Review Date
July 14, 2007

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: crapaccount ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
ok, so i wanted to give this place a chance after reading the rave reviews but i just don't get it. maybe i like a different style of riding or whatever. but like people said, it's a XC trail with LOTS of climbing...appears that a lot of people like to climb. and also true someone said 10 miles here feels like 15. i ride it almost exclusively for exercise purpose, not for enjoyability or technical skill enhancement.

i like technical downhills and don't care for climbing and hate it. resolution, giant salamander, manzanita, etc aren't super technical downhill trails at all. if you're a cross country guy, maybe it is. but if you're looking for drops or something hairy this place doesn't have it. i see guys here with there 6" bikes and i laugh...it's a XC trail for climbers, with very little technical downhill parts. the 'single track' in most parts i've been on i would describe as a narrow walking path. i've heard that when you get to the bottom it's all crazy, but they said that about fir, manzita, resolution, etc...so i'm not about to go to the bottom and climb out of the depths of hell for the same old.

the other thing i don't get is we're in the middle of a forest with downed trees...why aren't there any log crossings or skinnies or obstacles built???? if i have to look for them, then that doesn't constitute a great trail system in my opinion.

Recommended Route:
cm02 to sierra morina. come down fir or methulsulda. go down then up giant salamander. up timberview/crosscut. back down manzanita. back up timberview to methulsa back home. manzita and down fir is way better than resolution in my opinion.

i've come down the el corte trail (lame) and goofed around, then ended up climbing up tafoni. yeah that sucked the big one.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
i love waterdog park (i think that's it)! this place is small so the climbs are SHORT. but the once up there, the downs are a blast...you can take a safe route or hit the small drops. i love that place.

tamarancharo boy scout trail is good..i like it better than skeggs, but it's further for me. it's more of a mix of up and down (once you get up the fireroad). plus they have that fun little skinny up the mountain to play on. common skeggs, with all that down timber, build some junk!

Review Date
March 6, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: Rex_Skidmore ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Another stunning example of excellent land use.
These trails are very well-maintained.

There's some excellent singletrack and Zen-like water crossings. There's also some fire roads and evidence that this was once open to dirt bikes. Some of the climbs are brutal, others are banal.

Totally recommend the krebs map that gives you all the elevations, difficulties, distances and features.

Recommended Route:
Fir, Giant Salamander, Leaf, Methuselah, etc. Really - get the good maps and take them on your ride. I've had to push my bike up some sandy/dusty trails that are 4inches deep in some places with guaranteed zero traction. You'll see banana slugs, and deer, and the occasional 45-lb. wildcat but not much other wildlife here.

Review Date
November 15, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: The Man ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Where to start? This place is the best! It's got single track fireroad and anything that you can imagine. At Skeggs the trails run through green forests and around steep valleys. It can be very technical at times and smooth rolling single track at others; it just depends on what trails you take.

Recommended Route:
I reccomend taking out a map of the area on your computer and planning your route because depending on where you go you can end up with 1.5 mile long climbs or only ride fire roads. I like to start at CM02 and head up the Sierra Morena Trail then go left down the Fir Trail. Take that to the end and go down Resolution Trail. The beginning doesnt look like quite as much fun as Methuselah but once you get around the corner it becomes a technical limestone and rocky skingle track. Then go left down El Corte Madera Creek then continue along North Leaf Trail for some nice single track. At the fork take the trail heading up to the road. This leads to CM08. Take the road down to the next trail head on your left. Get on the trail and you are at the top of a steep and fun short downhill. At the fork you can go left or right. I have never gone right down South Leaf Trail but i would like to. In the route i have taken go left to Methuselah Trail. When you meet up with Methuselah go right and continue to the Giant Salamander Trail. Tke the Giant Salamander to the Timberview. I have stayed on the Timberview due to lack of time and continued straight up to Methuselah Go right to the trailhead.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Arastradero is good for a short ride. I have been there so many times i could almost ride it with my eyes closed. The downside is it is almost completely open and has much more fire road than single track. It is also relatively small.

Review Date
May 3, 2005

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: camus ,  Downhiller

Summary:
Skeggs Pt., or the Corte Madera Creek Reserve, as it is more officially called, is a great area to ride. Although, having ridden here about 6 years now, it seems that the powers that be are starting to enact some more restrictions that affect us riders.

