Best route from EL Moro Ranger Station

Discussion in 'Rides Under 20 Miles' started by Danmtchl, Mar 3, 2023.


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?

  1. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I plan on doing a ride from El Moro Ranger Station and what is the best route to get 20 or so miles in. Looked at Trailforks and it seems like you need to hit a lot of trails to get that mileage in. TIA
     
    Faust29 and Sasquatch9billion like this.
  2. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower
    From the main parking lot, you do have to go a long way to get to any of the better trails. And everything is up from there. Also most of that is fire road.

    Going up No Dogs is the most direct route, but has some steep pitches.

    You can drop down Morro Canyon and take it up to I Think I Can(East/West Cutacross), Slow N Easy, or Elevator.

    Once you get up to the top of any of those, you have access to the singletracks.

    I like Bommer to Old Emerald(down), up Emerald Canyon, down MIssing Link/Fenceline, down Lizard, up Laurel, down Missing Link/Fenceline, up Redtail, down Rattlesnake, down Mach One, down Morro Canyon back to parking lot.

    Strava doesn't recognize Missing Link/Fenceline, but you can see it on the map just below Bommer:

    https://www.strava.com/routes/3066966504173174536
     
    Oaken, Faust29, Danmtchl and 2 others like this.
  3. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Are you talking about the El Moro in OC between Laguna and Newport?

    Easy to get in 20 miles up there. Lots of long fireroads and some short but awesome descents - some of them legal!
     
  4. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Well tomorrow it will be most likely closed.... :)

    To get 20 miles in you going to need to combine El Moro and LCWP at the least if you do not want to ride the same trail more than once.

    @mtnbikej Beat me to it..that's a pretty good route!
     
    Oaken, Faust29, Danmtchl and 2 others like this.
  5. Sasquatch9billion

    Sasquatch9billion iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    trinidad j. mendez
    Been a long time since I started from down there.

    I might go up I think I can to-fence line-down Lizards- and under the toll road bridge with a little f/r to Camarillo-I think from there Stagecoach takes you back to the bottom of Willow for some more climbing.
    Maybe from the top of Willow, drop-down Old Emerald, climb emerald F/R, and then down Rattle Snake and back to the ranger station.
    It might be just north of
    20-ish miles?

    I'd probably do something like that myself if they didn't charge like $20 now to park down there.
     
  6. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    I agree with @Sasquatch9billion I have a State Park pass so parking wouldn't be an issue for me. But I wouldn't want to pay the $15-20.

    Drop from your car towards the campground. Turn left and head up Moro Canyon. Turn right on E Cut Across (I Think I Can) to Moro Ridge then left to the top of the park. Descend Missing Link/Fenceline, then turn right twice and head down Lizard, turn left, head down to then up Upper Laurel under the 73. Tunr right on Camarillo, then right on Stage Coach South to the Willow staging area. Up Willow - but from here I would head back to the top of the park (to your right). I would then go down Old Emerald Falls (aka BVD) (not to be confused with Old Emerald Trail) and climb back up Emerald Canyon. Turn left and head back to Missing Link / Fenceline. Turn left and head for Red Tail/ Rattlesnake. Then descend / climb out of there to Mach 1 turn left (down), then down Morro Canyon and then a short climb back to your car from the campground.

    El Moro Map - beginning and end of ride

    LCWP Map - middle of ride
     
  7. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    You learn something new every day... I didn't know BVD was called Old Emerald Falls. :thumbsup:
     
  8. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    And technically BVD is inaccessible from the El Moro side because El Moro did not official sanction the entrance they have agreed to disagree on that for years.

    But to be clear... absolutely ride it! And it's nooooo problem.

    Oh and today El Moro Back Country is "Mixed Status" which you probably won't know exactly what that means till you get there... But I do assume BFI is still closed as it washed down the side from the previous rains.

    BFI is not something you need to ride .. it's got some great views if you descend it on a clear day.. but otherwise no need
     
  9. Sasquatch9billion

    Sasquatch9billion iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    trinidad j. mendez
    I grew up like 1.5 miles from El Morro. I remember the first time I went down BFI in my late teens thinking it was the biggest, steepest trail I’d ever done.
    Also, for @Danmtchl , is the willow parking lot off of Laguna canyon road still like $5?

    hit up Taco Loco afterwards if you’re making a day of it.
     
    Faust29, bvader and Danmtchl like this.
  10. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I have never been so I don’t know how much or if they charge for parking. I am riding with a friend who lives 100-200 yards from Santiago Oaks trail head and says the water crossings are deep. So this is his other option.
     
    herzalot likes this.
  11. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    LCWP Parking $3 Last I checked... Limited
     
  12. Cornholio

    Cornholio iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    B
    Current Bike:
    Huffy
  13. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Yes, just be forewarned on Saturday and Sunday mornings during soccer season. It's a complete s*** show. It's also where all as @mtnbikej likes to say the indoor people park.

