Santa Ana Mountains

An aerial view of the range, looking toward the Southeast. Main Divide Road snakes along the ridge. Maple Springs Road lies mid-frame switchbacking into Silverado Canyon.
A rock outcropping near Santiago Peak.


This year I made a simple goal: to ride every single-track trail I know in the Santa Ana Mountains. I wanted to accomplish the goal as early as possible, perhaps by the end of spring, since the range gets quite hot in the summer. Last summer I almost shriveled up on Los Pinos - too much heat, too little water and no shade. Manzanita's are beautiful plants, but no one mistakes them for elm trees.

As of now I have ridden (from north to south): Skinsuit, Smashface, the Silverado Motorway, the Coldwater Trail, Upper and Lower Holy Jim, West Horsethief (mostly an uphill hike-a-bike), the Trabuco Trail, Bell Ridge and BGR, the San Juan Trail and the Old San Juan. That leaves me with Joplin, Yeager Mesa, Los Pinos and the Chiquito Trail. I won't do E. Horsethief because I don't believe it is maintained and, I believe, the trail ends on private property (the route out of Coldwater is difficult enough).

Here is a report on the trails:

Skinsuit - The trailhead is off of Main Divide about 1 mile south of the golf ball (two climbs before Pleasant's Peak). The trail ends in a wash near the bottom of Skyline Drive. The route follows the ridge -steep and straight - with very little climbing and few turns. This may be the fastest route from Main Divide to the base of the mountain. Chris Garcia and I rode it in January, riding up Blackstar and then returning up Skyline and down Blackstar. It is a fun trail, but it ends quick. There were some rutty sections in January with plenty of alternative lines. I crashed on one of the steep sections, but only because I was going out-of-control fast. The whole trail should be ridable for accomplished downhillers. There are also a few kicker jumps near the top. As I said, fun but short-lived. For the up and over ride, the climb back up Skyline is relatively pain free.

Smashface - The trail begins at Pleasant's Peak and ends on Silverado Canyon Road near the Silverado Cafe. It's a long climb to Pleasant's, but the pay off is pretty good. The top of Smashface is stunning, coursing over rocks, winding through shrubby foliage and running under a canopy of small pine trees. This is true backcountry - you are bound to be alone on this trail. After a couple of miles the trail turns steep, then super steep, cascading into tight canyon (maybe Ladd Canyon). There is a necessary creek at the bottom of the canyon and the trail crosses it three times. I actually rode this trail twice this year. The second time, post rain, there was a lot of water in creek and it was amazingly beautiful. At the base of the canyon, there is a magnificent feeling of contentment and isolation - it's scenic, no one is around, and you've just completed a great section of single track. Then you have to climb out of the canyon... and it's heinous - a long hike-a-bike over three false peaks. This is why a lot of bikers ride Smashface once. After the HAB there is another drop into Silverado. This last section is challenging only due to ruts. It was ridable for me when the ground was still wet and tacky, but I'm not sure how I would do if the ground was dry and silty. Overall, Smashface is a great experience to be experienced once in a great while.

Silverado Motorway - The trail drops from Main Divide (near Bedford Peak) to the base of Maple Springs Road (it is usually ridden downhill). This is a popular hiking and biking trail and gets a lot of use. I rode it just before the Counting Coup and it was in great shape. There is a lot of loose rock on the trail but it definitely isn't steep or scary. Parts of the trail are quite fast and quite loose. Overall, it's pretty fun, not my favorite trail - it kind of hammers you in places - but the views from the trail are quite nice.

Holy Jim - There are two sections. Lower Holy Jim connects Trabuco Canyon to Main Divide. Upper Holy Jim begins on Main Divide about a 1/2 mile from the top of Lower Holy Jim and reconnects to Main Divide about 2 miles below Santiago Peak. This may be the best known trail in the range. On weekends it will be crowded with hikers and bikers, many of them headed to Santiago Peak. Nonetheless, this trail is both a great climb and a worthwhile downhill. The climb is long and challenging, but very makable. There are plenty of switchbacks out of Trabuco canyon and they are all ridable now. I rode up and down the trail a week after the Vision Quest and it was in primo shape. Downhill, the trail runs fast. There are plenty of blind turns though. Riders need to be aware of other trail traffic. The trail is also a scenic masterpiece - sections with great views and sections where the lush vegetation envelops the trail. Beneath the waterfall, the trail crosses the creek a few times. A couple of the crossings are ridable, but a few will require portaging. Upper Holy Jim is more exposed and more technical. The surface is looser, there are a few rock gardens and some tight switchbacks. UHJ is a fun downhill but mostly a hike-a-bike climb.

