Wood Ranch Area Trails

Overview of adjacent areas

Details for	Area Overview	Area Photos	Area Videos
Wood Ranch and Lang Ranch Areas

Map Key

[1] Albertson Fire Road and Montgomery Fire Road

Description
Except for about 0.75 miles of single track to bypass some private property, this is 100% fire road, and mostly climbing. This is one way, although not an easy one, to get to China Flat and the Cheeseboro area. In the summertime this area is very hot and there is no shade. Take lots of water and brush up on your first aid for victims of heat exhaustion. The profile below pretty much tells the story: lots of climbing to get to China Flat. About 2.5 miles from the trailhead there is a gate on the north side of the road that blocks a short connector to the Ridgeline single track. The road connects to the Edison road that is part of the Bell Canyon Loop. About 5.5 miles from the trailhead the road turns east through a locked gate but continues straight ahead as Montgomery Fire Road. Les than a mile further on Montgomery Fire Road dead ends at a locked gate.
If you think this trail is steep, see how it compares to other steep trails.

Length (miles)
3.0 to China Flat Access. 6.2 to the locked gate on Montgomery Fire Road

Climb (feet)
1700, 1200 to the China Flat connector

Descent (feet)
900, 240 to China Flat connector
Back to the Top

Trail Profile

[2] Sunset Hills Single Track
Description	This trail starts very close to the parking lot at the south end of Wood Ranch Parkway and ends at the north brach of the Lang Loop fire road. To get to the trailhead, ride from the parking lot to the short paved road that extends Long Canyon Road west about a block. Ride to the west end then go through the gate, following the fence line of the houses. Shortly you'll come to a concrete drainage ditch. Be very careful if you come back this way - it will be downhill then and the ditch isn't visible until the last moment! The trail will continue past "Micro Moab" and skirts some new development, crosses fire road [3] and ends at Lang Loop. This is a pretty easy trail with no strenuous climbs or technical sections.
Length (miles)	1.2
Climb (feet)	300
Descent (feet)	180	Back to the Top

Trail Profile

[3] Name not known
Description	This trail is a fire road but most of it doesn't seem to get much if any vehicular traffic so would be better classified as a double-track. In some spots it's barely wide enough to be called even that. There are three sections to this road. The first, from the start at Sunset Hills Trail, climbs up to a ridge where you can overlook Wood Ranch on one side and the Lang Loop trail on the other. Expect some ruts here and a couple of steep and nasty but not very long climbs. Next is the section between the intersection with Lang Loop and the intersection with Ridgeline Trail. The road here is very well maintained and climbs gently. The last section is downhill to Albertson Fire Road. It's rocky at first where it's steepest, but soon becomes pretty smooth. It's all downhill to Albertson Fire Road except for the last few hundred yards. If you plan to go down Albertson, there is a cutoff trail to the right that is only a dozen yards long that will let you avoid most of the climb up to the junction.
Length (miles)	2.7
Climb (feet)	780 (starting near the Sunset Hills Trail end)
Descent (feet)	660	Back to the Top

Trail Profile

[4] Long Canyon Trail
Description	This is a single track that starts at [3] not far north of where [3] meets the Lang Loop and ends at the parking lot. Most of it is steep and loose so this is not a good trail for novices. Recommended direction of travel: down.
Length (miles)	0.9
Climb (feet)	50
Descent (feet)	430	Back to the Top

Trail Profile

[5] Lang Loop Fire Road
Description	This fire road gets its name from the fact that, along with a little piece of Albertson Fire Road, it starts and ends in Lang Ranch. The trailhead for the northern branch is at the end of Westlake Blvd where it intersects with Autumn Ridge Drive. The trail is well maintained. It mostly climbs, in one spot very steeply, up to the intersection with [3] and beyond to the Rocky Single Track. From there it descends remarkably evenly to the Albertson Fire road. The Albertson trailhead is 0.6 miles west at the end of Lang Ranch Parkway. To complete the loop, ride west on Lang Ranch Parkway (not up the hill; that way is north) a couple of blocks to Oak Valley Lane, turn right and continue until Westlake Blvd comes in from the left.
Length (miles)	2.35
Climb (feet)	570 (Starting at the Westlake Blvd trailhead in Lang Ranch)
Descent (feet)	560	Back to the Top

Trail Profile

[6] Rocky Single Track, AKA Hidden Canyon Trail Mark took the photos that make up this panorama - Thanks, Mark!
Description	This single track starts at the highest point of the Lang Loop and descends to [3] about 0.4 miles before it meets Albertson Fire Road. It is very rocky in many sections and should be left to experienced riders.
Length (miles)	0.6
Climb (feet)	130
Descent (feet)	320

Trail Profile Back to the Top

[7] Ridgeline Single Track
Description	This is a very fun single track that starts at the top of fire road [3] and follows the crest of a ridge. Some of the climbs are a little steep but not technical, except for the last descent which ends at the private BPHA equestian road 0.3 miles from where it joins the Albertson Fire Road at a closed gate. Even so, and out and back ride is okay because this trail is equally fun to ride in both direction although it is somewhat more difficult going east because there is more climbing.
Length (miles)	1.0
Climb (feet)	280
Descent (feet)	230 Back to the Top

Trail Profile

[8] Bell Canyon Loop Connector ("The Chute")
Description	This short single track starts with a short scramble down from Albertson Fire Road to a lovely, easy and shady ride through the trees. It joins the Edison road 0.3 miles west of the single track that is part of the Bell Canyon Loop.
Length (miles)	0.3
Climb (feet)	zero (when starting at the Albertson Fire Road)
Descent (feet)	140	Back to the Top

[9] Lang Ranch Area
Description	This trail is a mixture of Edison roads and single tracks. It's good to ride when you are really tired of everything else in the area, about once every 4 years. Most of it doesn't have anything to recommend it except the first mile from the western end, where the panoramic photo at the top of the area page was taken. This whole area contains a large number of intersecting dead-end trail and roads so expect to get lost. The western trailhead is on Lang Ranch Parkway, just east of Westlake Blvd.	A rare photo of Steve
Length (miles)	3.6
Climb (feet)	1100 (starting at the west end)
Descent (feet)	900	Back to the Top

Trail Profile

This page last updated on June 10, 2007

Thanks for looking at Steve's guide to trails in Ventura County, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and other locations.

[1] Albertson Fire Road and Montgomery Fire Road
Description	Except for about 0.75 miles of single track to bypass some private property, this is 100% fire road, and mostly climbing. This is one way, although not an easy one, to get to China Flat and the Cheeseboro area. In the summertime this area is very hot and there is no shade. Take lots of water and brush up on your first aid for victims of heat exhaustion. The profile below pretty much tells the story: lots of climbing to get to China Flat. About 2.5 miles from the trailhead there is a gate on the north side of the road that blocks a short connector to the Ridgeline single track. The road connects to the Edison road that is part of the Bell Canyon Loop. About 5.5 miles from the trailhead the road turns east through a locked gate but continues straight ahead as Montgomery Fire Road. Les than a mile further on Montgomery Fire Road dead ends at a locked gate. If you think this trail is steep, see how it compares to other steep trails.
Length (miles)	3.0 to China Flat Access. 6.2 to the locked gate on Montgomery Fire Road
Climb (feet)	1700, 1200 to the China Flat connector
Descent (feet)	900, 240 to China Flat connector	Back to the Top