This is an intermediate-to-difficult ride in the Santa Ana Mountains, starts from Orange County and reaches Santiago Peak to the south and Sierra Peak to the north, with an option to climb Modjeska Peak in the middle.
Plan to spend all day with significant elevation changes and varying terrain from hardpack dirt to shale plus a few rock gardens to negotiate. You’ll be rewarded with fantastic 360-degree views from the Pacific Ocean to the Inland Valleys and interesting sites including the old homestead ruins of Beek’s Place.
This is currently an out and back ride, but the experience is quite different in each direction. Infrequently, the gates to access roads such as Bedford Motorway or Ortega Highway allow entry or departure to the East or South respectively but be sure to check the Cleveland National Forest alerts page on the USFS website for current status.
Be sure to bring lots of water and something to eat, because this can a deceptively exhausting ride, especially in warmer temps.
Route Stats
| Length (miles) | 196 |
| Duration (hours) | 8 |
| Technical Difficulty / Terrain (1-10) | 7 |
| Scenic / Historic (1-10) | 7 |
| Two-Up Friendly | No |
