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:
Pleasanton Ridge
22 reviews
2.59 of 5
The trail is primarily fireroad with steep up hill to get to you onto the ridge. Once onto the ridge, it rolling uphill for 3-4 miles with multiple trail branches that diverge and converge again. Ridge portion of the ride ends at a locked gate midway along the ridge but you can descend into the canyon by taking a left before the gate. At the bottom of the canyon, you cross a creek and then loop back down the canyon. The ride back up can be a killer if you are tired. The spring is the best time of year to ride with wildflowers out and weather cool. Fall and winter aren't too bad but summer heat can be killer. Very little singletrack but nice bumpy roads and the ride back down the ridge has some exciting downhill, specially for cheapskates like me with no suspension and after a rain.
The ride has multiple options for exploration but as long as you remember the general lay of the land (the ridge runs north south), it is hard to get lost for too long.
From 680, Take the Pleasanton-Sunol Blvd. Exit. Go west and take the next available right onto Castlewood. Follow Castlewood to next left onto to Foothill Road. Follow Foothill approximately 3 miles to the Pleasanton Ridge staging area on the right.
Summary: I AM TORN ON HOW TO WRITE THIS ONE. THERE IS FIREROAD, VERY TRUE. IT CAN BE A BORING RIDE IF YOU JUST RIDE IT ONCE. YES IT CAN BE RATHER FREEWAYLIKE IF YOU GO ONLY WHERE THE TOURISTS HIKE. YES THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF ROOKIES WHO RIDE ON THE LEFT-RIGHT-CENTER. YES THERE ARE "ONLY 2 ENTRANCES" HAAAAAAAAAA!!! I LOST COUNT. THERE IS MORE SINGLETRACK THAN MOST KNOW OF. IN FACT IF ONE HAS KNOWLEDGE THEY CAN RIDE THE WHOLE PARK ON 90% SINGLETRACK. BY RIDING THE WHOLE PARK I MEAN A 4-5 HOUR RIDE, NO JOKE. THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST PARK IN THE EAST BAY AND I HAVE ROAD THEM ALL. THE CAVEAT IS NOT AFTER THE EBRP ROAD GRADERS AND GRAVEL TRUCKS HAVE BUTCHERED IT (I DIGRESS). JUST LEAVE IT ALONE PLEASE...I BEG YOU. IF THE TREES FALL,SO WHAT. LET IT GO BACK TO NATURE. IF THE STREAMS WASH OUT A TRAIL, SO WHAT. LEAVE IT ALONE YOU BUTCHERS.
DON'T DIABLO ME. DON'T MISSION PEAK ME. DON'T GIVE ME YOUR TILDEN OR SUNOL REGIONAL CRA_. ALTHOUGH LITTLE YOSIMITE IS COOL. PLEASANTON RIDGE HAS IT ALL. BRUTAL CLIMBS, BUTTERFLY STOMACH DOWNHILLS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. SIZZLING HEAT IN THE SUMMER AND COOL SHADE WHERE YOU CAN'T SEE THE SUN ON THAT SAME SUMMER DAY. ON A CLEAR DAY I HAVE SEEN BOTH THE GOLDEN GATE AND THE SNOW ON THE SIERRAS. BEAUTIFUL SCENERY THROUGH THE LITTLE KNOWN CANYONS. WHEN THE FOG ROLLS THROUGH KILKARE IT CAN BE TRULY HYPNOTIC. WILDLIFE IS THE BEST...DEER, WILD TUKEY, VULTURES, HAWKS, COYOTE, FOX, SQUIRREL,RABBIT, AND IF YOU ARE LUCKY MOUNTAIN LION. WINTER IS THE BEST BECAUSE THERE ARE FEW HIKERS AND FELLOW BIKERS, PLUS YOU GET TO CROSS SINBAD CREEK AND HAVE A LITTLE GOOD DIRTY FUN. IF YOU WANT TECHNICAL, YOU CAN HAVE IT. IF YOU WANT TO KICK BACK AND JUST ENJOY THE VIEWS, THAT'S THERE TOO. AS THEY SAY "THIS IS WHY WE RIDE".
Recommended Route: NONE, DON'T RIDE HERE EVER.
Other recommended trails in the same area: MISSION PEAK
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Summary: I enjoy this park because I live close enough that I ride to the trail head. Different starting points can make for a wide range of distance and difficulty.
There are two entrances in the town of Sunol, One off of Foothill Rd just East of Kilkare Rd and another at the end of Kilkare Rd. Two entrances in Pleasanton, the first being inside the gated community of Golden Eagle and the second at the top of Longview Dr. The climb up these roads will get your heart pumping. If you really want to suffer, try climbing up Santos Ranch Rd, you may start to hallucinate or have a heart attack.
This trail is mostly fire roads and not really exiting but there is a section of LEGAL singletrack that is maintained by the good folks at BTCEB. It's fun and challenging and thanks to BTCEB will probably stay this way.
My friend Joe has lived in this area for many years and showed me many routes I was never familiar with. Ride this trail with someone who knows the park and you will likely have a good ride.
