The Great Loop is a 6.5 mile beginner trail with splashes of intermediacy. It has an elevation gain of 650' and follows along the Brizzolara and Stenner Creed watersheds. It offers some grueling uphill and dauntingly fast downhill sure to keep your knuckles white for the duration of the ride.

Start the ride at the gate on the Northwest corner of campus just below the Cerro Vista housing complex. The first section of the ride follows Brizzolara Creek for .75 miles to the arch at the architectural area. A right turn will continue the ride up a hill, past Peterson ranch buildings and back onto the open fire road which extends all the way through Poly Canyon. As you pass through several gates (make sure to close them behind you), one can easily notice the abundance of Coast Live Oak and lush riparian environment that dominate the Brizzolara Creek watershed. The next portion of the ride takes the rider up the most grueling portion of the ride. This climb follows a step-like series of climbs, giving the rider small areas of flat ground to rest for the next climb. At the top of the hill, there are three trail options: a left turn leads to a single track that we call “the Modified Great Loop,” a right turn takes the rider up a steep technical climb that drops the rider out on the train tracks above, and going straight through the cattle fence continues the Great Loop. At this point, the trail the arduous climbs are rewarded with some fast, open-road downhill broken up only by the gate at Serrano Ranch in the middle of the Stenner Creek watershed. Cross Stenner Creek at the old bard and make a left, following Stenner Creek back towards the trestle.

Click the red trail for a virtual tour of the Great Loop.

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