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best trails near ventura, ojai

1K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  JimN 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

So my gf and I are going to visit her parents in ventura, and we are renting bikes to do some riding out there. I'm from chicago, and have no idea where to ride, but it looks like there are a decent amount of trails according to:

http://www.venturacountytrails.org/TrailMaps/MapsHome.html

So my questions is, since we have only 3 days to ride, what are the best trails? I don't want to waste my time with something that isn't fun. Any suggestions? Thanks.
 
#2 ·
One man's ceiling is another man's floor. You'll have to define "fun" and "best trails" as it applies here.

Plenty of riding within a short drive, but where to go depends on what type of riding you're looking for.

How much do you like to climb?

How technical do you want to get?

How far do you want to ride?

How far are you willing to drive to a trailhead?

The map you have listed has many of the highlights listed, but there are lots of options depending on what you're looking for.
 
#3 ·
I guess to be more descriptive, climbing is ok, nothing too technical though, don't want to drive more than an hour, and probably max length of trail would be 20 miles.

I'm looking for just some good single track that I don't have to be an expert to ride. I'm in decent shape, and would consider myself at an intermediate level of riding.
 
#7 ·
Pumptrick said:
Los Robles Trail a blast Thousand Oaks
Sycamore Cyn Newbury Park
Wildwood Canyon
All three are incredible with Sycamore be the widest variety
I agree - these are great choices for the type of riding you describe. Mt. Pinos and Little Pine are more epic than what you seem to want.

I'd probably swap Wildwood Canyon for the Backbone Trail from Kanan to Corral Canyon - that's all singletrack, a bit technical in sections but those are easy to walk, and really nice setting. Just watch out for the poison oak!

And a little bit farther away is the Cheeseboro Canyon area - very popular, lots of different choices for different skill levels. Still only about 45 minutes from Ventura.
 
#9 ·
In order of must do:

1. Sycamore Cyn - can start from Pacific Coast Highway or Newbury Park. Pretty much the same driving distance from Ventura. PCH is the easier option. Newbury Park entrance forces you to climb out of the park on a fairly strenuous incline. Either way, 20 miles is easy to do.

2. Los Robles Trail: start off of Moorpark Rd in Thousand Oaks. It's only about 12-15 miles, depending on whether you add Los Padres Trail, but it's a fun climb followed by a really fun descent.

3. Cheseboro Cyn: park is located in Agoura Hills. Beginner-intermediate technical and cardio. Make sure you take the Sulfur Springs turnoff to hit the singletrack. Plenty of options for 10-20 miles.
 
#10 ·
Upchuck said:
In order of must do:

1. Sycamore Cyn - can start from Pacific Coast Highway or Newbury Park. Pretty much the same driving distance from Ventura. PCH is the easier option. Newbury Park entrance forces you to climb out of the park on a fairly strenuous incline. Either way, 20 miles is easy to do.

2. Los Robles Trail: start off of Moorpark Rd in Thousand Oaks. It's only about 12-15 miles, depending on whether you add Los Padres Trail, but it's a fun climb followed by a really fun descent.

3. Cheseboro Cyn: park is located in Agoura Hills. Beginner-intermediate technical and cardio. Make sure you take the Sulfur Springs turnoff to hit the singletrack. Plenty of options for 10-20 miles.
Can't argue with any of these, they are all fun. For Cheeseboro, you take the Cheseboro exit off the 101 Freeway, go north for around a mile, and park in the parking lot there. You can go up the trail past Sulphur Springs to Shepherd's Flat and back - there are a couple of fun technical spots you get to try both ways. Or you can do a loop where you go left at Shepherd's Flat over to Palo Comado Canyon, take that to the bottom, then go left over the Modelo trail back to the parking lot. For a first time, that's kinda nice because it's a loop and you see more. You can also do a loop the other way, going right at Shepherd's Flat, then right again at the fire road to do the Baleen Wall trail - more climbing, but nice views over the western San Fernando Valley area and some ripping fire road descents.
 
#13 ·
Hey guys-

Actually just returned from CA. We road Rancho del Nido (which was ok) and Gridley/pratt. Had a great time. I'm sure they are not the best trails in the area, but it was my gf's first time out. We had a great time and plan on returning soon. I've taken note of all of your suggestions, and will make sure we try them next time. Thanks!
 
#15 ·
agoura_biker said:
Actually, the canyon is called Cheeseboro (as in cheese) while the road is Cheseboro Road. Obviously some map-makers mistake that they are not the same, but they are not.
I remember when they put in the Cheseboro Rd offramp. The rumor had it the city misspelled the name of the people who originally owned the land.
 
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