Basics
- Length:
- Up to 20 miles
- Aerobic Difficulty:
- Easy to Advanced
- Time To Allow:
- 1+ hour
- Season:
- Year Round
Description
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, located outside Santa Cruz, includes almost 40 miles of trails open to mountain biking. The trails of the Forest of Nisene Marks are maintained by volunteers, with a variety of trail options suitable for bikers of different ability levels.
Once a productive logging area, the Forest of Nisene Marks is named for a previous landowner and was donated to the state of California for preservation. Also of interest is that the Forest of Nisene Marks was the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
The trails in the Forest of Nisene Marks range from mellow dirt roadway to technical downhill playgrounds. The trails travel through a combination of new growth forest and coastal Redwoods. The most popular trails in the Forest of Nisene Marks include the Braille Trail, the Aptos Creek Fire Road, Sand Point and the Soquel Demonstration Forest. The Soquel Demonstration Forest is a trials course, with bridges, ramps, log-jumps and a teeter-totter.
Details
Length:
Trail combination may extend length
Difficulty:
Aerobic Difficulty:
Time To Allow:
Extend time by adding additional trails
Season:
Additional Details:
Forest of Nisene Marks State Park is multi-use and riders should understand and practice appropriate right of way protocol. Riders should carry a first aid kit, bike repair kit and extra water and food. In addition, a map of the area is handy and can be purchased for a small fee to support the volunteer effort of trail maintenance in the park.
