First week of April I want to take the 26' toyhauler and family(6,10,13,years, mom and dad) trailriding/camping. Need sugestions for a NOVICE FRIENDLY location, approx. 1 to 6 hour drive from San Francisco bay area. Ideal location would have lots of easy trails with low traffic. Camper hookups a plus. Thanks, Mike C.
Need novice riding/camping location in N. CA.
- Thread starter Mike Celi
- Start date
The Tortoise
~SPONSOR~
- Feb 19, 2002
- 58
- 0
Mike,
Here is a copy of my right up of places to ride:
The trails I know of:
Elkins Flat - Intermediate terrain. Two long loops (18 and 26 miles). Good easy woods riding with some tight woods experiences. Kid friendly (near Pioneer off 88 on way to Kirkwood) (aprox 134 miles from home)
Georgetown - Intermediate terrain. I have been on only two trails. Both were fun and easy. Nice tight woods. Kid friendly (near Auburn) (aprox 132 miles from home)
Foresthills - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. I have been on most of the trails. Fast wide rocky with lots of jumps. Some single track. woods Kid friendly (near Auburn) (aprox 132 miles from home)
Washington - New. I need to ride. Rodney Smith rides here I hear. I have trail maps and will be exploring. I have talked to a person to guide me he runs a staging area for RV's. (near Grass Valley)
Downieville - Intermediate to Adv. I have Mtn Biked this area a lot. Lots of trails. Rocky and smooth single track in the woods. Stay off divide two. Big cliff to fall off. ( I don't think kid friendly. I will explore on motorcycle first. There are areas that are easy. Like dirt roads to lakes to swim in. The single track is full of Mtn Bikes. OHV legal area though. We can ride for miles into back country. The single track can have some nice climbs to it. I'll let you know when I go) (aprox 172 miles from home)
Moonrocks - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. Good desert riding with mountains. I prefer Spangler Hills (Ridgecrest)a tad more. However they have fun single track out of sand and rocks with banked turns all over. Also goat type single track. Open desert too. Bolder drops also (24 miles north of Reno) (232 miles from home)
Stonyford - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. My only experience with the place is intermediate to advanced. I'm told Davis Flat and Potatoes Hill areas are good for kids. Some of the single track is friendly. This place has a wide variety. You have hill climbs (opening climb out of Little Stony Staging area is 1.8 miles long and is just up. For an Idea Carnegie is 2 miles long. This is like you put Carnegie sideways and had to climb. The hill out of Little Stony OHV Staging will wear you out). So you got hill climbs, dirt roads that are challenging (some are adv riding), single track, smooth dirt roads and easy. Basically a salad of all kinds of riding. I haven't decided if it is kid friendly yet. I need to take my kids and explore out of Davis Flat. Woods and open areas(132 miles to Little Stony)
Penny Pines - Beginner, Intermediate. Fun and easy riding. Single track and wide single track. Lots of woods. Just fun easy riding in the woods. Kid friendly (172 miles from home by way of Ukiah) (This ride takes me 3 hours to stage)
Clear Creek - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. I haven't been yet. Wade and Les want to take me there. It is 3 hours from my house where as Stony is 2.5 hours away. Everyone who has been to Stony says they like Stony better. I intend to check it out soon and will report to you. (south of Hollister by about 1 hour). I'm told so so woods and open areas
Spangler Hills - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. One of my favorite riding spots. Thanks Wade. Fun desert with good ground to ride on. Hills, Flats, single track, across desert, go go go. Everyone in my family enjoys this place a winner. (near Ridgecrest, 6 hours from home). The scenery is nice too. (We will be here on March 30, 31 and April 1. The kids are off for one week. We were thinking of going to Arizona and Utah but I'm burnt on a lot of driving. This may change though. If we go here for 3 days we then go to Newport Beach for 4 days. Makes for a fun trip).
El Mirage Lake - South of Spangler Hills by about 60 miles. Same terrain except smaller and also has large flat dry lake bed. They fence this place in. However, I found some holes to go through. Nice bathrooms here.