Once you climb up the ridge and decend into the valley, you lose most of the hikers. The valley can provide welcome shade in the summer and patches of ice in the winter.
EBRPD has purchased most of this ridge and plans to expand it. A few years ago there was a problem with riders pirating singletrack and EBRP threatened to close this park to cyclist. It may still be somewhat of a problem but I think it's getting better.
Myself and Matt R. (See his review below) have ridden the ridge from Kilkare Rd. on our road bikes! It was a challenging climb but the descent was a little rough.
Recommended Route: Too many to list
Other recommended trails in the same area: Mission Peak (hope you like climbing) Mount Diablo, Huge but most of the good trails are hiking only
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Review Date July 15, 2003
Overall Rating 1 of 5
Aerobic Difficulty 3 of 5
Technical Difficulty 1 of 5
Ridden Trail: Ridden Once
Visitors rate this review 2.25 of 5,
4 votes
Reviewed by: Fred Lawrence
,
Weekend Warrior
, from San Ramon
Summary: I recently moved here from the South bay, and oh how I miss it. I went to P ridge for the 1st time knowing it wouldn't be very good, but I just had to ride. I wasn't dissapointed, it was very lame. I Mt. bike for fun, and as a by-product of the fun I also get some good excersize. There is no fun to be had at this place. All fire roads, even the single track that is off limits isn't worth risking a ticket over. Too bad, some nice trails could be cut in at this place. It was hot, dusty, not much shade, the fire roads seem to have been recently graded so they were loose almost everywhere and rocky in spots.
So if you live in the area and are desparate to ride, or, if you don't care about having any fun and want the excersize then I guess there not much else to choose from around these parts.
Recommended Route: Start at the bottom, ride up, seek out what little shade there is, ride around, hit the only legal single track Sinbad Creek, shake off your disappointment and ride back down.
Other recommended trails in the same area: None in this area. El Corte de Madera, Soquel Demo, Saratoga Gap, Monterra Mt.,
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Review Date December 21, 2002
Overall Rating 3 of 5
Ridden Trail: Once a week
Reviewed by: Eric
, from Pleasanton CA. U.S.A.
Summary: It gets hot in the summer on top of the ridge. Bring at least two water bottles with you. If you ride the single track into the northern end, bring food and water. There is no water available in the northern end of the park, north of the Sinbad Creek single track. Contrary to what some of the reveiwers say this is not an "easy" trail. I rode this trail system, three times a week, for a couple of months, and afterwords, I was in good enough shape, to ride up Mt. Diablo without a rest break (despite my weight of 210lb.s). If you haven't been there before, keep your downhill speeds in check until you get to know the trail. Please slow down and ring your bell, for blind curves.
Recommended Route: I go up several different ways, but my favorite, is to ride from Pleasanton to Sunol on Foothill RD.(makes for a good warm up.) I then ride the Thermalito trail north through Augustine Bernal park to the Sinbad Creek loop.I do the loop, head back South to Augustine Bernal Park and head down the valley veiw trail to Golden Eagle WY. and back home from there. This makes for a 18-20+ mile ride.You can make it longer if you ride the leagal single track that comes off the Bay leaf Trail near Sinbad Creek. This trail is marked "bikes O.K." multi use single track. This will take you into the little used northern end of the park. STAY OFF ALL OTHER SINGLE TRACK!!!!! I'm sick and tired of seeing groups riding on the wildlife paths and even through the grass, tottaly off the trail sometimes. If this keeps up we won't be able to ride there at all. I would like to add however, the park districts enforcement is highly prejudiced against the bikers. I've seen loose and vicious dogs and even people poaching with hunting dogs up there, and no one seems to care about that, or the sheep that tottaly denudded parts of the park two years ago.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Lake Chabot; you can ride around the bike loop (14 miles) or ride all the way to Richmond on the Skyline National Ridge Trail, or anywhere in between. Just make sure to get maps of the area, at the Lake Chabot marina store.
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
Review Date December 8, 2002
Overall Rating 5 of 5
Ridden Trail: Once a week
Reviewed by: MJ
, from was: Pleasanton / now:Tracy
Summary: Please don't venture off the trails...East Bay Regional will close this park if we don't respect the trail rules. I've been riding this park since the day I bought my first mountain bike, this park is a great place to explore - and it's so close to home. If you are looking for single track, THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR YOU. If you are looking for a good workout, a training ride, or just a relaxing get away ride - Pleasanton Ridge is it. East Bay Regional Parks is looking for a reason to close this park - don't give them one. Several park rangers, trail volunteers, and maintenance crews are wathcing on a daily basis (and they don't always drive the green trucks and wear uniforms!!!) They are logging violations and will present their evidence when they ask that the park be closed to mountain bikers. Do what you can to NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. Spread the word...especially while riding the Ridge.
Recommended Route: Any of the LEGAL routes listed on the trail map.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Mt Diablo, Sunol, Mission Peak (All firerads). Soquel Demo, Skeggs Point, Downieville (If you want singletrack)
Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR.com for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.
2.59 of 5
1 of 5
1 of 5
0 of 5
4 of 5
3 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
5 of 5
