RideTracks-Header

Mount Pinos Road Bike Ride

Type

 

Paved mountain road

Miles

 

17

Elevation Gain

 

2263’ per GPS

Starting/Max Elevation

 

6091’ / 8311’ per GPS

Starting Coordinates

 

34 50.462’ N, 119 05.136’ W

This ride visits the beautiful Los Padres National Forest. The high elevation means in winter this area is heavily snowed in, but during hot summer months this location offers a welcome relief to the incessant heat found in the LA valleys. While the Mount Pinos area offers some excellent mount biking trails (mostly single track), this ride takes the paved road for a steady 8.5 mile climb. The gradient is moderate, but the relatively high elevation can make this quite a challenging climb.

Getting there

From the I-5 take the Frazier Park exit and head West. There are limited opportunities for stocking up on supplies so consider stopping at the service area near the I-5 exit if you need to buy stuff. Continue for 8 miles passing Frazier Park (another option for stocking up or getting an meal). After passing Lockwood Valley Road on the left continue another 4 miles and bear left as the road veers to the right. Park in the large parking area. Google directions to start

 

The Ride

The directions for this ride are elementary - join the Mount Pinos road and climb to the top! Along the way you will pass McGill campground at 5 miles, and Mount Pinos campground at 6.57 miles, reaching the end of the road after approximately 1 hour 14 minutes of climbing and 8.5 miles. At the top there is a large parking area (starting point for numerous trails), and the Mount Pinos Nordic Base building. There are some lovely views along the way - unfortunately my camera broke on the day of this trip and all the pictures I took are nothing more than a blur.

Ride log

Last Ridden

Condition

Pedal Time

Elapsed Time

Jun 22, ‘08

Excellent - road was generally in good condition. Temperatures in the San Gabriel valley were forecast to be in triple digits the day of this ride, yet climbing this road midday presented no heat problems - just a very pleasant mid 70s and gentle breeze - perfect. We also did a short hike after the ride.

1 hour 33 minutes

1 hour 44 minutes

 

 

 

 

Links

[Directions to start]

[Map in pdf (756 KB)]

[GPS Trace (waypoint every quarter mile)]

[GPS Trace (all waypoints)]

[Topo file (.tpo)]

[Wikipedia on Mount Pinos]

 

 

Mount-Pinos-Road-Map

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/topo

[Home] [The Rides] [Rides Map] [Photo Gallery] [FAQ & Links] [About Us] [Legal]

Site Last Modified: Tuesday, March 10, 2009