Top 10 Places to Mountain Bike in the Santa Cruz Mountains

The Santa Cruz Mountains are a mountain biker’s dream: towering redwoods, coastal bluffs, rolling grasslands, technical singletrack, flowing descents, and trails that seem to offer a completely different experience around every corner. From beginner-friendly rides near the coast to legendary technical terrain deep in the forest, there is a ride here for nearly every level. Santa Cruz Trails

Here are 10 places worth putting on your Santa Cruz mountain biking list.

1. Wilder Ranch State Park

If you want quintessential Santa Cruz mountain biking, start here.

Wilder Ranch combines coastal riding with rolling grasslands, redwood-lined drainages, historic ranchland, and spectacular views of the Pacific. The park offers miles of fire roads and singletrack, including the popular Wilder Ridge Loop and Enchanted Loop. Santa Cruz Trails

For MTB Girls Ride Club, Wilder Ranch is especially special because it brings together everything we love about riding: beautiful scenery, varied terrain, skill development, community, and the opportunity to slow down and appreciate where we are.

And on Saturday, October 10, that’s exactly what we’re doing.

2. Soquel Demonstration State Forest

Locally known simply as “Demo,” Soquel Demonstration State Forest is legendary.

This is where you’ll find the famous Flow Trail, along with technical favorites such as Sawpit and Braille. The forest offers long climbs, challenging descents, berms, rollers, jumps, and natural technical terrain. CAL FIRE describes advanced mountain biking terrain throughout the forest and specifically recommends Flow Trail and Sawpit for downhill traffic. CAL FIRE

It’s a destination for riders who want to push their skills and experience some of the most iconic mountain biking in Northern California.

3. Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

Nisene Marks takes you deep into the redwoods.

The park contains more than 30 miles of trails, although bikes are restricted to designated routes, including Aptos Creek Fire Road and a smaller network of lower-park singletrack. Stronger riders can use Aptos Creek Fire Road to climb toward the Soquel Demo Forest trail system. Santa Cruz Trails

For a quieter, more forested experience, it’s hard to beat the feeling of pedaling beneath enormous redwoods with Aptos Creek nearby.

4. Pogonip

Just minutes from downtown Santa Cruz, Pogonip offers an unusual combination of open meadows, forest, creeks, and connections between some of the area’s major riding destinations.

The Emma McCrary Trail is particularly notable for newer riders. Built with extensive volunteer labor, the trail features flowing terrain, berms, rollers, and gentle grades. Visit Santa Cruz County

It’s also a great reminder that some of Santa Cruz’s best riding is surprisingly close to town.

5. DeLaveaga Park

DeLaveaga offers accessible mountain biking right in the heart of Santa Cruz.

The park contains multi-use trails and singletrack, with climbs leading toward viewpoints overlooking the city and Monterey Bay. Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship is also working with the city on improving and expanding mountain bike access here. Santa Cruz Trails

It’s a great option when you want a shorter ride without leaving Santa Cruz.

6. Cotoni-Coast Dairies

One of the newer additions to the Santa Cruz riding scene, Cotoni-Coast Dairies brings mountain biking to a spectacular coastal landscape north of Santa Cruz.

The 5,800-acre property is part of the California Coastal National Monument, with an expanding trail system designed for hikers, cyclists, and leashed dogs. Santa Cruz Trails

The combination of coastal views, open terrain, and newly developed trails makes this one to watch.

7. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Henry Cowell is famous for its towering old-growth redwoods, and cyclists can access select designated trails and roads within the park.

It offers a different kind of Santa Cruz riding experience: less about chasing a massive descent and more about immersing yourself in an extraordinary redwood landscape. Santa Cruz Trails

Just be sure to check current trail regulations before riding, as bicycle access is limited to designated areas.

8. UCSC and the Upper Campus Connections

The University of California, Santa Cruz sits in a fascinating location between the city, Pogonip, Henry Cowell, and Wilder Ranch.

While bikes are currently prohibited on UCSC’s singletrack trails, bicycles are allowed on designated access and fire roads. These routes provide important connections through the broader Santa Cruz trail network. Santa Cruz Trails

For riders exploring the region, understanding these connections can open up some interesting point-to-point adventures.

9. The Wilder Enchanted Loop

We’re giving this one its own spot because Enchanted Loop deserves it.

Located within Wilder Ranch, this trail winds through lush redwood and bay forest and includes a memorable technical descent. Local trail advocates have also worked on reroutes to improve the riding experience and address erosion. Visit Santa Cruz County

It is exactly the kind of trail that makes you understand why Santa Cruz has developed such a devoted mountain biking culture.

The MTB Girls Ride Club Is Bringing More to Moore Creek Than Just Riding Skills

10. Wilder Ridge and the Coastal Trails

We’ll finish where we started because there is something undeniably special about riding above the Pacific.

The approximately four-mile Wilder Ridge Loop climbs through coastal grasslands and rewards riders with expansive views of the ocean. From there, riders can connect to additional trails and create longer adventures through the park. Visit Santa Cruz County

It’s the kind of riding where you might stop halfway through a climb simply because the view demands your attention.

Why Santa Cruz?

The magic of mountain biking in Santa Cruz is the variety.

In a single weekend, you can ride beside the Pacific, climb through oak and madrone forests, descend through towering redwoods, and finish the day on some of the most celebrated flow and technical trails in California. The region’s trail organizations describe the landscape perfectly: coastal bluffs, coastal prairies, redwood-studded canyons, and oak-covered hills all sit within the same mountain biking playground. Santa Cruz Trails

And that’s why MTB Girls Ride Club is bringing riders to Wilder Ranch on Saturday, October 10.

Join MTB Girls Ride Club at Wilder Ranch

From 10 am to 2 pm, we’ll spend the day riding, learning, building confidence, and enjoying the spectacular California coast. It’s a co-ed clinic designed around skills, adventure, community, and having a great day on the bike.

And when the ride is over, the adventure continues.

Riders can join MTB Girls Magazine for an optional evening at the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, creating a full day centered around bikes, trails, exploration, and adventure.

Saturday, October 10
10 am–2 pm
Wilder Ranch State Park
1401 Coast Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Registration is $225. Use MTBGIRLS15 to save 15%.

Because sometimes the best way to experience Santa Cruz isn’t from the highway, the beach, or the sidewalk.

It’s from the saddle.