China Hole Trail

Dogs No Dogs

E-Bikes Allowed

Features Views

Parking for day use at the Coe Ranch entrance/park headquarters is $8 per vehicle.

China Hole is a singletrack trail which crosses a narrow canyon in the middle of the park, between Mahoney Meadows Road and Manzanita Point Road, and is a more technically challenging and scenic alternative to the main Poverty Flat access road.

It can be ridden in either direction, and either will result in an entertaining downhill initially, followed by a reasonably strenuous climb back out again - slightly less so in the direct show here, as the trail on the west side of the canyon has less of a gradient/is slightly longer for a similar elevation change. It is moderately challenging in some places, including some exposure combined with a narrow trail, together with minor hazards and tighter switchbacks.

Heading north-west, initially the route winds through the shade of the trees on top of the ridge, before heading downhill on a more open hillside. The trail then enters the woods again and features a number of tighter switchback turns, and some more rocky terrain before you reach the creek at China Hole itself.

You cross the [dry] creek diagonally to the right for a short distance (although in spring I suspect there is some water to navigate) and the initial climb is quite steep, before levelling off to a more gradual gradient after you pass the fork junction with the Mile trail to Madrone Soda Springs campground (hiking only).

This uphill is pretty relentless the whole way (over 1000ft climb), although the gradient is never particularly severe. Note there are a number of very tight switchback corners in the first mile or so ascent which you'll almost certainly have to maneuver your bike around manually.

Approximately half the way up is a junction with the Cougar Trail, which leads back down to join Poverty Flat. The uppermost portion of China Hole then winds its way along the contours at a more consistent elevation to end at the campground (with vault toilet and also potable water) at the Manzanita Point camps.

It is worth noting that while there are two alternative (bike legal) trails which also connect to China Hole at the base of the canyon (Creekside and Los Cruzeros) both are very much hiking trails being narrow and steep, so would require some hike-a-biking to get through, and therefore I would not personally recommend them.