    It's my afternoon or late morning choice...
     
    mtnbikej, Danmtchl and herzalot like this.
  14. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    Or Laguna Canyon - near Athletic Club and U-Haul. Free, but careful crossing the road!
    20522 Laguna Canyon Road. Small dirt lot by the sign, or in front of the Athletic Club on LCR (133).

    But if you are starting from that side, you need to change up your menu and end with T and A (Laguna Ridge) or Stage Coach.
     
  15. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    YEah, they are releasing water from Irvine Lake/Villa Park Dam so the water is flowing through Irvine Park and Santiago Oaks.
     
    herzalot, Danmtchl and Obsidian like this.
  16. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej J-Zilla

    Location:
    Orange
    Name:
    J
    Current Bike:
    SC Chameleon SS, SC Hightower

    Indoor people need to be where they belong......Indoors.
     
    herzalot, bvader, gunga din and 2 others like this.
  17. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    I was looking at Laguna Canyon road and that looks like a good place to start, I see Willow staging area parking and Stagecoach south parking on Trail forks but not on Google Earth.
     
    herzalot likes this.
  18. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    So here's a nice fun route:

    Up Willow - then turn right and keep climbing to the top of the park (left onto Moro Ridge, then look for singletrack to your right). Missing Link Fenceline. Then turn left. Head down Red Tail and Rattlesnake. Turn around and push / ride back the way you came up Rattlesnake and Red Tail, back to the fireroad intersection (Bommer Ridge) and turn right. In a couple hundred yards, turn left onto Lizard. Descend Lizard, turn right at the end and climb Laurel Spur. Back to the top where you were (Missing Link). Descend a bit on Moro Ridge and dive into Old Emerald Falls (BVD). Climb out Emerald Canyon. Turn right and follow Bommer Ridge all the way to Laguna Ridge (T and A). Drop T and A. Cross Laguna Canyon Road carefully and return to your car with lots of smiles for your four fun descents. That's about 2800' and 17 miles or so. Wanna add more? As you head for T and A, drop Old Emerald and climb Emerald Canyon again (or back up Old Emerald - it's not bad). Then turn right and head for T and A. That will add about 600' of climbing and a few miles.
     
    RIGID, Danmtchl and Obsidian like this.
  19. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    Well my buddy changed the ride, we did Aliso, up to top of the world. We rode/hiked UP Cholla, to the connector then to the top and down to meadow.
     
    RIGID, bvader, Danimal and 2 others like this.
  20. herzalot

    herzalot iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Laguna Beach
    Name:
    Chris
    Current Bike:
    2020 Revel Rail,Yeti SB 130 LR
    That's it? I thought you wanted a big ride! That sounds like about 8 miles and 1000'. :D

    You mentioned UP Cholla like that was a crazy thing to do. Cholla IS generally accepted as a climbing trail. It was briefly labeled uphill only for bikes. Sorry you didn't add in any of the other descents while you were here. There are several fun trails. Oh well. Next time!
     
    Danmtchl and mtnbikej like this.
  21. Obsidian

    Obsidian iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Costa Mesa
    Name:
    Obsidian
    Current Bike:
    27.5 Intense Tracer
    I went up that bitch three times yesterday. Only one downhill rider, and I threw a nice comment at it.:laugh:

    On my third up, there was one uphill mofo who was about to pass me ...but he had a speaker blasting Don't Stop Belivein' by Journey, so I was energized to dust him. Mostly because I did not wnat to hear his Sh!t music. :Roflmao True story.
     
    herzalot, Rumpled, Danimal and 4 others like this.
  22. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    Yeah that was it, I thought about doing it twice. But I enjoyed the trails and how well they were maintained. I thought about Rock it and Car wreck. But I was told to go down meadows and basically you’re on the road heading back to the parking lot when you get to the bottom.

    I can’t believe Cholla is uphill only, some sections are blown out due to the rain. I honestly was waiting for someone to come down it and hitting me head on.

    1DE65802-A939-42B0-BE44-EEDA60C5B964.jpeg
    A deer dropping a deuce. Never seen that before

    8B768E07-B146-45D5-91F9-10325F442B7A.jpeg
     
  23. Danmtchl

    Danmtchl iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Bakersfield
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    2020 Trek Fuel EX 9.7
    You the man, For doing that three times. You’ve gottta be a climbing machine. I had to HAB a few sections. Don’t think I could have ridden the whole thing.

    12195043-C4FC-41C2-A93E-68576BB277BD.jpeg

    9BD8AE7C-EDBF-448B-82B1-1CAE7F8E28B5.jpeg
     


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?