LA gravel mostly means fire roads in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Verdugos, and it starts with Dirt Mulholland, the car-free, unpaved stretch of Mulholland Drive between Encino Hills Drive and Topanga Canyon. The clubs below post their gravel rides on RiderFinder, with the next date and distance for each.
Where to ride gravel in Los Angeles
Dirt Mulholland is the backbone: about 7.5 miles of unpaved road along the ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains, closed to cars and open to bikes. Most people get on at Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park, at the south end of Reseda Boulevard. Along the way, San Vicente Mountain Park, a former Nike missile control site, looks over the San Fernando Valley on one side and the canyons toward the ocean on the other.
From the Westside, the Westridge fire road in Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park climbs about 3.6 steady miles from the end of Westridge Road in Brentwood to San Vicente Mountain Park (roughly 1,950 feet), where it meets Dirt Mulholland. The park closed after the January 2025 Palisades Fire and reopened in June 2025. Sullivan Fire Road, another bike-legal ridge road, climbs about 900 feet in 3.5 miles toward Dirt Mulholland.
The Verdugo Mountains, between Burbank, Glendale and Tujunga, are smaller but steeper, topping out at Verdugo Peak (3,126 feet). On the Burbank side, bikes are allowed on the fire roads and the smaller trails are hiking only. The Stough Canyon trailhead at the top of Walnut Avenue starts a 6.7-mile loop to the peak.
What’s closed right now
The Mt. Wilson Toll Road above Altadena, long a classic LA dirt climb, is shut under the Angeles National Forest’s Eaton Fire closure order through December 31, 2027. Topanga State Park has been open with restrictions since June 2026, but the Rogers Road, Bent Arrow, Josepho Spur, Rustic Canyon and Temescal Canyon trails are still closed. Griffith Park’s dirt trails are closed to bikes. LA County Trails (trails.lacounty.gov) lists current alerts.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I ride gravel near Los Angeles?
Mostly on fire roads in the Santa Monica and Verdugo mountains. The big three are Dirt Mulholland, the car-free unpaved stretch of Mulholland Drive between Encino Hills Drive and Topanga Canyon; the Westridge fire road from Brentwood up to San Vicente Mountain Park; and the Verdugo fire roads above Burbank and Glendale.
Is Dirt Mulholland open to bikes?
Yes. It’s closed to cars and open to bikes, hikers and horses for about 7.5 miles between Encino Hills Drive and Topanga Canyon. A common start is Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park at the south end of Reseda Boulevard, on the San Fernando Valley side.
Is the Mt. Wilson Toll Road open in 2026?
No. It’s closed below Henninger Flats under the Angeles National Forest’s Eaton Fire closure order, which the Forest Service extended in January 2026 through December 31, 2027. Check the Angeles National Forest alerts page before planning a ride there.
Is the Westridge fire road open after the Palisades Fire?
Yes. Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park, managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), reopened in June 2025 after the January 2025 Palisades Fire. The fire road climbs about 3.6 miles from the end of Westridge Road in Brentwood to San Vicente Mountain Park on Dirt Mulholland, and it’s open to hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. MRCA parks can close on red flag days, so check before you go.
Which Topanga State Park trails are closed after the Palisades Fire?
The Rogers Road, Bent Arrow, Josepho Spur, Rustic Canyon and Temescal Canyon trails and the Lower Topanga day-use area are still closed. Under the California State Parks order effective June 12, 2026, the rest of the park is open with restrictions. Check LA County Trails alerts before you ride.
How do clubs end up on this page?
Clubs show up when they’ve posted a gravel ride on RiderFinder or Strava in the last 90 days, or have one in the next 30. A name or description alone never gets a club listed, so the list tracks the rides clubs actually post.