There have been gates added at several trails limiting access to what was previously open to bikers. A few small trails have been totally closed (not sure if these were official trails or not – the one or two I’ve noticed closed were shortcuts and I’m not sure if they are on the trail map or not.) And lastly, the trail maintenance people have gotten a little zealous in trying to prevent people from veering off the main trail.

Case in point: yesterday I am bombing down North Leaf trail. I hadn’t been on this trail much lately but, because of the aforementioned trail closures, I have been trying some new routes around the reserve. So there I am, flying at a pretty moderate speed in a descending section. After a corner I see a nice little waterbar jump but, because I didn’t see it soon enough, I wasn’t able to get max launch off of it. I’m flowing for a few more seconds and I see another one of the same size and angle. Not wanting to let another nice jump go to waste, I sped up, crouched down, and prepared for cruise missile status. As I am in the air I realize that the trail ahead curves sharply left immediately after the landing but there is a runway that makes a quick shortcut through a few small fir trees and then resumes the main trail, not that I had a choice or anything. Problem was, that the shortcut had a log jam on it to prevent people from using it anymore. The medium sized logs were an obstruction about 10 feet long. There was no way I could turn or stop so I tried to bunnyhop for as high and long as I could. Fortunately, I cleared most of the bigger logs at the front and landed on some branches towards the end. Other than a fir branch lashing across the face, I was able to ride it out over the last few logs. I was lucky to be riding an 8” travel bike. I think I would have been toast had I been on my spindly XC bike. Don’t get me wrong, I am totally for trail maintenance and erosion prevention. But they should have some sort of warning system in regards to obstructions like this.

This is probably starting to sound like a rant, but my last complaint is that there is a fridge-sized boulder right in the middle of Fir Trail, the main artery going into the reserve from Skeggs Pt. It would take about 20 minutes for the rangers to chain this beast to the truck and drag it out of the way, but it has been sitting there for weeks now. It wouldn’t be so bad, but it is on a downhill and right after a turn – definitely a danger to most riders’ safety. Perhaps they are busy, but the sadistic nature of the previous blockades and closures makes me think they are leaving this huge obstruction there just to try and slow people down.

Recommended Route:
I have heard a lot of newbies complain about Skeggs saying that it was a quick fire road ride to the bottom and then a grueling ride back out. This is why it is good to plan your route. It is possible to get some great riding in without a too much climbing. Just remember, if you are bombing downwards on a fire road for a long time, you are heading to the bottom and should prepare for a nice long climb back. Do yourself a favor, print out a map from the inna-net or grab one at the entrance of the park if there are any available. For newbies coming to this trail, my suggestion is to park at Skeggs Pt. And come into the park via Tafoni or Fir. Then, stay on Tafoni (or veer right if you came in on Fir which is accessible by the paved road which ascends parallel to Skyline Rd.) and then bomb that byatch down to El Corte Madera Creek Trail and take a left. Take another left at the fork and you will be on the famous Resolution trail. Hit this sweet forested single-track at mach 10 but watch out for the steep hillsides and hairpin corners. At the end you will be on Fir again. Take a left, and you are just about 10-15 minutes from the entrance of the park. Total mileage is less than 5 and if you hit this without a break it is only about 30-40 minutes but it is a blast and the climb is not too bad because you aren't descending that much in elevation. If you are in the mood for more, then hit Manzanita from the Methuselah/Fir trail junction. Take a bit more care on this trail because it gets very technical and rocky in some parts. If you are running any velocity through here and think you are going to bite it, try to bail into the bushes. You might get scratched up but this is far better than the pain inflicted by a tumble down one of the treacherous rocky slopes on this byatch. Take a left at the end onto Timberview. Do a quick bomb down this fire road making sure to get maximum airtime off the 4 or 5 big rollers and then prepare for a medium climb back out. In all, there is something like 30 miles of trails so, after familiarizing yourself with the map and elevation changes, have a blast. Just make sure to bring an energy bar and water so if you find yourself on a long climb you have some backup fuel.

Review Date
November 29, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: Martin R. ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
In my opinion, Skeggs is the best place to go mountain biking in the bay area. There are lots of trails connecting each other which enables you to do a variety of loops. Skeggs is surrounded by redwood trees and is cool since you are near the coastline. Mostly singletrack trails that are technical and I really recommend a full suspension bike when riding in this area.

Recommended Route:
El Corte Madera - Resolution - then you choose.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Russian Ridge/Grizzly Flat/Long Ridge Trail