MTB only 1-way Trails in OC!

PO Magnet

PO Magnet

Newbie with Hope!
Hey all,
Not sure how many of you have visited OC Parks new Saddleback Wilderness trails yet. Not a ton of distance but they actually did a pretty good job on making some fun trails at the old motocross park.

I signed up and went to last weeks mountain bike only afternoon session and was surprised to see they had all trails with one-way directional flow set up and barely any riders there. I ended up with about 10 miles and had a lot of fun on trail 3, did that one a few times.

They did surveys so I get the feeling they are testing out this approach. Looks like they have another one this Saturday in the morning with plenty of space if anyone is interested in new trails and riding without hikers present.

Link to sign up:
https://letsgooutside.org/activities/2023/06/17/saddleback-wilderness-access-morning-session-9/
 
PO Magnet said:
Hey all,
Not sure how many of you have visited OC Parks new Saddleback Wilderness trails yet. Not a ton of distance but they actually did a pretty good job on making some fun trails at the old motocross park.

I signed up and went to last weeks mountain bike only afternoon session and was surprised to see they had all trails with one-way directional flow set up and barely any riders there. I ended up with about 10 miles and had a lot of fun on trail 3, did that one a few times.

They did surveys so I get the feeling they are testing out this approach. Looks like they have another one this Saturday in the morning with plenty of space if anyone is interested in new trails and riding without hikers present.

Link to sign up:
https://letsgooutside.org/activities/2023/06/17/saddleback-wilderness-access-morning-session-9/
Click to expand...

I've ridden a few directional trails here and there. Of course, they are usually directional specifically because they have a natural "flow" in a certain direction. However, Phil's World in Cortez, CO developed a trail system on privately leased land where every trail is directional and it works very well. It's the best designed "system" I've ever ridden. Consequently,I drive 50 miles each way to ride it every year when I'm in Durango.
 
Last edited:
OC Parks did a pilot program last year or the year before having directional trails. It didn’t work. Nobody followed the rules.

at the end of the day every trail in OC is multi use, so while we were only allowed to go one direction, the hikers could go either, or didn’t follow the rules either…so again it didn’t work.
 
mtbMike said:
I've ridden a few directional trails here and there. Of course, they are usually directional specifically because they have a natural "flow" in a certain direction. However, Phil's World in Cortez, CO developed a trail system on privately leased land where every trail is directional and it works very well. It's the best designed "system" I've ever ridden. Consequently,I drive 50 miles each way to ride it every year when I'm in Durango.
Click to expand...

I've heard about Phil's World and thought it was on BLM land, but just looked it up and very interesting arrangement, state land lease to local MTB club, pretty cool will have to get to CO at some point and check it out.
 
mtnbikej said:
OC Parks did a pilot program last year or the year before having directional trails. It didn’t work. Nobody followed the rules.

at the end of the day every trail in OC is multi use, so while we were only allowed to go one direction, the hikers could go either, or didn’t follow the rules either…so again it didn’t work.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I remember when this pilot was going on. Seems like a lot of riders wanted one-way trails and they tried it but like you said, seems like despite best intentions unless the public is going to cooperate, trails are going to be used in both directions by users regardless of what's posted, so why bother.

At Saddleback during this Saturday's morning session hikers aren't even allowed though, so a bit different scenario. Was fun last week, could open it up knowing there wasn't going to be a group of hikers around a blind turn.
 
mtnbikej said:
OC Parks did a pilot program last year or the year before having directional trails. It didn’t work. Nobody followed the rules.

at the end of the day every trail in OC is multi use, so while we were only allowed to go one direction, the hikers could go either, or didn’t follow the rules either…so again it didn’t work.
Click to expand...

They tried some one way trails in Limestone Canyon a few years ago and they enforced it for the open access days, so it would probably work at Saddleback.

PO Magnet said:
Hey all,
Not sure how many of you have visited OC Parks new Saddleback Wilderness trails yet. Not a ton of distance but they actually did a pretty good job on making some fun trails at the old motocross park.

I signed up and went to last weeks mountain bike only afternoon session and was surprised to see they had all trails with one-way directional flow set up and barely any riders there. I ended up with about 10 miles and had a lot of fun on trail 3, did that one a few times.

They did surveys so I get the feeling they are testing out this approach. Looks like they have another one this Saturday in the morning with plenty of space if anyone is interested in new trails and riding without hikers present.

Link to sign up:
https://letsgooutside.org/activities/2023/06/17/saddleback-wilderness-access-morning-session-9/
Click to expand...

If Trail 1, 2 and 3 were all downhill only and the uphill's were the fire roads, then that might be somewhat worthwhile. I went to the first one which was open to hikers and bikers and it was not crowded. It seemed more crowded than it was because I constantly came across the same people because it is so small. :laugh:
 
Note: never ride past your vision. Blind corners may have me on the ground with my bike skewed across the trail. I do not like dweebs using my wheels as a jump. I have been hit too many times over the years by riders riding past their vision. Riding at night eliminated 99% of these head ons. This is part of the reason, the other is I ride single trac and most of these trails are narrow in the chaparral. Blasting corners past your vision is not que bueno.
 
Obsidian said:
They tried some one way trails in Limestone Canyon a few years ago and they enforced it for the open access days, so it would probably work at Saddleback.

If Trail 1, 2 and 3 were all downhill only and the uphill's were the fire roads, then that might be somewhat worthwhile. I went to the first one which was open to hikers and bikers and it was not crowded. It seemed more crowded than it was because I constantly came across the same people because it is so small. :laugh:
Click to expand...

That's exactly what it was. Fire roads two way, singletracks one way downhill.
 
PO Magnet said:
Hey all,
Not sure how many of you have visited OC Parks new Saddleback Wilderness trails yet. Not a ton of distance but they actually did a pretty good job on making some fun trails at the old motocross park.

I signed up and went to last weeks mountain bike only afternoon session and was surprised to see they had all trails with one-way directional flow set up and barely any riders there. I ended up with about 10 miles and had a lot of fun on trail 3, did that one a few times.

They did surveys so I get the feeling they are testing out this approach. Looks like they have another one this Saturday in the morning with plenty of space if anyone is interested in new trails and riding without hikers present.

Link to sign up:
https://letsgooutside.org/activities/2023/06/17/saddleback-wilderness-access-morning-session-9/
Click to expand...
Have any links to trail maps?
 
scan said:
Have any links to trail maps?
Click to expand...

upload_2023-4-7_14-5-18.png
 
I hope they don't make those trails one way. I want to ride all of them both ways. Could probably be done in under 12 miles.
In a previous thread I posted a couple of pics of the trailmaps.
I went the first day, so no equines, but a decent number of hikers.
I actually do like that they are now segragrating by activity, leads to less conflicts.

As far as other 1 way trails, Borrego in Whiting is supposed to be 1 way up until Mustard for bikes. Most people do follow that. I've seen a few go back and honestly they didn't look capable of climbing Mustard and finishing the loop, so I was OK with that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top