Old Ranch Trail – White Oak Trail loop from Portola Valley
Old Ranch Trail – White Oak Trail loop from Portola Valley
2.6
(19)
74
riders
Old Ranch Trail – White Oak Trail loop from Portola Valley
04:30
38.7km
1,080m
Mountain biking
Hard mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the route may require you to push your bike. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.
Last updated: June 26, 2026
Tips
Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted
After 30.8 km for 204 m
Waypoints
Start point
Parking
Get Directions
9.98 km
Stevens Creek Nature Trail
Highlight (Segment) • Trail
Tip by
11.0 km
Bella Vista Trail
Highlight (Segment) • Trail
Tip by
12.2 km
Old Ranch Trail
Highlight (Segment) • Trail
Tip by
15.5 km
Steve's Creek and Canyon Trail Junction
Highlight • Trail
Tip by
20.3 km
White Oak Trail
Highlight (Segment) • Trail
Before the White Oak Trail re-routing, I used to do this ride as a clockwise loop (and used to show it on this page in the same way), traversing White Oak Trail uphill. That was because I found White Oak too short, steep, and wide to be interesting for descent. (The ruts may have been an interesting descent challenge for some, but still...) I used to think that it was at least a good climbing challenge to test one's mettle. After the re-routing, I've changed this to a counter-clockwise loop, because the beautiful singletrack that's the newer White Oak Trail is much more fun to descend than to climb, in my opinion.
The new White Oak Trail has some more off-camber spots than I would have expected from a new trail. Nothing too sketchy, but it does discourage you a little bit from speeding. When I come to think of it, the only other major singletrack trail in this park, Bella Vista Trail, also has quite a few off-camber sections. Perhaps it's something about erosion control. Or speed control. There's also at least one particular hairpin turn on White Oak that's a little over the top in its tightness. But maybe that's a good thing; those of us with superhuman bike control skills need some spots where they can test themselves as well.
The last quarter mile of White Oak Trail (after crossing a minor tributary creek over a bridge) has you pedaling uphill at a moderate grade.
Tip by
28.3 km
Borel Hill
Highlight • Summit
Tip by
30.8 km
Coal Creek Open Space Preserve (closed area)
Nature Reserve
38.7 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
14.5 km
12.5 km
7.98 km
3.44 km
254 m
Surfaces
13.1 km
10.2 km
7.24 km
6.70 km
1.16 km
254 m
< 100 m
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Elevation
Highest point (810 m)
Lowest point (200 m)
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Weather
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Today
Thursday 16 July
24°C
12°C
0 %
Additional weather tips
Max wind speed: 10.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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