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Fort Ord Public Lands Mountain Bike Trail
Monterey, California
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:   |
10 trail reviews |
|
Status: updated 4/14/11 by mtbgreg1 |
Difficulty:  Advanced |
| Length: 18 miles | Global Rank: #391 |
| Tread: Other | Configuration: Network |
| Ridden: 103 | Wishlist: 50 |
| Avg. Speed: 8.27 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 41min |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +766/-795 ft (based on partial GPS data) |
Mountain Bike Trails in the Fort Ord Public Lands Trail System
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Description: Site of the Sea Otter Classic... the race loop is an 18 mile mix of singletrack and forest roads. A trail map is recommended, but hard to find:( Most climbing done on the fireroads, some sweet singletrack can be a little sandy when riding in the valley, there are some other wooded sections of singletrack filled with fun twisting downhill. Gave it a 5 for technicality for some tricky short steep uphills, but overall a great workout with plenty of ups and downs.
added on January 1, 2004 by 
SIMILAR TRAILS
Riders who liked this mountain bike trail also liked:Forest Of Nisene Marks & Soquel Demonstration Forest in Santa Cruz
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by Roxy&Yeti on October 12, 2011
After you get to know this trail system a little bit, it really grows on you. Knowing WHICH trail to go on and in WHAT DIRECTION is absolutely key. Here's my advice: * Park at the Creekside Trailhead where Portola Drive meets Reservation Road (It's on Reservation Road, down a bit). * DO NOT leave the parking lot without a trail map. These trails are complicated and you will get lost without one. * DO NOT leave the parking lot if you don't know what poison oak looks like. It is there and it is abundant, but you can avoid it just like any other obstacle you might avoid as a skilled rider if you know what it looks like. Leaves of three, leave them be! * Do not leave the parking lot without letting a little air out of your best pair of knobby tires. This terrain is extremely sandy and you're going to want good traction. There aren't too many rocks or roots to bang on so don't worry about pinch flats. There are three ways to head out from there. #1 heads east out of the eastern parking lot, don't take this one. It's the cop out trail to come back on after you've been out all day and you finish with the big #41 finale. #30 or "Hobo" trail leaves from the main parking lot. It is a fast ascent and then you can branch off from there. #31 is up the road (beyond the closed gate) a little bit and to the left. Also an OK start and good to branch off from there. * DON'T ride 41 from east to west. This was our first mistake. Everybody said, RIDE #41 (A.K.A "Goat Trail)! But they didn't mention in which direction so we went right to it and suffered. It must be ridden, though, and if you ride it, you must ride it west to east. There is some fiercely fun downhill singletrack that will leave you bombing hard and then whooping with delight around gradual twists and turns. In order to get to the next section of riding (on singletrack, because you could do it on fire roads) you'll need to take Three Sisters Road. Everybody whines a lot about this road because it has three extremely strenuous consecutive uphills, but nothing that can't be cleared with a little determination and hunkering up to the front of your seat. From here: According to the locals #42 should be avoided because it is so technical/washed out. Personally I'm going to give it a try next time just to see what it's all about. #43 is a super fun little whoop-de-doo of gradual descent through beautifully gnarled, twisting trees. From here take a left on Skyline, right on the little dam road (I forget what it's called, it branches off to the right and connects right up with) left on Pilarcitos Canyon Road and up the road a bit you'll come to #49 to your right. The first half of this climb is a very, very steep uphill after which you reach a fun little tabletop rock with a wonderful view that's great for photo ops. From here you can do two things, both of which are awesome: Continue on down #49. Totally sweet gradual, winding singletrack for at least a mile or two. FUN! BETTER: Take a left on Lookout Ridge Road (I want to say it was #13 or 11?) and you'll run into #50. THIS RIDE IS AWESOME!!! But only if you do the southern half from the south to the north. Both #50 and #49 dump out at roughly the same spot. From there you can take 50 UP and #61 OVER and this dumps you out into a whole new wonderland of little trails. Lots to be explored here but I recommend riding up to #68 on Henneken's Ranch Road, Riding that west, then take a right on 67 (very rutted but fun descent) and right again on #69, which is TONS of fun. #61 back (from west to east) is funner than the first time, and #50 back down is tons of fun too (shorter but almost funner than the LONG 50 descent because the curves take a bit of skill and can be squealers at high speed). Unfortunately after that you have to climb back up either the second half of 50 or 49, but both are pretty gradual so it's not a huge killer. No matter what you do, be sure to take #41 back ALL THE WAY. Not only will you avoid another spat with the Three Sisters, you'll enjoy glorious gradual-descent singletrack through open grassy meadows all the way back to #1, which will take you easily back to the parking lot. This ride, as described with a little bit of playing around in the 20s & 30s trail area and a bit of playing around in the 60s/90s/teens area of the old army roads to the north and east added up to about 20 miles of fun, hard work, and an amazing array of different scenery, landscape, and terrain. It can be very sandy and dusty, though, and your fitness will be tested, so bring lots of water! Come back again and again: The exploring never ends. This is our new weekend favorite!
