time – Fremont Older gets very busy.

Climb up from the parking lot to Hunter’s Point to look at the terrific view (possibly the best view of Silicon Valley from anywhere), and then follow the trail down into the deep valley. The climb back up isn’t too long, and on the whole gets easier as you go up – if the kids can keep pedalling for the first bit, they’ll keep going all the way.

You can extend the ride by adding in the Toyon Trail at the other end of the Fremont Older open space — the other main singletrack loop in the preserve — but it’s got much steeper gradients.