Lucerne Valley - South of El Mirage Lake about 40 miles. Huge area with all kinds of terrrian. Lava rocks, sand, rocks, real soft sand (no fun). This place I wasn't real impressed with. Hard riding. Lots of adv terrain. There is beginner and intermediate too. This is were everyone rides desert. Spangler Hills is fun so why bother. The kids and I were challenged here. Don't get me wrong, some of the riding is easy here. But easy to get into difficult situations quick. More experience is necessary for me
I also have maps and info on many more spots around our area. Like Bear Valley OHV Staging area near Truckee, Prosser Creek OHV Staging Area near Truckee, Eagle Lakes OHV staging area near Donner Summit, Meadow Lake OHV Staging near Eagle Lakes, Sierra Buttes OHV Area, Shasta Area and I getting tired. There are still a few more Like Ragdump (spelling). Then we can get into Oregon around Bend. I have a trail map and photos of area (7.5 hours from home). So lets ride and explore.
Carnegie is when we are bunt out and want to let kids ride around. The place is just too crowded on weekends and the riding is not all that fun. You can find similar challenges mixed in with woods and desert within 2 to 3 hours from home. And driving once in awhile is not that bad
This is a wordy piece of work
doug
The Tortoise
Mike my email is spamoore@attbi.com
my cell number is 925 963-8451
I have a 6 year old who rides very well (TTR 90) and a 8 year old who also rides well (XR 80). I drive a 300EXC and my wife a TTR250.
The kids and I may go to Penny Pines (near you in Petaluma) on Sat and Sun or to Stonyford to join others from Dirtrider.
Please send me your email and I will put you on our email list. Will keep you informed. Also a ride on April 13,14 at Elkins Flat is comming up
Enjoy
doug
Here is a copy of my right up of places to ride:
The trails I know of:
Elkins Flat - Intermediate terrain. Two long loops (18 and 26 miles). Good easy woods riding with some tight woods experiences. Kid friendly (near Pioneer off 88 on way to Kirkwood) (aprox 134 miles from home)
Georgetown - Intermediate terrain. I have been on only two trails. Both were fun and easy. Nice tight woods. Kid friendly (near Auburn) (aprox 132 miles from home)
Foresthills - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. I have been on most of the trails. Fast wide rocky with lots of jumps. Some single track. woods Kid friendly (near Auburn) (aprox 132 miles from home)
Washington - New. I need to ride. Rodney Smith rides here I hear. I have trail maps and will be exploring. I have talked to a person to guide me he runs a staging area for RV's. (near Grass Valley)
Downieville - Intermediate to Adv. I have Mtn Biked this area a lot. Lots of trails. Rocky and smooth single track in the woods. Stay off divide two. Big cliff to fall off. ( I don't think kid friendly. I will explore on motorcycle first. There are areas that are easy. Like dirt roads to lakes to swim in. The single track is full of Mtn Bikes. OHV legal area though. We can ride for miles into back country. The single track can have some nice climbs to it. I'll let you know when I go) (aprox 172 miles from home)
Moonrocks - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. Good desert riding with mountains. I prefer Spangler Hills (Ridgecrest)a tad more. However they have fun single track out of sand and rocks with banked turns all over. Also goat type single track. Open desert too. Bolder drops also (24 miles north of Reno) (232 miles from home)
Stonyford - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. My only experience with the place is intermediate to advanced. I'm told Davis Flat and Potatoes Hill areas are good for kids. Some of the single track is friendly. This place has a wide variety. You have hill climbs (opening climb out of Little Stony Staging area is 1.8 miles long and is just up. For an Idea Carnegie is 2 miles long. This is like you put Carnegie sideways and had to climb. The hill out of Little Stony OHV Staging will wear you out). So you got hill climbs, dirt roads that are challenging (some are adv riding), single track, smooth dirt roads and easy. Basically a salad of all kinds of riding. I haven't decided if it is kid friendly yet. I need to take my kids and explore out of Davis Flat. Woods and open areas(132 miles to Little Stony)
Penny Pines - Beginner, Intermediate. Fun and easy riding. Single track and wide single track. Lots of woods. Just fun easy riding in the woods. Kid friendly (172 miles from home by way of Ukiah) (This ride takes me 3 hours to stage)
Clear Creek - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. I haven't been yet. Wade and Les want to take me there. It is 3 hours from my house where as Stony is 2.5 hours away. Everyone who has been to Stony says they like Stony better. I intend to check it out soon and will report to you. (south of Hollister by about 1 hour). I'm told so so woods and open areas
Spangler Hills - Beginner, Intermediate, Adv. One of my favorite riding spots. Thanks Wade. Fun desert with good ground to ride on. Hills, Flats, single track, across desert, go go go. Everyone in my family enjoys this place a winner. (near Ridgecrest, 6 hours from home). The scenery is nice too. (We will be here on March 30, 31 and April 1. The kids are off for one week. We were thinking of going to Arizona and Utah but I'm burnt on a lot of driving. This may change though. If we go here for 3 days we then go to Newport Beach for 4 days. Makes for a fun trip).
