If you are bad at uphill you shouldn’t ride this, because there is alot of up and alot and the same amount of down. The downhill is really smooth and fun, though so if you can do the uphill it’s worth it.
Author: Helen Taylor
St. Joseph’s Open Space Preserve
| Fun | |
| Fitness needed | |
| Skill needed | |
| Duration | 1-2 hours |
| Shuttle needed | No |
| Start at | Los Gatos (in town, near Summit Cycles), or the bottom of the Jones Trailhead |
| Finish at | Where you start! |
For Kids
This trail doesn’t start at St. Joseph’s Open Space. It starts near it. There is optional single track, and the hills are at the start. It’s got quite a fun downhill. If you ride it easily then I’d recommend the single track.
For Adults
Well the kids’ description above is super useful isn’t it? The good news is, there’s only so many places to go at St Joeseph’s so once you are there you can pretty much follow your nose. You can park in central Los Gatos (somewhere near Summit Cycles), or somewhere up towards the Jones Trail entrance.
You can either bike along the flat by the reservoir and then up a steep trail in to St Joseph’s or start from the Jones Trail entrance. This is not a flat ride, and you may find there is some complaining either way.
Either way you will want to make your way up to the outlook at the top, up the Manzanita trail. There are some fun fast downhills on the way down with some nice lips for safe opportunities to get a bit of air. The Serpentine trail downhill is proper singletrack and it quite fun.
Joe’s Trail
| Fun | |
| Fitness needed | |
| Skill needed | |
| Duration | 30 minutes |
| Shuttle needed | No |
| Start at | De Anza Blvd trailhead |
| Finish at | De Anza Blvd trailhead |
For Kids
This trail is flat and easy, and can be ridden by anyone. It is a good place to learn and if you can’t ride it then you’re weird. This trail is also short. It’s a gravel surface. You can also learn tricks on it. It’s not a loop.
For Adults
The easiest trail in this guide! For kids totally new to biking – a completely flat trail alongside the railroad.
There’s only about one train a week. Usually Tuesday or Sunday mornings… (This used to be the main railroad from Santa Cruz and Los Gatos to Palo Alto and San Francisco — the “Mayfield Cutoff” — but is now just used to access the quarry above Cupertino).
Canyon Trail
| Fun | |
| Fitness needed | |
| Skill needed | |
| Duration | 3 hours + car time |
| Shuttle needed | Yes |
| Start at | Monte Bello open space preserve parking lot |
| Finish at | Stevens Creek reservoir - Canyon Picnic area parking |
For Kids
This trail requires car shuttle. It’s a hard trail, so I’d recommend doing the John Nicholas trail first. You can ride down but it has a large uphill so I’d recommend making your Mom or Dad ride back up it.
For Adults
A great option for kids who are confident on a bike but don’t want to have to ride up a hill!
Start at the Monte Bello open space preserve parking on Page Mill Road. Ride the White Oak trail (bearing in mind it can be closed when it’s been wet) then join up with the Canyon trail all the way down Steven’s Canyon.
Don’t go if it’s rained a lot in the previous few days because there’s a ford across Steven’s Creek shortly before the end of the ride, and in extreme rain it’s impassable.
An adult will need to ride back up again to get the car (or do some kind of car shuttle thing).
Kids and adults alike should look out for fun jumps and singletrack diversions on the side of the Canyon Trail. Some of them are officially permitted, others are not.
Golden Gate Bridge
| Fun | |
| Fitness needed | |
| Skill needed | |
| Duration | |
| Shuttle needed | |
| Start at | |
| Finish at |
For Kids
This trail is safe. It has a sidewalk, so you never have to use the road. You can even rent bikes for this purpose. It has some uphill, but not much. Also, it has a ferry to take you back to where you started.
For Adults
An iconic ride! And easy for almost any kids (and grannies). Start at one of the bike rental places near Fisherman’s Wharf, ride along the shore to the bridge and over the bridge. You come down off the bridge, past Fort Baker and then up a small hill before descending into Sausalito for ice-cream! Then jump on a ferry back again with your bikes.
Navigation is easy because you will be following swarms of people. So: what you want to know is — are your kids fit enough for it? Well, first of all, the bike rental places have all forms of bike trailer, seat etc. and will try to discourage your kids from giving it a try solo. If your kids have the stubbornness to squeeze their own bike out of the bike rental places, they’ll definitely have the stubbornness to make it over the bridge. Helen first did it solo at about age six.
And it’s a classic Bay Area thing to do. It’s a must.
There are two hills – first, climbing up to the bridge, and then a second hill after Fort Baker.
Ohlone Bluffs
| Fun | |
| Fitness needed | |
| Skill needed | |
| Duration | 1-3 hours |
| Shuttle needed | No |
| Start at | Wilder Ranch State Park parking |
| Finish at | Wilder Ranch State Park parking |
For Kids
Ohlone Bluffs does not have much climbing but it has a long drive. It’s mostly flat. At Ohlone Bluffs you can see many wild animals including pelicans, seals, and hikers. If you don’t want to do this you’ll have to climb. This trail is the only trail with hikers and without hills. So if you’re a beginner and you go, you’re going to need to to do this.
For Adults
Ohlone Bluffs is a pancake-flat ride along the cliffs above the ocean. It requires no skill, and you can go as far as you want then come back again. With any luck you’ll see pelicans. Make sure you take a look down into each of the (many) coves you go past because there’s a good chance you’ll see seals too.
Avoid windy days! – although the waves can be spectacular.
You can get down into some of the coves too, which are mostly sandy but you may find some rockpools.
You can turn this into a longer loop through the rest of the (incredibly beautiful) Wilder Ranch State Park – but it changes the character of the ride entirely – kids need to be much fitter.