The most heavily used area of Fort Ord Public Lands. It sees lots of short duration use such as folks exercising before work, at lunch or after work and having an hour or so to make use of the trails. Most of the users are mountain bicycle riders but a large number of runners are also using the ridge trails. Users are entering by foot from the housing subdivisions along Toro Creek as well as the official entrance at Old Reservation Rd/Creekside Terrace Rd Gate.
3-D Views: North, West, South and East
Old Reservation Road - ( Creekside Terrace Road on some maps ): Abandoned County road, moderate climb from either end. The elevation gain is one half the elevation needed to achieve the mesa summit. Port-a-potty located just inside gate by about 1/10th mile. Access to Trails 30, 02, 33 and Engineer Canyon Rd. It receives traffic from Trail 31. Bicycles descend at over 25 mph and ascend around 10 mph.
Length 1.01 miles Green Square Multiuse road. Bi-directional use: Foot>Bicycle>Horse
Engineer Canyon Road: Gentle rise from an altitude of 80 feet to an altitude of 350 feet with one section of soft sand in summer. The road then descends quickly to an altitude of 320 feet. Used as access to and from trails up on the ridge served by Trail 36. Bicycle speeds on descent exceed 20 mph and average 12 mph on ascent.
Length 1.54 miles Green Square Multiuse road. Bi-directional use: Bicycle>Horse>Foot
Jacks Road: Ascending 250 feet from Oil Well Road then descending to cross Pilarcitos Creek at 180 feet then climbing 200 feet to descend and end on Eucalyptus road at and altitude of 160 feet. The climb from Skyline Rd to Trail 05/10 intersection with Jacks Rd is about 210 feet. This road primarily ties the Skyline and Pilarcitos Canyon Rd into the trails served by Trail 36 and 10. It is also used by a significant degree by cyclists riding road or touring bicycles who are coming in from Barloy Canyon Rd/North South Rd, Eucalyptus Rd and Barloy Canyon/East Garrison. Bicycles descend from the summit at speeds over 40 mph and ascend the steeper sections at 4 mph.
Length 3.72 miles Green Square Multiuse road. Bi-directional use: Bicycle>Horse>Foot
Trail 02: Sand road starts out gentle enough at an altitude of 70 feet then becomes quite steep and rutted before it crests the ridge at an altitude of 350 to descend through soft sand to Jacks Road at an altitude of 120 feet. Soft sand on southern segment and ruts on northern segment make this trail more difficult than its grade would predict. Bicycle descent speeds average 12 mph due to the sand on the south side and the ruts on the north side of the ridge crested by Trail 34. Ascent speeds are 4 to 6 mph. The sandstone mesa to the west has a number of shallow caves which show no evidence of habitation.
Length 0.98 miles Black Diamond Multiuse road. Bi-directional use: Foot>Horse>Bicycle.
Trail 03: Sand road rises from and altitude of 200 feet on Old Reservation Road to an up sloping sandstone mesa cresting at 430 feet before descending to Engineer Canyon Rd at 340 feet and then rising to Jacks Rd at 490 feet. Bicycles speed on downhill segments in excess of 25 mph and climb from 6 to 10 mph.
Length1.32 miles Green Square Multiuse road. Bi-directional use: Bicycle>Foot>Horse
Trail 04: Single track, the lower portion of this short trail traverses a very sandy ravine which many riders will find a challenge to pedal through. The head of the ravine becomes quite steep and eroded. Many cyclists will walk this segment on ascent and only expert cyclists will descend over the ruts without walking. Bicycles ascend and descend slowly due to the ruts and sand.
Length 0.32 miles Black Diamond Multiuse trail. Bi-directional use: Foot>Horse> Bicycle
Trail 30 - "Hobo": Single track. This segment parallels Old Reservation Road to the north. It has a few sandy pockets but is otherwise a nice ride. It affords a good view of the Salinas Valley from its crest at around 200 feet. Bicycle speeds average 12 mph. The oil pipeline crosses just before Trail 30 connects with Old Reservation Rd across from Trail 03. Water runoff is coursing down the center of this trail in winter causing erosion.
Length 0.72 miles Blue Circle Multiuse trail. Bi-directional use: Bicycle>Foot>Horse
Trail 31 - "Boy Scout": Single track. The section from 04 to the ridge line is a gentle to moderate grade on firm sand and a much more preferred cycling route to the section of 02 which it parallels. The section of 31 which descends to Old Reservation Road is eroded with narrow gullies. Novice to intermediate riders may well prefer to walk the steeper pitches. Usually traversed from 04 to ridge crest but use for this segment is bi-directional. The segment from the ridge crest to Old Reservation Rd is almost always traversed downhill. Bicycles descend at speeds around 15 mph and ascend the south side at 10 mph. (Historical Note: This trail gets its common name from the fact it passes through an old Boy Scout Camp. The central cabin, small amphitheater behind the cabin, water tank, cement tables and fire pits are still visible in the area.)
Length 1.04 miles Blue Circle and Black Diamond Multiuse trail. Bi-directional use: Bicycle>Foot>Horse
Trail 32 - "Nothing" & "No Name": Single track on a moderate slope. Winding descent through the trees on the North side of the ridge. Some poison oak along the trail which becomes more of an issue as the summer progresses. This trail is usually done as a descent from the ridge to the floor of Engineer Canyon. If you climb on the weekends or week days in the late afternoon, you may surprise descending riders. Watch for some bush stubs cut at about 12 inches on the left side of trail near top as they can "grab" your front wheel. Bicycle speeds average 15 mph.
Length 0.28 miles Black Diamond Multiuse trail. Unidirectional down: Bicycle>Horse>Foot
Trail 33: Single track which joins and leaves 03. Note that there are two entrances to 33 from Engineer Canyon. One is at the intersection with 36, 03 and EC Rd and the other is 0.15 miles down slope of this intersection in the direction of Jacks Rd. This lower entrance is very sandy and best traversed by bicycles in the descending direction. Bicycle speeds exceed 20 mph on descent and average 8 mph on ascent.
Length 1.80 miles Blue Circle Multiuse trail. Bi-directional use: Bicycle>Foot>Horse
Trial 34 - "The Staircase": This trail segment has a short section which can be ridden up or down by only expert cyclists. However, the sandstone slope provides natural steps and thus can be negotiated by most riders on foot with a shouldered bike. Horses descending should find firm footing but scratches on the sandstone indicate some slipping does occur. Bi-directional link between 02, 31 and 33. Bicycle speeds are essentially walking speed for the steep section of this short trail.
Length 0.08 miles Double Black Diamond Multiuse trail. Bi-directional: Bicycle>Foot>Horse
© Nick Mackenzie 2001-2002
Updated 10/30/06 12:16:18
