LoamMarin and the North Bay
Marin riding spans forested slopes, open ridges and bayside parks. Trail access changes between land managers; use the posted bike routes rather than assuming every footpath is open.
43 to 1,211 ft42 to 80% canopy
Find mountain biking around the Bay Area, then compare the dirt before choosing a trail. Start with a riding area to separate coastal forests, inland hills and farther destinations.
Where to ride today
Computed from the live verdicts belowLowest elevationPacifica →
23 ft, the lowest elevation among currently rideable networks.
Shortest estimated waitTamarancho →
About 4 hours until rideable, based on the current drying estimate.
Choose a riding area
Dots are trail locations. Numbered groups zoom to nearby networks.
Map geometry © OpenStreetMap contributors · Elevation contours: NASA SRTM via OpenTopoData
Compare network conditions
Ordered by current verdict, with matching verdicts listed alphabetically. Official closures take priority.
39 of 39 networks shown
DRY
Annadel State Park771 ft · 54% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Big Basin Redwoods State Park1,460 ft · 67% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Boggs Mountain2,996 ft · 34% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Bolinas Ridge866 ft · 77% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Briones689 ft · 64% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Brushy Peak850 ft · 0% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Chabot249 ft · 52% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
China Camp259 ft · 67% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Crockett Hills512 ft · 9% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Del Valle Regional Park961 ft · 17% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
El Corte de Madera2,057 ft · 82% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Fort Ord180 ft · 24% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Henry Coe State Park2,582 ft · 49% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Joaquin Miller1,293 ft · 65% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Lagoon Valley / Pena Adobe453 ft · 16% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Lake Cunningham Bike Park108 ft · 5% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Las Trampas833 ft · 42% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Lynch Canyon Open Space614 ft · 0% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Montara Mountain502 ft · 45% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Morgan Territory Regional Preserve1,647 ft · 34% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Mount Burdell43 ft · 42% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Mount Diablo3,140 ft · 36% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Pacifica23 ft · 18% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve486 ft · 44% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Redwood Regional Park607 ft · 73% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Rockville Hills Regional Park390 ft · 28% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Santa Teresa County Park505 ft · 0% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Shell Ridge144 ft · 12% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Skyline Watershed Ridge Trail863 ft · 49% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Soquel Demonstration Forest1,536 ft · 84% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Sunol Regional Wilderness1,089 ft · 28% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Sweeney Ridge1,198 ft · 49% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Tilden1,230 ft · 50% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Waterdog Lake404 ft · 40% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Wildcat Canyon663 ft · 56% tree cover
Rideable
DRY
Wilder Ranch233 ft · 52% tree cover
Rideable
DUSTY
Calero County Park417 ft · 6% tree cover
Rideable, very dry
CAUTION
Tamarancho938 ft · 80% tree cover
Use judgment
STAY OFF
Mt. Tamalpais (Marin)1,211 ft · 78% tree cover
Active damage risk
Watch a trail in Bay Area
Find your trail in Loam and turn on alerts. Watch one network free. No account needed.
Coast, forest or inland hills?
A Bay Area weather forecast is not a trail forecast. The coast, redwood forests and exposed inland slopes respond differently to a passing storm. Compare the network you intend to ride, then check the land manager for access.
Across the 39 networks Loam tracks here, elevation spans 3,117 feet and canopy runs from 0 to 84 percent. These measurements describe representative network points, not the full elevation range of every trail. Compare the individual forecasts and check local reports before choosing a ride.
Elevation range23 to 3,140 ft
Canopy range0 to 84%
Most shadedSoquel Demonstration Forest, 84%
Most exposed3 networks, 0%
Tracked networks39
Mountain biking around Bay Area
The useful unit here is the riding zone. Each one has its own exposure, elevation, and weather response.
Sonoma and Lake County
Annadel and Boggs Mountain are separate destinations north of Marin. Check each park independently, particularly after storms or during fire restrictions.
771 to 2,996 ft34 to 54% canopy
Solano County
Lagoon Valley, Lynch Canyon and Rockville Hills are in Solano County. Open hills and pockets of tree cover make for a different setting from the coastal forests.
390 to 614 ft0 to 28% canopy
East Bay hills
Choose a park before choosing a route in the East Bay. Bike access varies between park roads and singletrack, and shaded canyons can behave differently from open hillsides after rain.
144 to 3,140 ft0 to 73% canopy
Peninsula forests and coast
The Peninsula combines wooded trails near Skyline Boulevard with coastal ridges. Skeggs is another name used for El Corte de Madera; the two catalog entries describe the same preserve, not two separate destinations.
23 to 2,057 ft18 to 82% canopy
At El Corte de Madera: Sierra Morena and Timberview. Check Midpen maps for permitted routes.
