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On a Saturday morning the lots along Skyline Boulevard fill with cars carrying bikes on the roof. The ridge above Palo Alto has redwood single track, long fire roads with ocean views and climbs that will test anyone. It also has a patchwork of rules. A trail can be open to bikes on one side of a road and closed on the other. One park requires a helmet only for kids and the next requires one for everyone.
This guide sorts out the rules agency by agency, using what each one publishes. It also points to the rides worth the drive. For rides on pavement and the flat routes in town, see our biking guide.
Midpen: the main event
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, known as Midpen, manages more than 250 miles of designated trails. It says about 65 percent of them are multiuse trails open to bikes, which it calls the highest ratio among parks and open space in the Bay Area. Many are single track. Its biking page lists 17 preserves open to mountain biking, marked either open on all trails or on designated trails only:
| All trails | Designated trails only |
|---|---|
| Coal Creek | El Corte de Madera Creek |
| El Sereno | Fremont Older |
| Ravenswood | Long Ridge |
| Sierra Azul | Monte Bello |
| St. Joseph's Hill | Purisima Creek Redwoods |
| Stevens Creek Shoreline Nature Study Area | Rancho San Antonio |
| Russian Ridge, Saratoga Gap, Skyline Ridge, Windy Hill |
La Honda Creek allows out-and-back rides from the Sears Ranch Road parking area on the Lonely Forest and Western Meadowlark trails plus designated sections of the Coho Vista and Harrington Creek trails. Midpen lists 5.6 miles of trail there. Some preserve pages and the biking page do not agree on whether a preserve is open on all trails or designated ones, so treat the map and the signs at the trailhead as the final word.
Midpen's rules
- Helmets are required on all Midpen lands, even riding uphill, with straps fastened. Midpen asks for helmets that meet CPSC, ANSI or Snell standards.
- Speed: 15 mph at most, 5 mph when passing or on blind turns. Racing and reckless riding are banned.
- Stay on designated trails. Riding off trail for jumps, wallrides or whoop-de-dos is strictly prohibited.
- Yield to everyone. Bikes yield to hikers and horses. Riders also yield to other cyclists climbing uphill.
- E-bikes are not allowed on most Midpen trails. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed on limited improved trails at Rancho San Antonio and Ravenswood. People with a mobility disability may use e-bikes where bikes are allowed.
- Hours: a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset.
El Corte de Madera Creek and Skeggs Point
El Corte de Madera Creek is the preserve local riders talk about most. Midpen calls it extremely popular with bicyclists and describes 34 miles of multiuse trail, including steep, technical single track through rugged, heavily forested terrain with redwoods and occasional views to the coast. Bikes stay on designated trails marked on the map.
There are two main places to start:
- Skeggs Point. A Caltrans lot with 26 spaces on the east side of Skyline Boulevard, about 4 miles north of Highway 84 and 1.5 miles south of Kings Mountain Road. There is no left turn in from the north. Cross Skyline to the El Corte de Madera Creek Trail entrance. It is the traditional meeting spot for group rides.
- El Corte de Madera parking area. 65 spaces on the west side of Skyline, about 1 mile south of Skeggs Point, with trailer parking for horses.
Trails under the redwoods stay damp long after a storm and rut quickly under tires. Give them time to dry. Expect hikers heading for the sandstone formations near Skeggs Point and riders on horseback elsewhere. Slow down on blind corners.
Russian Ridge and the South Skyline preserves
Five Midpen preserves sit next to each other where Page Mill Road meets Skyline: Russian Ridge, Skyline Ridge, Long Ridge, Monte Bello and Saratoga Gap. Midpen says they are interconnected, giving riders miles of multiuse trail through grassland and oak, madrone and Douglas fir forest, with views to Big Basin, Butano Ridge and the Monterey Peninsula.
At Russian Ridge the Bay Area Ridge Trail runs north along the crest past Borel Hill. Bikes are allowed on designated trails only and Midpen marks some sections that close seasonally to bikes and horses. At Long Ridge, Midpen's map notes seasonal closures to bikes and horses on the Peters Creek, Long Ridge and Chestnut trails. The main Russian Ridge lot has 37 spaces at Skyline and Page Mill and Alpine roads.
