South Cow Mountain

[ironworker]

Planning a trip this weekend and I heard South Cow Mountain (California) was a great place to ride, Does anyone know if this area has good camping for motorhomes?

We were hoping for trees and great scenery, I have recently went to Stonyford for a weekend and was really disappointed to find out it was basically one big dust bowl.

Before this post gets moved I searched the "places to ride" forum and found nothing on this area.
Any help would be appreciated.

Rich.

 

[afunk]

Here is a link to South cow mountain. http://www.bokasmo.com/pages/ohv/california/southcowmtn/index.html
I have never been there but plan to ake a trip up there from here in Folsom,ca..Have a great time.

 

[kdxtaz]

If you go in the back way from the Lakeport side, you can camp around & in the creek bed. (Scott's Creek is dry this time of year) There is a really cool camp ground called Red Mountain, but it is way down the dirt road & is pretty tight. Probably not the best for motor homes. The riding there is great but dusty this time of year & it gets real hot there if the North Bay climate is warm.

 

[mylesc]

Here's a good write up on South Cow Mountain:

http://www.off-road.com/dirtbike/features/2004/cowmountain/

 

[Matt Fisher]

There are 2 ways into South Cow, if you're in a motorhome the Ukiah side would probably be better, as it's paved while Lakeport is really just a dry (right now) riverbed.

This time of year it's very dusty, but often a bit of wind is there to help out. The trails vary from a fireroad that connects Ukiah and Lakeport, down to rutted single track. There are almost no jumps, but your rock dodging skills will get a workout.

If you do happen to come in the Lakeport side and decide you don't like it there, you can travel North for about 20 minutes and be at CC camp, another good riding area.

 

[velosapiens]

stonyford is only a dustbowl if you camp down at the bottom. cow mountain also has the potential to be hot and dusty. both routes in are pretty washboarded dirt roads. that said, the ukiah side is more doable for a motor home, but i personally would be unlikely to do it.

i would recommend trying cc camp/middle creek, just north of the northwest end of clearlake. the riding is good, you can even connect all the way over to stonyford. you can also take a paved road up to the penny pines staging area which is fairly high (3000-4000') and get out of some of the heat.

cow mountain is best in spring or after the first fall rains, but it can be fun even when dusty and hot if you ride early.

mw