MtbREVIEW.com supports IMBA and responsible riding. Please submit only legal
trails to our list. If you discover a trail posted on this site that is not
open for public mountain biking, please email our IMBA friends at
info@imba.com with detailed info.
They'll help us remove the unauthorized trail from the site.
Click here for info about keeping our trails open.
If this is the correct location, click "Save Point" below or type the nearest location (country, city, Zip, or land mark) and the map will pan over to the location if the location is found.
Save Point
Go to Nearest Location:
Lat:
Lng:
Montevina
6 reviews
3.17 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: I live behind downtown Los Gatos so this is my main "I've-only-got-about-an-hour" ride. The steepest part of the ride is on the final curve on Sheldon before you hit the gate. It is a steady, sustained, but never punishing climb that eventually ends at a gate that lets onto another road. This up-and-back is the best of it. Otherwise you come up or go down Montevina which is just a steep road that drops you down on highway 17. About 2/3s of the way up from Sheldon there is a tight right-hand switchback. If you made it this far, might as well finish. Pretty easy the rest of the way until you come to a steep downhill that takes you into a steep, short climb (maybe 30 seconds) that levels out, turns right, and immediately confronts you with another short climb (maybe 15 second) followed by another longer ascent and the final, pretty sustained climb that leads you to another drop down to the back gate. Great views of the reservoir all the way up. When you get past the switchback 2/3s of the way up you can see Monterey Bay on a clear day. Because its hard to get to, there is rarely anyone up there to disturb you. It's not nearly as pressing as Kennedy if you are looking for something a little easier.
Recommended Route: Go from downtown on Main St to Bayview. Left on Pennsylvania, right on Glennridge, left on Hernandez. Take Hernandez to Wissahickon and turn left. It deadends into Overlook. Take Over look right. It jogs left then follow it to Sheldon. Take Sheldon left and follow it to the bitter end. Very steep. But the whole trip from downtown shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Kennedy. Third Gate. Overgrown. Power poles. Dogmeat if you are masochistic.
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
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.
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
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
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Review Date November 30, 2001
Overall Rating 4 of 5
Ridden Trail: Once a month
Visitors rate this review 4.33 of 5,
3 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.
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
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
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
3.17 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
