Mountains to Sea - Mountain Bike Trail

Have you ever wondered how riding past five or more cities would feel? The Mountains to Sea Trail at the 50,000-acre Irvine Ranch Land Reserve, Orange, California, gives you the perfect opportunity to realize that dream. This trail takes you through five cities and a portion of Orange County.

Of course, that means constant and exciting changes in scenery and topography as you pedal through the trail.

Before you go:

Drinking water

Restrooms

Fee required

Lift service

Fat bike grooming

Family Friendly

Night riding

E-bikes allowed

Dogs Allowed

Obstacles

Shuttles

Detailed Trail Description

The Mountain to Seat Trail is for both easy and intermediate mountain bikers. The difference is in the trailhead you choose to start from. If you want to start off easy, park at either Irvine Regional Park or Peters Canyon Regional Park. Both parks are more accessible trailheads that offer minimal challenges.

If you start from either of them, you will travel through a few miles of dirt track that is followed by a paved surface. However, if you are bored of easy trails, our team of bike enthusiasts recommends the intermediate path. This trail’s trailhead is the Weir Canyon Nature Preserve. This trailhead is slightly behind Irvine Regional Park and Peters Canyon Regional Park.

The Weir Canyon Nature Preserve sets you off on a rugged, oak-filled surface that requires some technical riding to navigate. The trail takes you south towards smoother terrain. You will find the Irvine Regional Park trailhead shortly after the start of your ride. The Peters Canyon Regional Park trailhead is a few miles ahead.

Stay on the trail going south towards the coast, and you will find yourself riding through five cities and a portion of Orange County. The trail takes you through a dedicated route with no required stops, although there are about four street crossings you will need to ride past carefully.

Besides, as the name suggests, the Mountains to Sea Trail is a point-to-point ride, but you can decide not to reach the sea. The trail features mango drainage ways and county parks. You can choose to park at any of these parks for a shorter ride. However, if you decide to go all the way, continue on the dedicated trail, which is not well-marked.

Once the trail gets you to Big Canyon, your ride is almost done. Continue pedaling till you reach the sea up ahead.

Sights of Interest

1.      Carillo Tenant House

The Irvine Ranch agricultural headquarters along the Mountains to Sea Trail houses the Carillo Tenant House. The historic house was associated with Irvine Ranch’s operation during the early 20th century when James Irvine Jr. used tenant farmers to expand agricultural production. It is one of the few extant tenant houses still around the Irvine agricultural headquarters.

2.      Upper Newport Bay

The Mountains to Sea Trail takes you along the San Diego Creek Channel to Upper Newport Bay just before you finish your ride.

Precautions

The Mountains to Sea Trail features multiple busy crossings that can be dangerous if you don’t take enough caution. Therefore, our team of experts advises utmost caution at every crossing.