County parks
Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County Parks requires a helmet for every rider under 18 and for everyone, at any age, on unpaved dirt trails. It bans fully electric bicycles and scooters in its parks. Stevens Creek County Park above Cupertino is popular with mountain bikers and links to Fremont Older. Sanborn County Park does not allow bikes on its trails, only in the RV and picnic areas.
San Mateo County
San Mateo County's parks on the Woodside side are mostly closed to bikes on trails. Huddart Park and Wunderlich Park allow bicycles only on paved roads and in parking areas. One exception is the Old Haul Road, a service road that State Parks describes running from Portola Redwoods State Park through Pescadero Creek County Park to Memorial County Park. The county has posted closures in Pescadero Creek Park this fall, so check its advisories page first.
State parks
California State Parks limits bikes to roads in the redwood parks. The rules as published:
- Big Basin Redwoods. Bikes on all fire roads, none on trails. Recovery work after the 2020 fire continues, so check the park map and trail conditions page for which roads are open. The park is open 8 a.m. to sunset.
- Castle Rock. Bikes are allowed on the Skyline Trail, part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, on the north side of Highway 35.
- Portola Redwoods. The Old Haul service road is the only route in the park open to bikes besides paved roads. State Parks calls it one of the most scenic beginner rides in the Bay Area, a 10-mile round trip. Helmets are required for riders under 18 and recommended for adults.
Vehicle day use fees apply at all three parks. See our guide to redwood forests near Palo Alto for the rest of the visit.
Close to town
For a quick dirt ride without the drive, Pearson-Arastradero Preserve allows bikes on its trails with a helmet, which Palo Alto requires on its open space preserve trails. It is open 8 a.m. to sunset. Foothills Nature Preserve allows bikes only on its paved roads. The Stanford Dish bans bikes entirely. Midpen's Los Trancos and Picchetti Ranch preserves are also closed to bikes.
Helmet rules in one place
| Where | Helmet rule as published |
|---|---|
| Midpen preserves | Required for everyone, even uphill, straps fastened |
| Santa Clara County parks | Required for everyone on dirt trails; under 18 everywhere |
| Palo Alto open space preserves | Required on preserve trails |
| Portola Redwoods State Park | Required under 18, recommended for adults |
| California roads and paths | Required by state law for riders under 18 |
Good to know
- Winter storms close some trails to bikes. Check Midpen's trail conditions page before you load the car.
- Poison oak grows right at handlebar height on many single track trails. Wash your gear afterward.
- Carry water. Most preserves have none.
- Need parts or a tune-up? See our guide to bike shops and outdoor gear.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you mountain bike near Palo Alto?
Midpen lists 17 preserves open to mountain biking, including El Corte de Madera Creek, Russian Ridge, Skyline Ridge, Long Ridge, Monte Bello, Windy Hill and Fremont Older. Close to town, Pearson-Arastradero Preserve allows bikes on its dirt trails. Always ride designated trails marked on the map.
Do you need a helmet to mountain bike near Palo Alto?
Yes in most places. Midpen requires helmets on all its lands, even riding uphill, with straps fastened. Santa Clara County requires helmets for everyone on unpaved dirt trails in its parks. Palo Alto requires them on its open space preserve trails and state law requires them for riders under 18.
Are e-bikes allowed on Midpen trails?
Not on most. Midpen allows Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes only on limited improved trails at Rancho San Antonio and Ravenswood. People with a mobility disability may use e-bikes on trails where bikes are allowed. Santa Clara County bans fully electric bikes in its parks.
Where do you park to ride El Corte de Madera?
The main El Corte de Madera parking area has 65 spaces on the west side of Skyline Boulevard. Skeggs Point is a Caltrans lot with 26 spaces on the east side of Skyline, about 4 miles north of Highway 84. Both fill early on weekends.
Can you mountain bike at Big Basin?
Only on fire roads. California State Parks says bikes are allowed on all fire roads at Big Basin but not on any trails. Some backcountry roads are still being repaired after the 2020 fire, so check the park map and trail conditions page first.