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Day Trip: Mountain biking in Bear Valley, CA
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Slickrock and scenery is all over the Bear Valley area.
The Bear Valley region, off Highway 4 in the Sierra Nevada, is an off-the-beaten-path mountain biking "Disneyland."
Situated at roughly 7,000' elevation, 2 hours from Sacramento, and 45 miles east of Angels Camp, all an adventurous mountain biker has to do is park in the main village, possibly pick up a trail guide book from the Bear Valley Adventure Company, select a direction, and start pedaling!
A hearty group of riders ventured off on a 30 mile ride last weekend and finished up with ear-to-ear grins. The smiles weren't from the joy of finally resting, but from the awesome trails and granite slabs that were so much fun to explore.
Trails in the area range from beginner (very easy - fun for new riders) to expert (very hard for anyone). The trails sampled and conquered on this outing included the Bear Valley-Alpine Lake trail, Alpine Lake By-Pass, Cape Horn, South Alpine, Slickrock, Lower Ring and The Slabs.
While many mountain bikers travel to Moab, Utah for "slickrock" riding, satisfying one's slickrock desire can easily be accomplished in places like Bear Valley and other granite playgrounds in the Sierra Nevada. On this particular adventure, the group could have spent the entire day riding around on a huge granite slab right next to the parking lot!
The most challenging trail in the area would be the Slickrock Jeep trail, which descends from Lake Alpine to Utica Reservoir in about 5 miles. It is a fast downhill with lots of rocks to jump off, over and around. There are also some very nice swimming holes right off the trail as well as fun, granite terrain to challenge your riding skills on.
Pictures speak a thousand words, so check out the slideshow.
Feel free to contact me for additional information about mountain biking in Bear Valley.
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