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Surprisingly technical singletrack for suburban Silicon Valley.


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Map Key

7.4

Miles

12.0

KM

75%

Singletrack

705' 215 m

High

326' 99 m

Low

1,087' 331 m

Up

1,083' 330 m

Down

6%

Avg Grade (3°)

23%

Max Grade (13°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Open sunrise to sunset. Trail are multi-use, but you're not likely to see horses here. Dogs are permitted on leash.

Overview

Waterdog Open Space consists of steep sided Chaparral surrounding a small lake, nestled in suburban Silicon Valley. But don't let that fool you, this is a surprisingly technical trail system if you stay off the fire road.

Need to Know

Watch out for Poison Oak. Recommend tick spray in early Spring.

Description

This 6.8 mile loop covers most of the trails in the park and almost all of the singletrack. The trail is often narrow and traverses steep sided chaparral. It's laid out for bike riding so while it's sometimes steep, it's always rideable. There are a few steep loose, rutted sections and narrow wooden bridges that may intimidate the less experienced rider, but they can be easily avoided.

The loop takes an hour or less if you're fit and don't stop, more than an hour if you stop or are not familiar with the route. Once you have it dialed in this can be a rip-snortingly fast ride. Have fun!

Contacts

Shared By:

John Harris with improvements by Mike Anciaux and 2 others

Trail Ratings

  4.2 from 109 votes

#143

Overall
  4.2 from 109 votes
5 Star
39%
4 Star
43%
3 Star
15%
2 Star
4%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#21

in California

#143

Overall
126 Views Last Month
45,617 Since Apr 29, 2013
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult

0%
5%
33%
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43%
1%

Photos

Good video showing the trails of Water Dog.
Sep 9, 2019 near San Carlos, CA
Water Dog Lake Open Space - Finch Trail - Rambler Trail
Aug 28, 2018 near San Carlos, CA
On Rambler Trail, random abandoned car as a singletrack feature. Another cool easter egg in the park.
Aug 24, 2020 near San Carlos, CA
Taking a break after climbing the switchbacks
Aug 15, 2015 near San Carlos, CA
At the top of Chaparral, coming from John Brooks Trail.
Jan 17, 2021 near San Carlos, CA
On Rambler Trail, random abandoned car as a singletrack feature. Another cool easter egg in the park.
Aug 24, 2020 near San Carlos, CA
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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 36 days ago
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