Best mountain biking trails and e-MTB routes in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a lot more than Hollywood and trendy eateries. If you venture out of the city itself, you’ll find a huge selection of mountain biking and E-MTB trails. Whether you’re a beginner mountain biker or an experienced rider looking to expand your horizons, read on to find out our favorite mountain bike trails in the Los Angeles area.  

If you aren’t familiar with Los Angeles and its surroundings, it may not immediately strike you as a prime mountain biking destination. However, as one the original hotbeds of mountain biking, California as a whole is a fantastic place to ride, with two mountain ranges on either side of the state. Los Angeles is closest to the Coast Ranges on the West coast of the state, and while the city’s sprawl is immense there are many trail systems around the city to explore.  

Along with its excellent selection of mountain bike and e-bike trails for all types of mountain biker, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been shredding the trails for years, Los Angeles itself provides you with plenty of things to do when you aren’t out riding.  

To help you pick your next mountain biking adventure, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite mountain bike and e-mountain bike trails in the Los Angeles area. The trails are divided by skill level, so you’re sure to find a route that works for you, no matter how much experience you have. If you’re just getting into the sport, or looking to upgrade your current ride, be sure to read to the end to find our bike recommendations for the trails we’ve suggested.  

All driving times are as measured from Downtown LA, so your mileage may vary significantly based on your own starting point, and of course the dreaded LA traffic. 

The route at a glance: 

• Level: easy 
• Path condition: well-maintained doubletrack 
• Starting point: Stephens Pasture Road 
• Highlights: Shady creekside trail, small features if you’re feeling adventurous 
• Length of the route: 2.5 miles (4km) 
• Altitude difference: 23ft (7m) climbing, 509ft (155m) descent 
• Travel time: 40 min 

At just two-and-a-half miles and a negligible amount of climbing, this trail is a nice easy ride for beginner mountain bikers. It’s a doubletrack trail that has several stream crossings and does pack in a few small features that you can ride for added fun if you’re feeling adventurous. This trail can be ridden from either direction but is not e-mountain bike friendly. It’s also a point-to-point trail so factor in that if you ride to the end and back it’ll be twice the distance, and about 492ft (150m) of climbing to return to the trail head.  

The route at a glance: 

• Level: easy 
• Path condition: mixed 
• Starting point: end of Crags Drive 
• Highlights: Malibu creek 
• Length of the route: 2.1 miles (3.4km) 
• Altitude difference: 59ft (18m) ascent and 243ft (74m) descent 
• Travel time: 55 min 

At three-and-a-half kilometres and with only 59ft of climbing, Crags Road is mostly descent and a good ride for beginner mountain bikers. Sections of Crags Road are paved for easier progress and it can be ridden in either direction if you’re looking to turn it into an out-and-back for a little more climbing.

The route at a glance: 

• Level: intermediate 
• Path condition: well-maintained single track 
• Starting point: Turnbull MTB Trail Head, on Turnbull Canyon Road 
• Highlights: Some amazing views across the sprawling LA skyline. The iconic Buddhist Columbariam. 
• Length of the route: 2 miles (3.2km) 
• Altitude difference: 527ft (161m), 441ft (134m) descent 
• Travel time: 30 min 

For riders looking for a scenic trail that offers a little bit of a challenge, Native Oak Trail in Turnbull Canyon has some excellent views and more climbing than our beginner mountain bike trail picks. At 2 miles (3.2km) long, with 527ft (161m) of climbing, this trail is perfect for the more experienced rider. This trail can be ridden from either direction. As well as view of the distant skyline of Downtown LA, you’ll also get glimpses of the unique Buddhist Columbariam located in the Rose Hills. This structure is a mausoleum, and the largest Buddhist pagoda in the USA. 

The route at a glance: 

• Level: intermediate 
• Path condition: well-maintained singletrack 
• Starting point: Overlook fire road 
• Highlights: Lush vegetation in the summer and desert topography, emblematic of this part of California. Some ripping fast straight sections to build up speed. 
• Length of the route: 3.8 miles (6.1km) 
• Altitude difference: 317ft (97m) climbing, 906ft (276m) descent 
• Travel time: 1hr 10min 

There are many excellent trails in Point Mugu State Park, and at 3.8 miles (6.1km) with 906ft (276m) of descent, Guadalasca offers a good challenge with an excellent descent and some lovely vistas. Guadalasca connects to many of the other trails in the trail system and can be ridden in either direction to incorporate it into a loop if you choose. It may only be one hour up the Pacific Coast Highway, but it truly fees serene, like you’ve escaped the far-reaching limits of the greater LA area. Best of all, this route is E-MTB friendly! 

The route at a glance: 

• Level: Advanced/Black Diamond 
• Path condition: Singletrack 
• Starting point: Off Peppertree via 5 Oaks Climb 
• Highlights: Awesome technical trail with jumps, drops, berms and rock gardens. Lots to enjoy, and plenty of reasons to return.  
• Length of the route: 4,180ft (1.3km) 
• Altitude difference: 585ft (178m) descent  
• Travel time: 1hr 

To the south of the city, not far from Laguna Beach, Orange County, you’ll discover the Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, a small but rich network of awesome stuff to shred. For the experienced downhill rider, 5 Oaks is a relatively short but quite technical trail, with several steep sections, jumps, drops, berms and rock gardens. As it is quite short, you can connect 5 Oaks to several other trails in the vicinity via the Wood Canyon Trail. This route is most commonly ridden downhill, starting at the 5 Oaks Climb, and is not e-bike friendly. 

The route at a glance: 

• Level: Advanced/Black Diamond 
• Path condition: singletrack 
• Starting point: Red Tail Ridge 
• Highlights: Gnarly rock garden descent to test your skills. 
• Length of the route: 2 miles (3.2km) 
• Altitude difference: 180ft (55m) climbing, 566ft (173m) descent 
• Travel time: 1hr  

Starting south of the city, Rattlesnake is located in the hills above Newport Beach, not far as the crow flies from the 5 Oaks trail. It’s two miles long and starts with a singletrack climb before transitioning into a technical and challenging descent through a rock garden. It is a good test for more advanced riders and can be connected to several other trails. It is typically ridden downhill but can be ridden from the opposite direction as well. The trail is not e-bike friendly.  

With a huge selection of trails to choose from around Los Angeles, you’ll be looking for a mountain bike that can handle just about anything. Riders who aren’t sure about making the leap to a full-suspension bike just yet, or who prefer the feeling of a hardtail, should consider the Stoic. The Stoic is a hardtail trail mountain bike that’s built for technical trails and is capable of handling any features or jumps that you encounter.  

For riders who prefer a more traditional trail bike with full-suspension, the Spectral is an excellent choice for taking on some of Los Angeles’ singletrack, as well as its more flowing cross style trails and technical descents. The Spectral has an E-MTB counterpart, the Spectral:ON, if you’re looking for a bike that gives you an extra boost up the hills and steeper climbs.  

If you’re a more adventurous rider who’s looking to spend all day on the bike, the Neuron is an excellent alternative to the Spectral. The Neuron is just as capable as taking on the trails around Los Angeles, including some of the more technical sections, but its more relaxed geometry will make it easier to spend all day in the saddle. Like the Spectral, the Neuron also comes in an E-MTB version, the Neuron:ON.  

California is a huge state and there’s so much awesome biking to be done you could spend a lifetime within its borders and never get tired. From the best bike rides in and around South Lake Tahoe, to a selection of recommended MTB and e-bike trails near San-Francisco and the Bay Area. We also picked Death Ride - Tour of the California Alps as one of our best organised bike rides in North America.