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Vista Junkie's Trip

Engelsman Loop to Wild Boar to Old Cabin to Eucalyptus Loop to Enchanted Loop to Wilder Ridge Loop
9.1 miles; elevation gain 860 feet

Bike recommendation: full suspension ideal, not much travel needed

This ride includes fun for a wide range of cyclists. With a couple of technical single track sections sandwiched between fire road climbs and open meadow flows, this route delivers what most cyclists came for: a couple of sweaty and giddy hours on their bikes. (Photo by Brooke Wright)

From the cow gate just north of the Highway 1 underpass, head up the middle fire road for 1.2 miles on Engelsmans Loop. This is a moderately steep fire road, gaining about 200 feet in the first quarter mile. Head left onto Wild Boar Trail for .4 miles for the first taste of fun single track to reach Old Cabin Trail. Old Cabin Trail greets you with a nicely cambered, easy shot through a beautiful shaded canyon to a hairpin turn before crossing the Beasley Gulch Creek and starting the more technical climb. (Less skilled riders might want to cross the bridge on foot.)

After a total .7 miles on Old Cabin, you’ll reach the Eucalyptus Loop. Head counterclockwise on the loop to enjoy the 2.3 mile trip on a nicely banked trail through wooded ravines and meadows to a junction at the top with Chinquapin Trail—a good rest stop on this ride replete with ocean views and picnic tables.

Continuing on Eucalyptus Loop, take a quick fire road descent for about a mile before reaching Enchanted Loop. Head clockwise to enjoy a fun but technical, steep descent to a redwood grove lush with ferns. This is a steep, rooted quarter-mile descent with plenty of drops and ruts that is followed with a level cruise through a meadow and then the inevitable but doable steep climb up. The fire road at the top should look familiar: it’s the Eucalyptus Loop about .1 miles back from where you got on the Enchanted Loop. For a quick, fun finish, head up the semi-paved road in front of you to find Wilder Ridge Loop just on the other side of a short climb. Take the top (left trail) of the loop for 2.6 miles of mixed fire road and easy going single track descending through sunlit meadows. Take time to drink in the calm and beauty Wilder has to offer along the way.

Highlights: Sweeping single-track flow through the canyon on the Old Cabin Trail, enchanted trees and technical descents of the Enchanted Loop, vista at top of Eucalyptus Loop.

—Brooke Wright

Back to Wilder Ranch State Park

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