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Montevina
5 reviews
3.2 of 5
This trail goes through El Sereno Open Space Preserve, and is relatively unknown except to locals, mainly because it is such an ordeal just to get to the trailhead.
The trail is almost entirely exposed fire road. The appeal is that there is never anyone here, and the view is spectacular. At the top you can cruise down two paved roads for some screaming downhill (Montevina, which takes you to Lexington Reservoir, or Bohlman, which dumps you into Saratoga Village), or go back the way you came.
There is no parking at the actual trailhead. You will get ticket and most likely be towed!
Park in downtown Los Gatos. From Main St. and N. Santa Cruz Ave., head up W. Main (towards the Village Inn motel). At the stop sign (Bayview), turn right, then a quick left onto Pennsylvania. Go up until you get to the end, then turn right. Turn left again at Overlook. Continue on Overlook where it turns into a private road (that means privately maintained, but publicly accessible). About 1/2 mile up, turn left on Sheldon. Take Sheldon to the end, where the trail head is. The entrance is gated and looks closed, but just go around it. There are very expensive homes up here and the residents try to keep this entrance a secret. It is 100% legal, which you can verify with the Open space district at 650-691-1200.
Summary: Montevina Road is a nice, gentle sloping road that accesses the El Sereno Open Space Preserve. The steepest part is the first 1/4-mile. After that it's pretty steady in its ascent, requiring barely a gear change to tackle.
You can either go back down the road in which you came, but for high-speed antics go down the Aquinas Trail to gate ES02, which is the top of Sheldon Road in Los Gatos.
There are other trails in the Preserve, but most of them are dead-end--but not to the
Recommended Route: One variation of the Montevina Road ride is what I call the Tom Ritchey Poach--rumor has it he used to ride this area a lot as he lives in an area off Hwy. 35/Skyline Blvd.
Go up Montevina Road. Near the top you'll see a private road on the left called Sherry's Way. Turn left on this road, then turn left again at a fork. You'll eventually come to an old orange gate that provides PG&E access to all power lines in the area.
Go around the gate and start riding. It's not very technical and is overgrown in some areas. Initially it's a nice rolling downhill; you'll climb here and there, but it's mostly flat.
A couple of miles in you might catch a glimpse of a trail to your left, down in the canyon a little. That's the John Nicholas Trail in Sanborn County Park. The trail you're currently on will split; stay left then left again. You'll end up at the Lake Ranch Reservoir. Go to the east end of the reservoir then take the John Nicholas Trail about a mile back to Black Road. Bomb down Black Road back to Montevina Road and you've just completed the loop.
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Summary: Great trail... makes for a good climb if you start from downtown & ride to the top. Some nuggets to be found; lots of berms.
Recommended Route: downtown LG to top & back
Other recommended trails in the same area: Stiles Ranch or Saratoga Gap
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Review Date November 30, 2001
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Ridden Trail: Once a month
Visitors rate this review 4.00 of 5,
2 votes
Reviewed by: Russ
, from Santa Cruz
Summary: This is a fun, easy (but a little sketchy at times) gravel fire road that me & my buddies like to do to test something new on our bikes or rain rides. Its got lots of offshoots, berms, wallrides & chutes...keep your eyes peeled!!!!! Much funner that most the trails on the other side of LG if you hit up all the extras. Kick-ass "freeway" section for dicing it up with your friends. Bring your pads, the gravel will skin you. Riding up is for the birds or maybe just the guys with the 18lb bikes...blast down this baby on your freeride, DH or moto-hardtail almost never see a soul. Oh yeah, awesome views of almost the whole bay area.
Recommended Route: drop/shuttle
Other recommended trails in the same area: Grizzly (not as many off-shoots but better dirt). Wilder ranch, its got a little of everything.
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Review Date June 29, 2001
Overall Rating 3 of 5
Ridden Trail: Every few months
Reviewed by: Brent
, from Los Gatos
Summary: Climbing the road is much easier than the dirt (although more dangerous). The downhill trail is wide and fast for the most part with these cool berms built into the side of the hill. Not a bad ride if you don't mind climbing the road.
Recommended Route: I cross 17 at the overpass, climb up the road and bomb down the fire road. Make sure to hang right at the Y in the dirt trail if you want to wind up in Los Gatos.
Other recommended trails in the same area: St. Joseph's, Kennedy, Overplowed
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Review Date January 23, 2001
Overall Rating 2 of 5
Ridden Trail: Once a month
Reviewed by: Ed
, from Los Gatos
Summary: Montevina, also known as El Sereno, is not a stellar trail, but is nice to do when you've done everything else in Los Gatos. It is not well traveled, so your chances of seeing anyone else on the trail are not good. I think you're more likely to see a mountain lion than another person! If that worries you, take some friends, or try one of the other trails in town! A few of the grades are steep and loose, but they're short. Overall, this is not a difficult trail. Take a light jacket, because you'll be soaking wet, and the top tends to get a lot of wind. Unless it is a hot summer day, it will be chilly up there. Stop and enjoy the view--it doesn't get much better than this. Once at the top, you ride flat a little way, then plunge down a little hill. At the bottom of the hill is a Y-junction that is easy to miss. You want to go left here to get to Montevina road. If you go straight through the junction, you'll climb for a little while, then come to another trail head, which is the exit to Bohlman Road. Bohlman is a fun downhill run into Saratoga, with a few steep sections and some scary blind corners. In winter, they sand the top section, so watch out. I got sand blasted there one day in very high winds!
Recommended Route: From the trailhead, go up. At the top, go down Montevina road (paved) to Hwy 17. Cross over 17 at Bear Creek Road. Take the trail on the lake side of overpass that runs along the shoreline, about 3/4 mile to Alma Bridge Road. From here, head towards the dam, where you can pick up the Los Gatos Creek trail back into town. Roughly 11 miles.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Kennedy, Overgrown, St. Joseph, Los Gatos Creek Trail
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