I have ridden Holy Jim four times this year and I will keep coming back.

Coldwater - This trail, generally a downhill, begins near the top of Upper Holy Jim and ends in the I-15 corridor. Ron, Chris, Carl and I rode this trail in February, climbing up the nearby Indian Truck Trail. Here is part of what I wrote then: It is really a magnificent trail. Many of the upper sections are canopied with gorgeous red-trunked manzanita. The surface of the trail is covered with leaves and decaying vegetation, giving it an almost pillow-like texture. No, I don't want to sleep up there, but it was quite fun to ride. We headed down through tunnels of vegetation coursing along ridgelines and around tight switchbacks.

The last mile of the trail is steep, at times ridiculously steep. The trail ends behind a rock quarry and requires a bit orienteering to get to the nearby roads. I would like to do this trail as an up and over, beginning on Holy Jim and ending on the Trabuco Trail.

West Horsethief - The trail begins midway on the Trabuco Trail and heads up to Main
Divide. It is loose, switchbacky and relatively steep. For some reason it is a more often hike-a-biked uphill than ridden downhill. This might be because nearby Holy Jim and Trabuco offer better downhill payoffs. The trail affords great views of upper Trabuco canyon, Bell Ridge and the Yeager Mesa.

Trabuco - One of my favorite trails in Orange County. This single track offers a bit of everything. Downhilling is fun, fast, and slightly technical in spots. The trail seems to be the perfect length with great views, plenty of canopied sections and a few fun stream crossings. It is also a worthy climb. The fields of transistor radio-sized boulders are a challenge to spin up. Cleaning the entire climb will test the strongest rider's legs, lungs and skills. But don't worry if you can clean it or not - the trail is not to be missed - just go out and do it. The time you are wasting reading this post is time you could be spending on the trail

Bell Ridge - Like doughnuts after midnight, candy for breakfast or Tequila for lunch, this trail is an indulgence, providing plenty of joy to go with a bit of pain. The trail, almost always ridden downhill, veers off the Los Pinos Trail near Pinos Peak. Once you start, be prepared for an out-of -body experience. The route heads straight down through a canopy of trees you won't have time to look at. Keep your eyes on the trail. The first drop is followed by the longest, steepest hike-a-bike. More drops and more climbs ensue. The trail keeps giving and giving (and taking a bit too). Like Los Pinos, the entire trail runs along the ridgeline, affording maximum views and maximum steepness. There are a plenty of technical sections, some steep dirt, a few steep and stony sections and a few rock drops. The biggest and most technical rock drop is fondly referred to as Can't See Bottom. The trail ends near Robinson Ranch. Most folks turn off and head down the BGR trail, a sharp plunge that winds down behind the RC airport on Trabuco Road.

San Juan Trail and Old San Juan - Probably the most popular trail in Orange County. The San Juan Trail is a popular shuttle ride for the instant gratification set and a fairly popular out and back ride for the strong, the wily and those who can't afford the extra gas. The decomposed granite single track has been burrowed down after years of heavy use, but it still looks good - a bit luge-y in sections, rocky in others, but generally well maintained. Everyone knows this trail so I won't write more. Old San Juan provide an alternate route between Cocktail Rock and Blue Jay Campground. Old San Juan is bit more worn, with ruts large enough to swallow a whole family of Hobbits. It is a worthwhile ride though, a fun downhill followed by a scenic ride through one of the area's nicest meadows. When San Juan is packed, Old San Juan may offer a slight respite from crowds of face-guarded banditos.

That's all I have for now. Come back for reviews of Los Pinos, Yeager and Chiquito. The quest goes on.