15 CHEESEBORO TO SULFUR SPRINGS LOOP
KEY AT-A-GLANCE INFORMATION
Length: 9.4 miles
Configuration: Loop
Technical difficulty: 3
Aerobic difficulty: 3
Scenery: Simi Hills, Santa Monica Mountains
Exposure: 70% exposed to sunshine, shaded in Cheeseboro Canyon descent
Trail traffic: Moderate–heavy
Trail surface: Dry hardpack with some loose, rocky areas and small, sandstone slickrock formations—30% singletrack
Riding time: 1–2 hours
Access: Sunrise–sunset, 7 days a week
Maps: USGS 7.5-minute quad: Calabasas
Special comments: Area can be extremely hot in summer, so bring plenty of water and sunblock.
GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES (WGS84)
UTM Zone 11S
Easting 340440
Northing 3780850
Latitude N 34.09′23″
Longitude W 118.43′51″
DIRECTIONS
From Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, take US 101 north and exit at Cheseboro. Briefly head north on Palo Comado Canyon Drive; then make a right onto Cheseboro Road. After 0.75 miles, turn right into the first parking lot, beyond which is a driveway that leads to a second, larger parking area with bathroom facilities.
In Brief
The Cheeseboro Ridge/Sulfur Springs Loop is the perfect after-work excursion because it mixes just the right amount of technical descending, aerobic climbing, and desert and chaparral scenery into a nice, compact package. For this reason, this route is a staple of the North Valley XC scene and even entices regular visitors from other areas. Of all the rides in SoCal, Cheeseboro Ridge has the potential to be the hottest so riding this route in the late afternoon or early morning is a far better option than attacking it midday.
Description
Park your vehicle for free, carefully mount your front wheel, hit the trailhead at the northeast end of the second (larger) parking area, and head east for 0.2 miles, then head north on Cheeseboro Canyon Trail, which is actually a fire road. After 1.4 nearly level miles, leave the riparian landscape behind and turn right up the Cheeseboro Ridge Fire Road to get the blood flowing.
After 0.6 miles, turn left on Cheeseboro Ridge instead of going straight and continuing to Las Virgenes Canyon. You may start to wonder why the flora is so different here from other parts the Santa Monica Mountains. Years of cattle grazing have left the Cheeseboro Canyon area with nothing more than brush and oak trees, contrasting with the plethora of bushes, small trees, and shrubs that compose other unmolested areas of the Santa Monicas. Livestock grazing has created millions of acres of this same landscape in the foothills of California from San Diego to the Oregon border, so you should appreciate the park service a lot more after seeing this place.
Who needs GPS when there are signs everywhere?
Nevertheless, this relatively new natural world has its own special beauty, despite being an entirely man-made conception. You may think the miles of grass fields would make a great habitat for snakes, and they do. If, when riding here from spring through autumn, you did not see at least one snake, you simply weren’t looking hard enough. Perhaps the abundance of prey for these snakes in the grasses explains why the Cheeseboro Canyon area boasts the largest concentration of predatory birds in the lower 48.
With the exception of one really steep, loose hill, the next 1.8 miles are well-groomed fire road with no technical subtleties. The heat, however, will make you feel as if you recovered more than the measly 600-foot elevation gain over that stretch. At the 4-mile mark, you’ll reach a geological formation known as the Baleen Wall—a rocky structure to perch atop while sipping H2O and eating mountain bike confections. See if you can spot birds of prey as you peer across the vista, which includes Las Virgenes Canyon, Bell Canyon, and the Simi Hills. The land formations below provide an indication of what the area would look like without years of livestock grazing.
Two small climbs between two descents will be featured in the next 1.4 miles, with some loose rocks to keep you at attention. Stay left to avoid going up a nasty hill to the north, and after a brief bit of singletrack, turn left onto the famous Sulfur Springs Trail, roughly 5.4 miles from the start. The trail descends Cheeseboro Canyon and includes bumpy slickrock, tight turns, and intersections with Cheeseboro Creek, all of which will rattle your joints and put your bike prep to the test. About halfway down, a deft sense of smell will tell you this place was named aptly, and you may notice milky-colored water bubbling into the creek where the sulfuric stench is the thickest. This phenomenon isn’t the result of a leaky septic system or runoff from a fireworks factory—it’s purely natural and emanates from the bowels of the Earth.
Sadly, the singletrack ends at the 7.7-mile mark, where Sulfur Springs Trail widens, becomes a fire road, and merges with familiar territory just beyond the 8-mile mark. When you get back to your car, smile knowing that you beat the system and spent your free time in nature, rather than in front of the mind-numbing boob tube. You can quell your boredom at work the following day by daydreaming about riding the same route in reverse.
After the Ride
Since you just worked hard and burned many calories, you deserve a gluttonous visit to Islands Restaurant at 29271 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills; (818) 879-9933. Yes, it’s a major franchise ran by a large corporation, but the burgers are world-class, and there’s Newcastle Nut Brown Ale on tap.