Make like Amgen Tour racers and bike Angeles National Forest

Today, in the penultimate race of the Amgen Tour of California, world-class cyclists like Lance Armstrong and race leader Levi Leipheimer are tackling the 88.9-mile Stage 7 route in Greater Los Angeles. During the stage, which began at noon, riders are pedaling their way out of Santa Clarita toward far-higher climes, wending their way through Angeles National Forest en route to their day’s destination, Pasadena’s Rose Bowl.

If you want to test your own skills by following in the pro cyclists’ treads, consult the Stage 7 map. The journey hits the 4,906-foot Millcreek Summit, which, according to the event website, is the “second-highest elevation ever reached in the Amgen Tour of California.” This is followed by a 15-mile downhill whir to Angeles Crest Highway.

But if you’re more inclined to leave the roadways to the professionals and prefer your two wheels fit to tackle mountain trails, Angeles National Forest has plenty to offer you, too. Comprising 1,000 square miles of wilderness area just north of Altadena, the forest features over 550 miles of hiking and equestrian trails, much of which are open to mountain bikes (off-limits to bikers are the Pacific Crest Trail and trails in the Wilderness Areas).

Favorites here among the mountain-biking set include the Arroyo Seco Trail and Brown Mountain Trail, according to the Calif. Travel and Tourism Commission. Arroyo Seco is appropriate for beginner to intermediate levels, while the single-track Brown Mountain Trail lures the more advanced.

The GORP website features interesting, detailed excerpts on both Arroyo Seco and Brown Mountain trails; the information was adapted from the book Mountain Biking in the San Gabriels by Robert Immler.

Contact: Angeles National Forest, (626) 574-1613

- Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: A trail in Angeles National Forest. Credit: USMARINE0311 on Flickr]

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This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 1:57 pm by Susan Derby and is filed under California, Los Angeles, Outdoors & Adventure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.