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Level: Advanced
Length: 10 mi (16.1 km)
Surface: Singletrack
Configuration: Network
Elevation: +711/ -927 ft
Total: 86 riders
Mountain Biking The Goat Trails
#109 of 1,005 mountain bike trails in California
Sitting at the eastern base of the San Jacinto Mountains, the Goat Trails of Palm Springs offer a plethora of singletrack that varies from swooping flowing gradual downhill to gnarly exposed, steep and loose technical goodness It is pretty much a pick your poison kind of place, as long as your poison includes rocks and some pretty awesome views from narrow single track. According to which way you go you can log somewhere between 7 and 14 miles, you certainly feel like you went further than you actually did.
First added by lgerber on Apr 25, 2008. Last updated Apr 28, 2020. → add an update
Before you go
- Drinking water: unknown
- Lift service: unknown
- Night riding: unknown
- Pump track: unknown
- Restrooms: unknown
- Fat bike grooming: unknown
- E-bikes allowed: unknown
- Fee required: unknown
This trail information is user-generated. Help improve this information by suggesting a correction.
From the San Diego Area - Head North on the I-15 and take the CA-79 South exit when coming into Temecula. Take CA-79 South (its actually more like east) 17.8 miles to the CA-371. Turn left (North) onto CA-371 and take it for 20.7 miles. to CA-74. Turn right onto CA-74 and take it east 24.2 miles down to Palm Desert. Turn left onto CA-111 (East Palm Canyon Drive) and take it for 8.1 miles to the Rimrock Shopping Center (Vons) at 4733 East Palm Canyon Drive which at the intersection with the Gene Autry Trail.
I should of followed Zachary's advice. I didn't know where to go but I eventually found lot's of singletracks.
| ThankAn amazing network of singletrack trails, shooting-off in all directions. Thanks to popular Jeep Tours in the 1990s - many trailbuilders took advantage of the access road and carved-out sweet trails, appealing to all skill levels.
For first-timers - park in the Von's Rimrock Shopping Center, and head uphill past the gate. Continue past the two water towers and sweat up 230 vertical feet of steep, 18% grade hill. Continue following the sometimes steep, decomposed Jeep road until reaching the T-junction saddle known as the "Rock Man."(mile 2.35) Go left at the T and take your first visible left, which snakes alongside the Jeep road, later depositing you back on it. Make a right back on the Jeep trail and follow the first right fork you see, continuing to more swoopy singletrack. When going back down on the main Jeep road - take the first left trail sweeper and follow it straight until meeting the Jeep trail once again. Immediately merge left back onto the narrow trail and bear right, before cresting a short hill. After descending, you'll quickly see an "X" crossing and stay far right of it.
By now, you are heading down the way you came up earlier. Look for a straddling trail, next to the left of the Jeep road and take it until it drops-in(left) to more DH singletrack. Keep bearing right and soon the back of the water towers will be in view. Follow to the right and descend back on the Jeep road, at the open chainlink fence. Go left back to the car.
The great thing about the Goat Trails is the Jeep road interconnects all the trail offshoots....meaning it's hard to get lost, once you get your bearings(Highway III) established.
Short, punchy and lots of intense intervals, means you can get super-fit, riding these regularly!
| Thank3 stars, not 2, because I was on a crappy rental instead of my dialed in beast...so that may have biased me.
Don't waste your time seeking out this trail as a destination. If you're in town for a conference, and Jonesing for a ride close by (as I was) then hit it up early early in the morning. This trail goes from brutal climb, to boring, to fun single track to death defying downhill with little warning. All this on loose hard pack with very little grip. Sounds fun? The bottom line is...the few miles of interspersed sections worth riding are worth getting to or dealing with the rest. Plan your schedule better and drive out well into the San Jacinto mountains or somewhere else in So Cal for a better ride.
| ThankThis has to be one of my favorite places to ride. So much singletrack to explore. Some semi technical trails with good flow. A lot of short but steep climbs in areas. Great fun overall. Very hot in the summer unless you get out very earlier, great in the winter
| ThankAfter riding all over NoCal, Oregon, the scenery is let's say...different. Having said that the trails are definitely fun! All trails loop back so you can tailor the ride as you see fit!
| ThankBRUTAL CLIMB getting in on a service road, but worth it when you're done. There's a lot of trail to ride and explore out here with some nice technical singletrack. There's great views from almost any section of the trail and you'll find a few little look outs to take a breather from all the climbing. It's a little confusing as there are NO signs anywhere but it seemed like I was getting dumped out in the same area. Oh yeah, bring water, water, and more water cause it's hot and the TH is far away.
| ThankThis was a fun singletrack trail to hot to ride in the summer nice winter trail
| ThankGood Overview of Trail System.
http://www.mountainbikebill.com/PalmSpringsGoatTrails.htm
You can really have fun out here on everything to skinny single track, rock garden, double track, fire road, and some big drops if you look. It's a vast system of trails.
| Thank