South Bay
Calero, Santa Teresa and Henry Coe offer separate riding areas south of San Jose. Lake Cunningham is a purpose-built bike park with its own operating rules, so check its schedule before a visit.
108 to 2,582 ft0 to 49% canopy
Santa Cruz and Monterey
These are destinations south of the central Bay Area, not adjoining trailheads. Compare Soquel Demonstration Forest, Wilder Ranch and Fort Ord separately. At Big Basin, confirm the current bike-access map and recovery closures before planning a route.
180 to 1,536 ft24 to 84% canopy
Visiting Bay Area? Where to ride in one day or three
Choose one riding area when time is short. With three days, keep the order flexible around weather, access and your group's ability. Use the linked maps to choose routes; a favorable forecast does not override a closure.
If you have one day
For a Peninsula day, El Corte de Madera is the forest-and-ridge choice: Midpen describes redwood and mixed-evergreen canyons, sandstone features, and ocean-view points across a large multiuse preserve. Pick a legal loop from its current bike map and one parking entrance.
Before setting out, check Midpen's closure page, weather, parking, and designated-bike-trail rules. Bring water and an offline map because service is sporadic.
If you want open East Bay parkland or a Santa Cruz-area ride instead, choose Briones or one Santa Cruz area as a separate outing, then use that land manager's map and access notice; these parks are not neighboring trailheads.
Maps and access: Midpen El Corte de Madera: map, access, rules, closures
If you have three days
Day 1
Choose a Peninsula forest day at El Corte de Madera for redwood canyons, sandstone features, and ridge views; plan from Midpen's map and current closures.
Day 2
Choose an East Bay outing such as Briones for a different park landscape; its Special Management Area has trail-specific bicycle rules, including weekend calendar-day rotations, so map rules before choosing a route.
Day 3
For a Santa Cruz-area day, select either Soquel Demonstration State Forest or Wilder Ranch, not both as one ride plan. Soquel is a rugged working forest with designated downhill-only trails and wet-soil closures; Wilder has a separate State Parks map and access status.
Maps and access: Midpen El Corte de Madera · East Bay Regional Parks: Briones map, current alert, special rules · CAL FIRE: Soquel map, closures, day-use and wet-soil rules · California State Parks: Wilder Ranch current information and map
Use the trail-condition trip-planning guide to build a backup, and check tread firmness before committing to dirt.
A season by season read
Planning patterns, not opening dates. Live conditions and official access decide the day.
Spring
Rain and drying alternate. Look for remaining wet tread beneath trees even when open slopes look dry.
Summer
Inland rides can be hot and dusty while coastal areas remain cooler. Tree cover is a useful comparison, not a promise of comfortable temperatures.
Fall
The first rain can change loose, dry surfaces quickly. Check the recent rain and current model for the individual network.
Winter
Rain, short days and soft ground can narrow the riding window. Respect wet-weather closures and avoid leaving ruts.
Bike access is park by park
A modeled rideable verdict does not open a closed trail or make a hiking-only route bike legal. Check current park maps, posted restrictions and any permit requirements before you ride.
Midpen preserve maps and closures · East Bay Regional Parks · California State Parks
Trail work around Bay Area is done by Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay, Friends of China Camp, Friends of Tamarancho, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association and Solano Land Trust. Support your local builders.
FAQ
Are Bay Area mountain bike trails rideable right now?
37 of 39 networks around Bay Area currently have a PRIME, DRY or DUSTY verdict, meaning rideable conditions. For example, Annadel State Park is DRY and Mt. Tamalpais (Marin) is STAY OFF. Check the network page for details and closure notices.
Which Bay Area trails are riding best today?
Rideable options around Bay Area include Annadel State Park (DRY, rideable and dry), Big Basin Redwoods State Park (DRY, rideable and dry) and Boggs Mountain (DRY, rideable and dry).
Where can I mountain bike in the Bay Area after rain?
Compare current network conditions, then use the riding-area filter to narrow the options. A coastal forest and an inland hillside may dry differently; no park is guaranteed to be rideable after every storm. Official closures take priority.
Are Skeggs and El Corte de Madera different places?
Skeggs is a commonly used name for riding at El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve. Loam currently has two catalog entries, but they are not two separate riding destinations.
Does this page include Santa Cruz and Monterey?
Yes. They appear as a separate riding area so you can compare farther destinations without treating them as adjoining Bay Area trailheads.
How often are Bay Area trail conditions updated?
Loam updates condition estimates hourly. Each network page shows when its estimate was last updated.
What are these conditions based on?
Loam uses recent rain, soil, slope, slope direction, tree cover, and current weather to estimate how wet the ground is. These are estimates, not rider reports. Official closures take priority. See how the model works.