Review Date
June 29, 2011

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Reviewed by: Tjay ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
This is a perfect trail when its hot and you're itching to get out and ride. It was single track that is very well shaded and open space fire road. Definitely want to connect this with grizzly flat to Steven's Canyon then back to Table Mountain to S-Gap.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
skeggs point
tamarancho
lake chabot

Review Date
July 29, 2010

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: Quik564 ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
An HD video summary of the standard loop at Saratoga Gap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwGAydPrIkQ&fmt=37

Tons of options to add on through , you could make a short loop or an epic. Great views and variety!

Recommended Route:
Start at Hwy 35 & 9, take Saratoga Gap Trail - Long Ridge Road/Trail - Peter's Creek Trail - back to Saratoga Gap Trail. Or add on more miles through Skyline Ridge and Stevens Creek...

Other recommended trails in the same area:
El Corte De Madera, Purisima, Demo

Review Date
May 10, 2010

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 5 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year

Reviewed by: jimlin ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
This trail is like a chef's sampler. You get a little bit of everything: ups and downs, singletrack, obstacles, shade. Sections of grouped rocks and tree roots are much more difficult to deal with given the erosion of the trail over the past few years; one doesn't simply fly over or ride through them. Given all of this trail's traits, you ride the trail at a variety of speeds in less than an hour on your way to Long Ridge OSP

Recommended Route:
It is a two-way street. Enough said.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Long Ridge OSP.

Review Date
August 24, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: stiletto ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Great area to Ride. Make up your own loop; hook together Grizzly Flat, Charcoal rd Stevens' Canyon etc.

Recommended Route:
Park top of Skyline/Highway 9. Ride Saratoga Gap in the usual fashion to Long Ridge. To change up the usual "loop", when you get to the Ward road/Peter's Creek intersection, go down the switchbacks to the bottom of Peter's Creek. When you connect back up to Long Ridge, the climb up Peter's Creek/Long Ridge will really test your technical skills AND your leg and lung strength. When you get to the top, ride the loop back out to Saratoga Gap. My rating (4) reflects the climb up from Peter's creek to Long Ridge.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
UCSC

Review Date
September 23, 2007

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: nemnem ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
This is definitely not a beginner's trail - it does require a good degree of fitness and there are some tricky bumps, rock and roots that could be troublesome for rookies.

That said, I rode it today and it isn't the most eventful trail - a good place to get a quick workout if you live nearby but not worth driving far for this.

One good thing about this trail is that its mostly shady so you don't have to worry about the heat so much. The shade and the extra moisture you get up here with the fog makes for less dry and sandy terrain which is great if you grew up biking in a more temperate climate like me.

I saw a flock (is that the right word?) of wild turkey - about 15 of them all blocking the road in front of me - never seen that before. Other than that it was pretty unmemorable.

Recommended Route:
take the gap trail all the way to long ridge road, then do the peter's creek loop back to the gap trail.

Tips:
Just after you climb up from the skyline rd crossing, there is a fork in the trail - the left leads to a meadow but is actually more interesting than turning right.

Don't bother trying to vary the loop back by going down ward rd after you exit peters creek trail - its just boring wide fire road which takes you down and then climbs back up steeply.