🚵 Is It Rideable
Home › California › Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains

Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains Mountain Bike Trail Conditions

Los Angeles rides on the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Gabriel foothills. The Backbone Trail, Sullivan Canyon, and Brown Mountain offer chaparral singletrack and fire roads minutes from the city, on soils that shed water fast and dry within days of the rare storm. The dry Mediterranean climate makes it a near year-round destination.

234 featured mountain bike trails elevation 16–4,446 ft

Is it muddy in Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains right now?

Right now about 199 of 227 featured Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains trails are riding well. Conditions change daily with rain and snowmelt, so the list below shows the live read for each trail, and the chart shows which day ahead is your best bet.

🚲 Riding gravel? See gravel & dirt road conditions near Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains →

Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains conditions at a glancesnapshot · Oct 15

Live conditions map
© OpenStreetMap
Open the live map →
Riding right now
199 of 227 trails riding well
Hero dirt 85Tacky / good 2Dusty / loose 111Dry 1Soft — ride gently 26Muddy — stay off 2
Air quality
AQI 54 · Moderate
Wildfire smoke (PM2.5). EPA AirNow (observed) + CAMS forecast. Informational.
Next 10 days
Trails riding well each day · blue dot = rain
199Today216Fri225Sat226Sun227Mon227Tue35Wed0Thu5Fri28Sat
Trails are riding well today. Rain Wednesday (about 26 mm) is likely to soften things, so aim to ride before then.
Temperature this week
Lower trails131–1,827 ft
51°typical 63°–80°F98°
High country1,919–3,547 ft
44°typical 59°–75°F89°
40°60°80°100°
5-day forecast
Today93°
Fri98°
Sat96°
Sun91°
Mon86°
Daytime high across Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains, rain marked. Real forecast, refreshed every morning (elevation detail above).
Trail soil & drainage
Mixed 19%Loam 45%Sandy 12%Clay 24%
Mostly mixed, which varies from trail to trail.
See the live map & forecastEvery featured trail · best bets today · 10-day outlook→
Tell me when Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains flips to prime dirt.
One email the day Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains dries out and starts riding well. Nothing else unless you ask.
One email when it flips to good. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell your address.

Best time of year to ride Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains

Typical riding conditions by month, blending heat and trail conditions from 10 years of local climate data — so you can plan a trip for the right window.

The best time to ride Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains is January through November, when daytime highs sit in the 66–89°F range and the dirt is typically dry. December tends to be the wettest, muddiest stretch. Planning a trip? Those are your safest bets — and for this week, the live forecast below shows exactly which days are riding well (right now 199 of 227 featured trails are good to go).

January: Prime, typical high 66°F (ride score 85/100)J66°February: Prime, typical high 68°F (ride score 97/100)F68°March: Prime, typical high 69°F (ride score 92/100)M69°April: Prime, typical high 75°F (ride score 100/100)A75°May: Prime, typical high 75°F (ride score 100/100)M75°June: Prime, typical high 82°F (ride score 100/100)J82°July: Prime, typical high 87°F (ride score 89/100)J87°August: Prime, typical high 89°F (ride score 85/100)A89°September: Prime, typical high 87°F (ride score 92/100)S87°October: Prime, typical high 82°F (ride score 100/100)O82°November: Prime, typical high 74°F (ride score 100/100)N74°December: Mud season, typical high 65°F (ride score 84/100)D65°
PrimeMud season

Bar height = our ride-friendliness score for a typical year; colour = the main limiting factor; the number under each month is the average daytime high. Based on 2014–2023 climate normals (ERA5). This year's live conditions are below.

Best Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains mountain bike trails to ride right now

Every featured singletrack trail, sorted by today's real conditions, best first. Refreshed every morning. Riding gravel instead? See gravel and dirt road conditions near Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains.

Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains mountain biking FAQ

What are the best mountain bike trails to ride near Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains right now?

Today the trails riding best near Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains are Aztec Drive, Cerrillos Trail and LAPD Officer James C. Beyea Memorial Walk. The full list below is sorted by today's real conditions, best first, and refreshes every morning, so the top of the list is always your best bet right now. See live conditions →

When will the mountain bike trails in Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains dry out?

It depends on recent rain and each trail's soil. The 10-day outlook on this page shows how many Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains trails are expected to be riding well each day, with rain markers, so you can pick the right day instead of guessing. See the 10-day outlook →

Is it too muddy to ride in Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains after rain?

Right now 28 of 227 featured Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains trails are reading soft or too muddy to ride. Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains is mostly loam soil, which drains at a moderate pace, so after a storm some trails firm up within a day while others stay greasy. Riding wet, soft dirt damages trails and leaves ruts, so check the live mud reading on each trail before you head out. Check the live mud reading →

How many mountain bike trails are in Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains?

Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains has 234 featured mountain bike trails tracked here for conditions, with more searchable on the live map.

How high are the Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains trails?

Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains trails run from about 16–4,446 ft. Higher trails hold snow later into spring and dry out later than the lower ones, so conditions can vary a lot across the same area on the same day.

When is the best time to ride mountain bikes in Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains?

The best time to ride Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains is January through November, when daytime highs are in the 66–89°F range and the trails are typically dry. December tends to be the wettest, muddiest stretch. This is based on 10 years of local climate data; check the live conditions on this page for how the trails are actually riding today.

Local resources near Los Angeles & the Santa Monica Mountains

The people who build and protect these trails, plus where to get local beta. If you ride here, support your local trail org.

Trail stewardship

Get the weekly conditions report.
Pick the region you ride and we'll tailor it. Real dirt, dust, and melt-out reads. No spam.
One email a week in season. Unsubscribe anytime. We never sell your address.

More California mountain bike regions

See all California trail conditions →

Other states: Colorado · Utah · Arizona · New Mexico · Wyoming · Montana · Idaho · Nevada · Oregon · Washington · Texas · Arkansas · Oklahoma · Missouri · Kansas · Nebraska · Minnesota · Iowa · South Dakota · North Dakota · Michigan · Wisconsin · Ohio · Indiana · Illinois · North Carolina · Tennessee · Virginia · West Virginia · Georgia · South Carolina · Kentucky · Florida · Alabama · Mississippi · Louisiana · Pennsylvania · New York · Vermont · New Hampshire · Maine · Massachusetts · Connecticut · Rhode Island · New Jersey · Maryland · Delaware · Alberta