Almaden Quicksilver Park

A fire-road ride along the park's main bike-legal loop with plenty of short side trips to take in the sights of historic mining structures

Angel Island

A ride easy enough for the entire family (especially in shortened form), with panoramic views of the bay. Some sites of historic interest are also available as a bonus.

Annadel (Suggestion 2)

A relatively short technical singletrack ride, though still a very fun one at this wonderful mountain biking "amusement park".

Annadel (Suggestion 3)

A route that provides lots of technical singletrack in exchange for little uphill suffering, like most Annadel rides. But, this one should also be tried in the opposite direction.

Berry Creek Falls

(CURRENTLY CLOSED) An easy out-and-back fire-road ride that reaches a pretty waterfall after an additional half-mile hike. Plus, you end up at the beach when you finish the ride. Not bad.

Big Rock Ridge

A sweet, 2.5-mile singletrack descent marred by the brutal climb to get to its beginning, though the great views almost make up for it.

Bolinas Ridge (long loop)

A scenic ride that puts together an unfun singletrack and a fun fire road in a long, mixed loop in a very pretty Marin location.

Bolinas Ridge (short loop)

A ride whose one half is over-tame and whose other half features a (short but) torturous climb. But, it still manages to include some of the most scenic stretches of what must be one of Marin's most fun fire roads.

Briones (Suggestion 2)

A strenuous ride through picturesque terrain with occasional views, but on trails that only fire road lovers could cherish.

Butano State Park

The only bike ride in this park is this fire-road loop, but the main climb is relatively gentle, the nature is gorgeous, and where else can you bike your way to a landing strip on a mountain top?

Calero County Park

A rare example of a beginner ride that approximates a "real" mountain bike ride as long as one can handle a modest amount of climbing. And the scenic and pretty setting is a bonus for riders of all skill levels.

Cañada Road

An easy and nearly flat out-and-back road ride that would make a good candidate for a moderate workout ride if done quickly or a scenic casual ride if you take it slowly.

Cheese Factory Loop

Easily one of the prettiest, most scenic, and most secluded road rides you can do in Marin, and it doesn't even take extraordinary physical shape to pull it off.

Coleman Valley Loop

A manageable road loop through the idyllic Sonoma coast and countryside providing tiny historic towns, one-room schoolhouses, hearty seafood, and great views, but coming at the cost of several short but steep climbs.

Coyote Creek Trail

A long out-and-back ride on a flat-and-easy paved recreational trail. Friendly enough for the whole family and long enough to while away most of the day (at family-riding speeds).

Crockett Hills

A true mountain biking gem that unexpectedly shot up to being the most desirable East Bay park for sweet singletrack and great views, not to mention three flow trails.

Del Valle

A bit of a hidden gem in the amount of available singletrack with respect to other East Bay parks, though that's only true for this one route. A scenic, non-technical ride, for those who are okay with some steep climbs.

Demo Forest (Corral Trail)

The shortest "full" loop you can make at Demo Forest. It misses some of the best trails, but might fill a need for an easier ride or for a second loop.

Demo Forest (Flow Trail)

This route uses the newest trail at Demo to complete the loop, which is only the second flow trail built anywhere around the Bay Area.

East Bay Canyons

An easily overlooked, out-of-the-way ride that involves relatively little physical challenge, a fair amount of solitude, and just as much beauty and fun as many routes that are much more popular.

El Sereno

This preserve does not provide any good loop options but, as long as you're okay with climbing on fire roads, this is a good and scenic workout option for this vicinity.

Fairfax to Mount Tam Loop

A road ride that encircles Mount Tam, providing forests, one lake, ocean views, enticingly curvy roads, and a string of suburban towns.

Foothill Expressway

A flat, safe, and easy (if a little busy) road ride that is an option that's obvious to all locals, and whose main appeal is as a starting point for longer rides rather than as this brief out-and-back.

Fort Ord (2007 Sea Otter course)

A long and challenging trail ride along what used to be the course of the Sea Otter cross-country race.

Fremont Older

A small park that has some very nice ride possibilities for locals, but does not offer enough to be considered a riding destination.

Grant Ranch

A challenging fire-road ride in typical East Bay scenery and not too much else.

Half Moon Bay Coastside Trail

A family-grade ride on a trail that's more scenic than any other casual trail, at least if you can catch a day without fog.

Half Moon Bay Road Loop

Possibly the shortest and easiest road loop you can do to sample some of the beauty of the Peninsula coast backroads.

Healdsburg to Geyserville

A great option to take in the genuine wine-country-road-ride experience without any hard work or busy traffic.

Henry Coe (Domino Pond and Grapevine Trails)

For sampling a relatively more remotely located five-mile narrow singletrack descent of this park, the cost will be the long round trip and one grueling climb to get there

Henry Coe (Grizzly Gulch)

This short loop mixes some scenery, fire road climbing, fun singletrack, and plenty of creek crossings, to add up to easy fun at this remote park.

Henry Coe (Middle Ridge Loop)

One of the better known loops at this big mountain biking destination that provides fairly technical singletrack while avoiding too much steep climbing.

Iron Horse Trail

An easy, flat, and wide casual trail that doesn't involve too much fun or scenery, but provides pleanty of mileage. Lots and lots of unchallenging mileage.

Joaquin Miller

A small city park with trails for all skills levels, most of them singletrack. This place is the East Bay's only claim to first-class singletrack.

