San Francisco itself is short on dirt, so mountain biking here means heading north. Across the Golden Gate, Marin is one of the places the sport was born and still has some of its best riding. Mount Tamalpais, Camp Tamarancho and China Camp are the three names every local knows. The Bay Area clubs posting mountain bike rides are listed below with their next ride.
Where to mountain bike near San Francisco
Start with Mount Tam. In the 1970s Fairfax riders raced heavy cruisers down its fire roads, and those Repack descents are part of how mountain biking began. Tam still has miles of ridable fire road, but much of its narrow trail is hiking only, so plan routes signed open to bikes and expect to share the wide roads with walkers.
For singletrack, locals go to Camp Tamarancho above Fairfax. It’s Boy Scout land, so every rider over 14 needs a day or annual pass (a few dollars at the Fairfax shops, with the money going to trail work). The loop plus Endor, the flow trail volunteers built in 2013, is the ride most people drive for. Both close during rain and for a few days after a storm, because riding wet dirt here ruins it.
China Camp State Park in San Rafael is the third pillar: fast, swoopy trail around San Pedro Point, open to bikes, and the place to go when Tamarancho is too wet. It drains quickly and stays fun at a range of speeds.
Two practical notes. Marin takes trail etiquette seriously after decades of access fights, so yield, slow down near blind corners and never cut a wet trail. And none of this is in the city proper: budget the bridge crossing and a short drive, which is exactly why riding with a club that already knows the shuttles and timing pays off.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I mountain bike near San Francisco?
Mostly across the bridge in Marin. Mount Tamalpais has a web of fire roads and connectors, Camp Tamarancho above Fairfax has the area’s best-known singletrack including the Endor flow trail, and China Camp State Park in San Rafael has fast, flowy trail open to bikes.
Do I need a pass to ride Camp Tamarancho?
Yes. Tamarancho is Boy Scout land in Fairfax, and every rider over 14 needs a day or annual pass. Day passes cost a few dollars at Fairfax bike shops, and the money funds trail maintenance. Endor and the wet-weather trails close during heavy rain and for a few days after, so check conditions before you drive up.
Is it true mountain biking started on Mount Tam?
More or less. In the 1970s riders in Fairfax bombed down Mount Tamalpais’s fire roads on modified cruisers, and the Repack downhill races there are part of how the modern sport took shape. You can still ride the fire roads, but many of Tam’s narrow trails are hiking only, so stick to routes signed open to bikes.
How do clubs end up on this page?
A club shows up here when it has posted a mountain bike ride on RiderFinder or Strava recently, or has one coming up. We never add a club because of its name or description, so the list reflects rides clubs actually post.