El Mirage Lake - South of Spangler Hills by about 60 miles. Same terrain except smaller and also has large flat dry lake bed. They fence this place in. However, I found some holes to go through. Nice bathrooms here.
Lucerne Valley - South of El Mirage Lake about 40 miles. Huge area with all kinds of terrrian. Lava rocks, sand, rocks, real soft sand (no fun). This place I wasn't real impressed with. Hard riding. Lots of adv terrain. There is beginner and intermediate too. This is were everyone rides desert. Spangler Hills is fun so why bother. The kids and I were challenged here. Don't get me wrong, some of the riding is easy here. But easy to get into difficult situations quick. More experience is necessary for me
I also have maps and info on many more spots around our area. Like Bear Valley OHV Staging area near Truckee, Prosser Creek OHV Staging Area near Truckee, Eagle Lakes OHV staging area near Donner Summit, Meadow Lake OHV Staging near Eagle Lakes, Sierra Buttes OHV Area, Shasta Area and I getting tired. There are still a few more Like Ragdump (spelling). Then we can get into Oregon around Bend. I have a trail map and photos of area (7.5 hours from home). So lets ride and explore.
Carnegie is when we are bunt out and want to let kids ride around. The place is just too crowded on weekends and the riding is not all that fun. You can find similar challenges mixed in with woods and desert within 2 to 3 hours from home. And driving once in awhile is not that bad
This is a wordy piece of work
doug
The Tortoise
Mike my email is spamoore@attbi.com
my cell number is 925 963-8451
I have a 6 year old who rides very well (TTR 90) and a 8 year old who also rides well (XR 80). I drive a 300EXC and my wife a TTR250.
The kids and I may go to Penny Pines (near you in Petaluma) on Sat and Sun or to Stonyford to join others from Dirtrider.
Please send me your email and I will put you on our email list. Will keep you informed. Also a ride on April 13,14 at Elkins Flat is comming up
Enjoy
doug
Middle Creek Campground/Penny Pines is only about 2 hours from you. I live in Santa Rosa and it's 1.5 hours from my house just off Airport Blvd. Middle Creek is a paved campground - no hook-ups, and there is a kids play area. It's pretty much deserted during the week - I played hooky from work on a Thursday and my buddy and I saw one other guy up there. Only downside to Middle Creek is the nice easy beginner trails are up the hill at Penny Pines - either ride up Sled Ridge or go up the road with the truck if the bikes aren't street legal. There is camping at Penny Pines but I wouldn't drag my trailer up there. If you don't mind towing the trailer down a few miles of dirt road you can camp at Deer Valley. I could get my 36ft Patio Hauler 5th wheel in there if I really wanted to - no hook ups though.
Maybe we can hook up for a ride sometime.
Have fun,
Brian
Maybe we can hook up for a ride sometime.
Have fun,
Brian
slickpuss
Sponsoring Member
- Jan 19, 2002
- 331
- 0
Hollister is pretty empty during the week. Its about 2 or 3hrs from you. It doesnt have hook ups, but the camp sites are easy to get a camper into and in one of the sites there are real bathrooms and showers. Also there are areas for all skill levels and areas just for kids. There is a store there for parts. And town isnt far if you decide to get groceries or food. And hopefully you wont need it, but the hospital is fairly close. The only downside is that weekends are pretty busy.
