04 BULLDOG LOOP

KEY AT-A-GLANCE INFORMATION

Length: 14.6 miles

Configuration: Loop

Technical difficulty: 3

Aerobic difficulty: 5

Scenery: Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu Canyon, Malibu Creek, Castro Peak, Pacific Ocean

Exposure: 70% exposed to sunshine

Trail traffic: Light–moderate on weekdays, moderate–heavy on weekends

Trail surface: Hardpack with embedded rocks, 20% singletrack

Riding time: 2.5–3.5 hours

Access: Sunrise–sunset, 7 days a week

Maps: USGS 7.5-minute quads: Point Dume, Malibu Beach

Special comments: The Bulldog Motorway is a relentless uphill grind; avoid it if you’re a novice rider.

GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES (WGS84)

UTM Zone 11S

Easting 341896

Northing 3774957

Latitude N 34.06′13″

Longitude W 118.42′51″

DIRECTIONS

From Los Angeles, take US 101 North; exit at Las Virgenes Road, and turn left. After about 3.25 miles, turn right on Mulholland Highway; a parking area will appear immediately on your left. If that area is full, you can find additional parking farther down Mulholland Highway on either side of the road on the shoulder.

In Brief

Any utterance of the word “Bulldog” among SoCal local riders will surely elicit groans, sighs, and maybe a warning or two. Climbing the Bulldog Motorway is masochism for all but the most advanced riders but a rewarding challenge nonetheless. Like Sycamore Canyon, Malibu Creek State Park offers plenty of distractions for nonriders and has shorter, less challenging rides, which makes this another great place to drag the whole clan.

Description

Once you’ve parked on Mulholland Highway like a seasoned local, start this route at the trail entrance off Mulholland, roughly 1,000 feet west of Las Virgenes Road on the south side of Mulholland. After a half mile on this singletrack traverse, you will convene with the oft-traveled and unpaved Crags Drive.

At roughly 1.5 miles, after you pass a body of water called Century Lake—a pond, actually—the trail will evolve from wide, groomed fire road to rocky, technical singletrack, a phenomenon spawned by recent flooding—much to the delight of mountain bikers and hikers. Along this section is a point of historical interest—a location often used for filming the hit TV show M*A*S*H. All that remains from that era are a few rusted vehicles.

The sun begins to set over Bulldog Motorway.

Let’s hope you haven’t blown your caloric load by the 3-mile mark because that’s the start of the vaunted climb to Castro Peak Motorway via Bulldog Motorway, which involves more than 1,700 feet of climbing over 3 miles of road. Bulldog Motorway is more difficult than the stats suggest because the technical obstacles near the top don’t allow for laid-back, in-the-saddle spinning.

After being teased with several false visual impressions of having reached the summit, you’ll connect with Castro Peak Motorway roughly 6.4 miles from your car. Although much of the climbing is finished, head back the way you came if your body’s spent—the ride ahead is very aerobically demanding.

After a pleasant 1-mile bomb down Castro Peak Motorway, you will see a parking lot at the end of Corral Canyon Road at roughly 7.3 miles from the start. Cross the short lot and follow the singletrack that appears on the left, portaging over the large sandstone rock formations. This 0.4-mile-long section heads east, is very technical, and includes some the longest stretches of slickrock riding to be found in the Santa Monica Mountains. If technical riding like this doesn’t suit your fancy, simply go back to the parking lot and head down Corral Canyon Road until it hits Mesa Peak motorway after roughly 0.3 miles, and then turn left.

After evoking visions of Moab, Utah, join Mesa Peak Motorway and ride along a ridge for 2.4 miles with fantastic views of Malibu and the Pacific Ocean to your right, and Malibu Creek State Park to your left. At roughly the 10-mile mark, turn left at the Puerco–Mesa Peak Motorway junction, continuing on Mesa Peak, and start the descent to Las Virgenes Road.

An important right turn comes into view roughly 1.9 miles from the Puerco–Mesa Peak junction, just over 12 miles from the start. Should you fail to make this turn, you will soon encounter a barbed wire fence. If that happens, just backtrack while keeping an eye on your left for a trail entrance. This spur takes you back to Las Virgenes Road after about 0.6 miles. Hang a left and head north on Las Virgenes Road for a slightly uphill mellow 2-mile stretch, and then go left to get back to your car.

Now that you’ve conquered the infamous Bulldog Motorway, you can either boast your exploits to your pals or be modest and humble, knowing—or pretending—that it was really no big deal. Whatever your impression, 3,300 feet of total elevation gain over 14.73 miles is a big deal and presents a challenge that mountain bikers in flatter states will never ever know.

After the Ride

For margaritas, live music, and Southwestern cuisine, go to the Sagebrush Cantina on 23527 Calabasas Road in Calabasas; (818)-222-6062. For good-quality sushi and sake at a low price, try Tatsuki Restaurant on 21630 Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills; (818)-340-8690.