Similar Trail: The closest thing that comes to it would be Maah Daah Hey in ND or maybe Buffalo Creek, CO, kind of. It's definitely got its own thing going on.
reviewed by mtbgreg1 on August 11, 2010
Check out the link below for a comprehensive Fort Ord map: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:MCiWUFLovFUJ:www.blm.gov/ca/pdfs/hollister_pdfs/Trail_Map_Grayscale_August_2006.pdf+Ft.+Ord+trails&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShDrKM4Ujl53siFsjHI-voxQl2IaWkuhkXqBMaSmeA2CfTLGPSysVslqwnPujvR9aH32IsTUtKCHq4ILCgoPzFKuadDM4hOCAgcI1YwRwV3_9vAimd2ZQruSIE1QcloEz-XqUwb&sig=AHIEtbThL0EWK16cIfe9MWG_S_9oyxMBhQ
reviewed by mtbgreg1 on April 24, 2010
Bottom Line Beautifully smooth, flowy, high-speed singletrack descents mixed with a ton of gravel roads. Get addicted to these trails, and keep returning again and again to explore the expansive Fort Ord trail system! For a long, full blown review complete with formatting (can't do that in this box), click here:http://www.gregridestrails.com/2010/04/fort-ord-public-lands-monterey.html
Similar Trail: Buffalo Creek, Colorado
reviewed by damianregalado on November 10, 2009
There really is something for everyone out in Fort Ord. That's where my fiance and I started riding with her very experienced mountain biking father. I agree with all of JimRyan's favorites and also know an alternate name for "The Three Sisters" which is "The Three b****es" watch out lungs, legs and the rest of the nervous system here we go! Another great place is Red Rock but it's extremely difficult to find and once you get there you start to wonder if your health insurance is up to date. You can ride from Marina, CA to Salinas, CA to Monterey, CA. We started at Laguna Secca Race track one day for some Sea Otter Classic training, went through Salinas and ended up in Marina by the "Hidden City"... very cool if you can find it!
Similar Trail: Nothing like it so far this is the best place I've ever ridden due to the diversity of the land and how far it expands.
reviewed by mtrailblazer on December 26, 2008
Fort Ord is filled with a vast network of trails. You can choose to do a short after-work ride, or ride all day long. This is where it all started for me. There is something here for everyone, just do some short research before hand and choose the trails. Highly recommend it!
* Review edited 12/26/2008
reviewed by jimryan on March 30, 2008
The trails vary from very easy to very difficult. There are over 80 miles of trails on Ft Ord. The east side of the fort is known as Creekside Terrace and it marks the trail head and parking for a moderately steep ascent that may challenge beginners. The western side of the fort includes the 8th and Gigling parking area which is a launch point for the "Happy Trails." This area is currently undergoing a state of change. The land ownership is moving from the Army to various government and private entities. The trails are mostly singletrack, mostly level, and mostly forgiving. This is an ideal spot to begin as a new mountain biker or to ride with your family. The middle of Ft Ord includes the more advanced and challenging trails. Favorites include; Trail 50 and 49, The Goat Trail(41), Blair Witch Trail(59), Couch Canyon and Hurl Hill(47) The Grind, Three Sisters and more. * Review edited 3/30/2008* Review edited 3/30/2008
* Review edited 4/20/2009
Similar Trail: Toro, Wilder
reviewed by tmaxx on June 18, 2007
Fun singletrack with climbs rewarded by sweet downhill. Plenty of options for all levels of skill.
Similar Trail: East Garrison in Fort Ord-Happy Trails
reviewed by seaotterlocal on August 12, 2006
All totaled at least 125-150 miles of marked and un marked Trails. Get a map at one of the many trailheads, go explore, get lost and pull out your map to find your way home.
Similar Trail: Wilder Ranch, UCSC network.
reviewed by bensf on July 8, 2006
I have ridden around here, not sure exactly where, but it was in the [url=http://cccx.org/]CCCX[/url] races.
reviewed by Juan_Gear on June 12, 2005
Has everthing if you are willing to look. Did 40+ plus one day by linking the north side. did get a case of poisen oak
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