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Crystal Springs Reservoir dam – San Andreas Lake loop from San Mateo

Crystal Springs Reservoir dam – San Andreas Lake loop from San Mateo

Hard

3.2

(19)

riders

Crystal Springs Reservoir dam – San Andreas Lake loop from San Mateo

03:50

79.5km

1,010m

Road cycling

Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: March 24, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 37.6 km for 77 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

6.75 km

Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir

Highlight • Lake

The 15-mile Crystal Springs Regional Trail is one of the best mostly paved bike trails with few cars in the Bay Area. It spans from San Bruno to Woodside and is routed along three gorgeous lakes and connector links amid riparian woodlands. On Sundays, you can combine the San Andreas and Sawyer Camp segments to south of Highway 92 to Cañada Road, which is closed to cars for Bicycle Sundays (See komoot.com/tour/11413421)
Speed limit: 15 mph, difficult for high-end road bikes to stay below, so bring a bell: some hikers stand and talk in the center of the trail ;-)
San Andreas segment: From Skyline Boulevard south of San Bruno Avenue the trail drops to the head of San Andreas Lake, with pretty views across to the west of the wilderness slope of Montara Mountain. It rides along the lake 2 miles to an access point near Larkspur and 0.6 miles to another (at Hillcrest) where it connects to the Sawyer Camp segment.
Sawyer Camp segment: This is a gorgeous, easy bike ride, where you drop 400 feet over the span of 6 miles to Crystal Springs Dam. The route descends into riparian woodlands for 2.5 miles to Jepson Laurel picnic grounds, then runs along Crystal Springs Reservoir for 5.2 miles. You can continue another 1.7 miles to Cañada Road for Bicycle Sunday (no cars).
Cañada Road/Crystal Springs segment: South along Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir for 2.1 miles to the Pulgas Water Temple. It continues another 2.1 miles past Filoli Botanical Center and Phleger Estate to Edgewood Road
sfgate.com/outdoors/sundaydrive/article/Crystal-Springs-Trail-links-lakes-woodlands-4723374.php
parks.smcgov.org/crystal-springs-regional-trail

Tip by

9.58 km

Crystal Springs Reservoir dam

Highlight (Segment) • Monument

The dam separating upper and lower Crystal Springs Reservoir also serves as a crossing for Hwy 35/92

Tip by

12.6 km

Mountain Pass

34.3 km

Montara Beach Overlook

Highlight • Viewpoint

High above the coast the view opens up to the south down the long, wild sandy beach

Tip by

35.1 km

Gray Whale Cove State Beach

Highlight • Beach

Great amount of wild flowers and amazing visas of the ocean. Spotted a whale.

Tip by

36.6 km

Egg Rock — Devil's Slide

Highlight • Natural Monument

Egg Rock is an example of a successful environmental restoration: Once home to a bird colony of thousands of Common Murres, the colony was wiped out by a 1986 catastrophic oil spill. Restoration started in 1996, and by 2013 a viable population was reached again. Still, it took more than 6 millions dollars and 27 years, all the while other less visible consequences of the oil spill might be less visible ... You will need to use a strong zoom or the nearby monoculars to see the birds on the island (never mind the ravens often sitting on the cliffs just next to the road).

Tip by

37.6 km

Viewpoint

41.5 km

Rockaway Beach — Bike Trail Switchbacks

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

8 paved switchbacks are a smooth and fairly gentle way to climb the steep Arami Point cliff south out of Rockaway Beach.

Tip by

60.2 km

San Andrea's Lake View

Highlight • Viewpoint

Beautiful stretch of biking/walking path, relatively flat with a few short minor hills. The view of the lake is gorgeous!

Tip by

64.7 km

San Andreas Lake

Highlight • Lake

San Andreas Lake is a hidden gem tucked into the hills of San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco. Originally a natural sag pond formed by the San Andreas Fault, it was transformed into a reservoir in the late 1800s and now serves as a vital water source for the region. The lake is off-limits for swimming or boating, but you can enjoy its peaceful beauty from the San Andreas Trail or the popular Sawyer Camp Trail, which runs along its eastern edge. It's a serene spot where you can walk or bike with sweeping views of the water and surrounding hills, all while standing right on one of the world’s most famous fault lines. Despite its proximity to urban life, San Andreas Lake offers a quiet, scenic escape steeped in natural and historical significance.

Tip by

79.5 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

48.6 km

19.0 km

9.51 km

2.29 km

161 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

76.1 km

2.97 km

490 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (260 m)

Lowest point (0 m)

Weather

Today

Sunday 10 May

17°C

11°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 34.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Crystal Springs Reservoir dam – San Andreas Lake loop from San Mateo

Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir

Crystal Springs Reservoir dam

Montara Beach Overlook

Gray Whale Cove State Beach

Egg Rock — Devil's Slide

Rockaway Beach — Bike Trail Switchbacks

San Andrea's Lake View

San Andreas Lake

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