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A fun singletrack descent or tough climb with a beautiful view and a lot of elevation gain.


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Map Key

5.9

Miles

9.6

KM

Singletrack

3,775' 1,151 m

High

1,166' 355 m

Low

2,609' 795 m

Up

0' 0 m

Down

8%

Avg Grade (5°)

21%

Max Grade (12°)

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

Try to avoid riding here in the summer. Temps can easily reach the high 90's and the trail is very sun-exposed.

Description

Start at the end of Gridley Road - it dead ends at a gate to a private community. Parking is available along the road but is very limited.

The first part of the trail is very technical and rocky - parts of it are hike-a-bike.
At mile 0.4 you'll hit a fire road. Turn right and start climbing between the avocado fields. Please don't pick any avocados as they're private property.

At mile 0.7 you'll hit the last intersection for a while (until mile 5.8). Turn left and very quickly you'll be up in the mountains, gaining elevation on nice singletrack trails.

Between miles 1.5 and 3 you'll encounter a number of rock gardens. Some of them are quite technical, but all sections are ride-able.

Between miles 3 and 5, the trail becomes much steeper and narrower with a few switchbacks and washed-out sections. That is the most difficult part of the trail by far and you'll want to exercise extra caution here.

From mile 5 and on, the trail levels off and you're pretty much cruising to the top of the Gridley Trail for almost another mile.

At the end of Gridley Trail you'll hit Nordhoff Ridge Road which extends nearly 15 miles east-west. Turning left (West) will take you to Nordhoff Peak and Pratt Trail. Turning right (East) will take you to Sisar canyon and towards the Topatopa mountains.

The vegetation along the trail is low chaparral brush and small trees. The trail climbs North, so in the summer you'll be exposed to the sun most of the time. There are some creek crossings, but they tend to be wet only during the winter and they're rather shallow.

Contacts

Shared By:

Doron Weinstein

Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 13 votes

#2521

Overall
  4.4 from 13 votes
5 Star
62%
4 Star
23%
3 Star
8%
2 Star
8%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#172

in California

#2,521

Overall
72 Views Last Month
6,890 Since Nov 9, 2015
Difficult Difficult

0%
0%
8%
33%
58%
0%

Photos

Dropping into the 'horse trough' about halfway up Gridley. This shady spot is a good place to rest and regroup before the switchbacks start.
May 15, 2017 near Ojai, CA
Trail views from the Gridley Trail. Bear left here!
Nov 8, 2015 near Ojai, CA
Riding down Gridley Trail in Ojai, CA. Full ride top to bottom.
Jun 30, 2017 near Ojai, CA
Enjoy the view from the top of the Gridley Trail!
Nov 8, 2015 near Ojai, CA
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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 11 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Mar 12, 2022
Daniel Maguire
Trail is in good condition for the most part. Two narrow shale sections at the top are sketchy but doable. Trail brush is starting to get over grown. 5.9mi
May 18, 2021
Dean Banks
Up Gridley to Nordhoff tower, down Pratt, across Fire Break to the car. 14.8mi — 2h 53m
Mar 21, 2020
Ryan Parks
Apr 21, 2019
Casey Price
Dec 24, 2018
Cycling Escapes
18mi
Jul 25, 2018
karmichael
Water tub first site of water stream ,hot 2.9mi
Jun 26, 2018
Kevin Mayer
Amazing trail. Similar to strawberry peak loop in San Gabriels. Limited cell svc. Very steep 12.5mi — 4h 00m
Mar 6, 2017
Justin McBride
3mi
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