Westlake Village mountain bike trails

Devil's Slide Chatsworth

Distance: 3
Difficulty: Hard

Devil’s Slide lives up to its name: It’s deceptively challenging with some jumps, sprays of loose gravel, and a mostly solid rock surface. This hidden gem in the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, the site of a famously treacherous former stagecoach route, is worth a stop when you’re in the area. Start at the Lilac Road trail head on the west side of the park, then hang a right and you’ll quickly gather speed on this downhill track (also called Old Santa Susana Stagecoach Road). After about a mile, turn right on Andora Trail, a steep dirt track that drops you near Lassen Street. Turn back the way you came or plan for a shuttle back to the to the top.

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Big Sycamore

Distance: 8-10
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Big Sycamore is a local favorite fire road that runs the length of the canyon between Rancho Portero open space and Boney Mountains State Wilderness Area in Point Mugu State Park. Descend from one of several trailheads off Potrero Road or start at the beach for a gradual climb. For an extra challenge, detour onto one of the singletrack offshoots like Sin Nombre, Two Foxes, or Backbone. This is a great option for friends with different skill levels—start at one end and branch off onto different trails before meeting up at the finish.

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Dos Vientos Ranch

Distance: 7-12
Difficulty: Moderate

This open space system boasts 41 miles of shared-use (but not too crowded) trails that wind through chapparal and coastal sage scrub habitat and snake around the Dos Vientos Ranch housing development. Park at the Dos Vientos Community Park where you can hop onto Borchard Trail. From there, branch off onto Sycamore Park trail, then pick up El Encanto after you hit the parking area across from Cypress Elementary School. Other trails include Portrero Vista, Sumac, and Oak Ridge. Along the way, you’ll find punchy climbs, fast descents, twisty switchbacks, and occasional ocean views if the sky is clear.

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Wildwood Hill Canyon

Distance: 10
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Described by locals as “mellow,” “not too crowded,” and “doable for most levels,” Hill Canyon at Santa Rosa Valley Park is a good place to ride if you’re looking for a quiet, secluded spot to clear your head or boost your trail-riding confidence. Hill Canyon winds and dips along rocky single- and doubletrack, through meadowlands, past a waterfall, and under scrubby trees. Make it to Wildwood Trail and you’ll be rewarded with panoramic Santa Rosa Valley views.

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New Millenium Trail

Distance: 12
Difficulty: Hard

Locals suggest leaving your car at Bark Park on Las Virgenes Road. (If it’s closed, as it was after the 2018 Woolsey Fire, there’s another trail head up the road.) The Bark Park trail meets up with New Millennium, a roughly 11-mile circuit that loops around the exclusive Oaks gated subdivision. Follow it clockwise through native oak woodland and savannah along rolling singletrack laden with switchbacks, including a series of 10 crazy-tight hairpins that are no joke—those “caution” signs mean business.

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Las Virgenese Canyon Lollipop

Distance: 13
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

This lollipop-shaped route in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area features unspoiled ocean and mountain vistas and some of the most pristine parkland in Ventura County. Start at the Victory trailhead on the eastern side of the park, follow East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail, then hang a right up the Virgenes Canyon Trail and take the first connector on the left that climbs to the ridge. At the top, swing right onto Cheeseboro Ridge, climb some more to Sheep Corral, then enjoy the fun and flowy descent back to the trail head.

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Los Robles Trail (Western Section)

Distance: 16
Difficulty: Moderate

When a section of singletrack is nicknamed for an infamous rollercoaster, it just begs to be explored. The most popular trail in the western portion of the Los Robles Trail system is commonly known as Space Mountain thanks to its series of tight switchbacks. Other parts of the trail are less twisty, but no less fun. You’ll ride along rocky singletrack with plenty of up and down, a couple of hike-a-bike sections, and a breathtaking view of the Pacific and, on a clear day, the Channel Islands from the picnic table at the top. Along the way, you’ll be treated to sweeping panoramas of the Conejos Valley.

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Sunset Hills Woodridge Loop

Distance: 17
Difficulty: Moderate

The linked trails in these two designated open spaces deliver an abundance of elements from fast singletrack and steep climbs to wide-open fire roads and rumbly rock gardens. To start at Sunset Hills Trail, park at the trailhead on Erbes Road. You’ll ride through oak woodlands, coastal sage scrub, and non-native grasslands before the trail gives way to sweeping views of Bard Reservoir and, on clear days, the Pacific. Take the mile-long Sunset Hills Connector, mostly downhill singletrack, to pickup the trails in the Woodridge open space area.

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Cheeseboro Palo Comado Canyon

Distance: 30
Difficulty: Hard

With 12 trails covering nearly 30 miles, this section of the Santa Monica Mountain Natural Resource Area is one of the most popular mountain biking destinations in Ventura County. Pick up the Cheeseboro Canyon Trail at the parking lot off Chesebro Road (yes, it’s spelled differently), then follow an old ranch road through woodlands, coastal sage scrub, and wildflower meadows (breathtaking in spring). After about 4.5 miles, turn left on Sheep Corral Trail for a mile or so, then hang another left onto Palo Comado Canyon and follow it back to the trailhead for a roughly 10-mile loop. Bring extra water—there’s little tree cover and it can get hot.

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Point Mugu State Park

Distance: 30
Difficulty: Easy/Hard

There’s something for everyone in this 70-plus-mile trail network of singletrack and fire roads nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains. There’s the switchback-packed Guadalasca, the steep (and aptly named) Hell Hill, the exhilarating descent on Backbone, and the wildly popular Big Sycamore (see page 90). Choose from more than 30 distinct trails and discover something new every time. No matter what route you ride, you’ll be treated to majestic views of the Pacific Ocean and tree-studded valleys—and thanks to the marine layer, the dirt isusually nice and grippy. Avoid the parking fee and leave your car along Pacific Coast Highway.

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