Lagoon Valley

Not a lot of trails in this park, but it fulfills the need for decent singletrack surprisingly well in an area that has little of it.

Las Trampas

A ride of extremely steep climbs, partially redeemed by good views and pretty nature, but with little else to offer overall.

Lone Tree Road

A peaceful and secluded mountain climb in beautiful backcountry on relatively bad roads and that has a restricted season during which it will be pleasant

Los Gatos Creek Trail

An easy, paved, family-grade ride that is well located to be useful to many people and that manages to be peaceful and pretty (though crowded) despite cutting through fairly dense portions of the South Bay.

Marin Headlands (Miwok, Dias Ridge, Middle Green Gulch Trails)

This ride across two valleys and two ridges in Marin provides a good sampling of the trail environments and trailside attractions in the headlands, not to mention a surprising amount of smooth (though tame) singletrack.

McLaren Park and San Bruno Mountain

A rarity in terms of being a route within San Francisco that could pass for a real mountain-bike ride. Trail difficulty ranges all over the spectrum but the views are always top-notch.

Monte Bello Open Space

This short ride will take you to the peak of Black Mountain while getting you to sample most of the singletrack in the park in a single ride.

Monterey Bay Coastal Trail

Arguably one of the most desirable casual rides on this site, offering beautiful coastal views, wildlife sightings, dune scenery, and some history; all without any serious effort.

Moore Creek Park

A small trail network whose available singletrack may be a surprise to some. It might not be enough to draw riders from distant places but is enough to make it a good local resource.

Morgan Territory (western trails)

A ride whose appeal is limited to lovers of nature and the outdoors, and whose climbs are meant for masochists and superhumans.

Mount Diablo (Mitchell Canyon to the peak)

A killer climb that takes you to a killer mountain peak with killer views. While the ride is mostly on fire roads, you'll still get to flex some technical singletrack riding and tricky loose descent muscles as well.

Mount Diablo (North Gate Road climb)

An unbroken climb that serves as a shorter and potentially quieter alternative to reach the peak of this mountain on a road bike. It's not easier though, and no less scenic.

Mount Diablo (Oyster Point Trail)

An out-and-back ride for sampling a singletrack gem on Mount Diablo, which makes this a worthwhile ride option even though it doesn't provide you much else.

Mount Diablo (Walnut Creek to South Gate Road)

A fire-road ride that takes you halfway up Mount Diablo, featuring good views, some of the best rolling landscape during the green-grass season, and including a treat for creek crossing fans.

Mount Tam (Deer Park Road and Coast View Trail)

A short and relatively easy loop that still manages to hit a number of the highlights of riding on Mount Tam.

Mount Tam (Old Railroad and Eldridge Grades)

A climb up Mount Tam via the easiest route you can take by bike, followed by a fun descent on a rocky and technical fire road. The views are world-class!

Nicasio Reservoir Loop

My shortest and easiest suggestion for an "idyllic Marin road ride", for those times when you have the least amount of time and energy available.

Oat Hill Mine Road

A top-notch advanced ride for experienced riders who cherish technical trails. Postcard-like views are a bonus.

Pacheco State Park

There's enough singletrack to knock yourself out in this often overlooked, surprisingly fun, and surprisingly challenging park.

Paradise Loop

An easy and very scenic coastal road ride that could also present the possibility of post-ride treats in cute downtown Tiburon.

Pescadero - San Gregorio Loop

A fairly manageable road ride that can show you much of what the Peninsula coast has to offer, from tiny cute towns, to world class views, to cozy country roads, without taking up most of your day. A simple variation is also possible that is even easier.

Pipeline Trail

A short but strenuous ride aimed at descending a twisty, black-diamond singletrack that's a treat for aggressive riders.

Pleasanton Ridge (Suggestion 1)

A substantial ride in one of the more popular East Bay mountain biking locations. There's a ton of climbing and the singletrack amount is negligible, but it's still worth a try.

Pleasanton Ridge (Suggestion 2)

This option allows a more complete exploration of Kilkare Canyon and includes more of the higher trails in the northern reaches of the park, at the cost of slightly more mileage and slightly less singletrack.

Pope Valley Loop

A quiet ride, free from suffering, that takes you across three valleys in the wine country, as long as you're willing to take a chance on a closed road.

Rancho Cañada del Oro

This non-technical but challenging short ride exhausts the entire trail network of this small park, but it is one of the more fun and scenic ride options around this location.

Repack Road (via Camp Tamarancho)

This mixed ride should please intermediate to advanced riders with a traversal of the course of the historic Repack Race as well as the inclusion of some of the technical singletrack goodness of Tamarancho.

Ridgecrest Boulevard

Ride possibly the most scenic road in the Bay Area and a calm lakeshore portion of Highway 1 on this short route.

Rockville (Suggestion 2)

A ton of very technical singletrack in this small park! It's a shame this particular ride includes so few of them.

Route 9

This is about as pure as a road climb gets. Nothing but 7 miles of climbing, followed by the descent of the same.

San Francisco Peaks

A surprisingly decent singletrack ride in a very unlikely urban setting, though you need to "connect the dots" via road ride segments. Postcard-worthy views of the city are a bonus.

San Juan Bautista to Elkhorn Slough

A convoluted ramble through little-known backroads aimed at stringing together a few worthwhile cycling roads, which you can embellish with a touch of history and some bird watching.