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NorCal birding and mountain biking (1 Viewer)

loopybunny

loopybunny

novice birder
I've recently started riding my bike again and I'm growing frustrated by the lack of access mountain bikers have in California's parks. I mostly just ride around town, but I have a new bike and she's just itching to hit the dirt. My girl has had a taste of the dirt at the river near me, but the trails are sparse and I'm probably not supposed to be riding my bike on them.

Now, I do realize that actually birding while riding my bike is probably not the most brilliant idea, but I'm looking for some good places in Northern California from about the Bay Area and eastward across the state that offers good birding and easy to moderate trails with mountain bike access. And by mountain bike access I mean actual dirt trails and not sharing the road with motor vehicles.

So far it seems that Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland and Mt. Diablo State Park are my best bet.

Any suggestions?
 
Without wanting to start an argument, I'll just point out that most mountain bikers, in my experience, are not interested in birding or going slow and enjoying nature on the trails - many want to bike fast and furious. If you're a hiker and birder like me, sharing trails with bikers is not fun. On the other hand, I do think we need trails for bikers as well, and I respect the exercise and carbon-free sport that mountain bikers enjoy.
 
kschnei said:
Without wanting to start an argument, I'll just point out that most mountain bikers, in my experience, are not interested in birding or going slow and enjoying nature on the trails - many want to bike fast and furious.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that doesn't describe me. Not to say I don't enjoy some mad speed, but I'm not skilled enough to rip down trails at high speeds. I've found when I'm alone, I prefer to go as fast as possible, but if I'm with someone, I take it easy and social.

I used to just hike and bird watch, but I'm training for a charity ride so I've spending much more time on the bike. Still, my friend and I plan on a lot of casual riding with frequent stopping to wait for birds and gawk. I know it's not the most ideal, but most of the places I hike have kids running and screaming along the trails anyhow.
 
Hi Loopybunny,

You probably already know this, but if not, portions of the Bay Trail are pretty good for birding. For example, you could do a loop between Palo Alto Baylands and Shoreline in Mountain View. A lot of the trail goes right by sloughs with plenty of birding.

Also, you might try some of the Midpeninsula Region Open Space Preserves. Many of them have trails that permit mountain biking, and you can sometimes chain trails together from one preserve to the next.
 
Bidwell Park in Chico. Huge. A zillion trails. Great local folks.

A bunch of years ago a buddy and I birded during the whole "Wildflower Century Ride" ---- which just happened again this past weekend --- 4000 riders. We had our binos hangin' around our necks the whole time. People would ask us what we were doing. Our reply would be, "We take the total number of species seen and subtract that from our time ---- hoping to win the race."

Their reply would be, "It's just a fun ride - not a race". Our reply would be that we were foreignerz. Anyway, we still won. Got to drink all the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at the finish that we could. Had to pay for it though.

Another nice spot would be Lava Beds National Mounment and Tule Lake. Bazillions of everything and very few folks. And the local farm fields smell like Horse Radish...... I guess because they grow it there. Nice camping in the park though and great birds, flowers, etc.

In Chico you'd stay in a hotel and party at night with 8000 college girls. Tough business. Good luck.............chris
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not familiar with the Bay Trail. I'll need to look that up. There is also a trail in Sonoma Co. that's supposed to be decent, paved, but decent.

I did hit Joaquin Miller Park last weekend with a friend and caught a lifer before I "ate dirt" on the trail - totally unrelated incidents by the way.
 
Bidwell Park looks pretty. Unfortunately, Chico is a little too far. I think it's about 3 hours.

And I was hoping you were kidding about the college girls. I'm female and really don't need to party with any of them. :eek:)
 
Yeah, I'm with ya. And the college boys are for the most part kinda' tools. If you look into our local Audubon chapter "Altacal" there's often good (up to date) info on birds and birding places around here and points south. If you can travel a bit I'd also recommend any National Forest and the National Parks. Cycling and birding in the King's Canyon (Cedar Grove) in Sequoia and King's Parks can be quite excellent. Good luck to ya.........chris

photo is of wife of twenty years

Chico is still a fun place to party with or without the college crowd.
 

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King's Canyon and Sequoia are gorgeous. It's been years since I've been there, at least 5.

I've been wanting to take my bike to Yosemite since I moved down here, but I haven't managed yet. I've been there probably 20 times in the last 7 years, but not with the bike.
 
Just so you know. Memorial Day is also the spring Strawberry Music Festival.

http://www.strawberrymusic.com/home.asp

My wife and I have gone for 20 years. It's on the Hetch Hetchy Road (a left just before the Yosemite Park entrance on 120). Though a great and friendly music fest -it's also great birds. Very 'bikey' too. Many people ride the forest service roads - or the main road to the dam.

A very close friend of mine leads the birding walk and other nature walks there. We've had Spotted Owls, Pileated and White Headed Woodpeckes, Tanagers, etc. right at our camp. Loads of warblers........ nice setting at 5000 feet. A very family event - but still a big party. No offense to other fests ---- but it's not 'druggy'. Just athought.....chris
 
I'll second the recommendation for the Midpeninsula Region Open Space Preserves.

I'd also like to highly recommend Henry Coe State Park. It's the 2nd largest state park in the state, and has miles of dirt roads open to mountain biking. Great spot to have a long pleasant ride and then stop for some birding.

I've been combining the two activities in southern california and it's a nice way to get away from the crowds and hit an out of the way birding spot.
 
kschnei said:
Without wanting to start an argument, I'll just point out that most mountain bikers, in my experience, are not interested in birding or going slow and enjoying nature on the trails - many want to bike fast and furious. If you're a hiker and birder like me, sharing trails with bikers is not fun. On the other hand, I do think we need trails for bikers as well, and I respect the exercise and carbon-free sport that mountain bikers enjoy.
Click to expand...


respectfully, if you didn't want to start an argument, then why did you even post this? Nowhere in your response have you offered any sort of feedback for the original poster who asked for suggestions for trails and not for feedback on what you think of mountain bikers. . . so your intentions are suspect.
My point is, if you don't have anything nice/helpful to say, why say anything at all here?
 
I would think "Pinnacles" National Park would be good too ---- though I've never been there. I know many international visitors include it on a California birding trip. I'm sure it's got roads ---- perhaps even a few dirt ones for riding. I would assume the trails are off limits to bicycles.
 
Chris D said:
I would think "Pinnacles" National Park would be good too ---- though I've never been there. I know many international visitors include it on a California birding trip. I'm sure it's got roads ---- perhaps even a few dirt ones for riding. I would assume the trails are off limits to bicycles.
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They have condors there too!

Unfortunately, I can't find anything on their site regarding biking.
 
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