Where I ride.

A chairlift carries you and your bike to the top so every run is downhill. Trails span mellow green flow to steep, technical double-black. The SoCal standard for lapping gravity without the climb. Open seasonally, so check the resort for current dates.

An approachable park near Lake Arrowhead built around progression. Flow trails, a pump track, and connections into the surrounding forest make it a strong place to build skills before stepping up to a bigger mountain.

A coastal wilderness network of fire roads and singletrack. The famous Rock-It descent is a rocky, technical advanced line, with plenty of mellower options alongside it. Exposed and hot in summer, so carry more water than you think you need.

A classic SoCal epic. A long, rocky, technical descent through pine forest, meadow, and high desert. Most people shuttle the top so they can focus on the descent. A big day with a big payoff. Best in spring and fall.

A Sierra bike park up near Huntington Lake with lift-served downhill and cross-country trails. It hosts gravity races through the season, which is where my racing started. Higher elevation than the SoCal parks, so the season runs shorter.

The most famous lift-served bike park in the world. Endless flow like the legendary A-Line, big jump lines, and steep technical zones spread across the mountain. A genuine bucket-list trip. The park runs roughly late spring through fall.