Big Laguna Valley - #BigLagunaValley

Socal - San Diego County - Mt. Laguna NickNames: #BigLagunaValley

From San Diego travel east on I 8 about 40 miles to Sunrise Hwy. North on Sunrise Hwy for about 10 miles, you'll see the store and information center on the left. Buy your Adventure Pass here. (the rangers will write you a $100 ticket if you don't display an Adventure Pass) About another 2 1/2 miles up the highway you'll come to a wide spot with parking areas on both sides. Trailhead is on the left. It's a fun singletrack out and back through the valley with a few rolling ups and downs but nothing to technical. About 10 miles. Access to upper Noble Canyon trail head from here also..

19 Review(s)4 Photo(s)Login

• Trail UpdateSweet Trail-Wow, this is the best novice ride in SD. The trail is in good condition and really fun. I went on a Friday afternoon and didn't see any other riders. Forget the loop which includes riding on sunrise highway. Once you hit the camp ground head back to soak up the scenery and cap off the ride with a short down at the end. This will put a smile on your face.
  sdrider a 29 year old Weekend Warrior

  Posted:02/18/2006

• Trail UpdateBig Laguna Trail-I rode this trail at 6:30 on a Tuesday morning for the first time, and didn't see a soul. Just the way I like it! It's a real pretty trail, in great shape - I would classify it as beginner singletrack. There are a few places where the lack of signs, combined with a small network of pseudo-trails, makes it a little confusing at times, just remember where the highway is.

  Nice fall colors! Also, if you do any driving or riding on the Sunrise Highway you are constantly reminded that you are right on the edge, but very high above, Anza Borrego. Very cool...
  Seaclasper a 35 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Irish Funeral Chaser from Sandy Eggo, CA

  Posted:11/01/2005

• Trail UpdateBig Laguna-We rode about 10 miles of Big Laguna yesterday, and did about a mile of Indian Creek (up to the Noble Canyon sign). Wasn't too hot out there. Saw a few other mountain bikers, a few hikers. Trail was in pretty good condition, and the lake still has water in it. I got kind of beat up on the way back, have a few scratches on my leg. That's what I get for being a beginner that doesn't like sand :)
  stumpygirl a 24 year old riding a Specialized Stumpjumper 120 Expert from So Cal

  Posted:08/29/2005

• Trail UpdateBig Laguna-Rode the Big Laguna trail with Buck Wild on Saturday night. Most of the trail is dry and in pretty good condition. Little Laguna seems to be holding water semi-permanently now and the trail at the levy has a HUGE water crossing!
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 12 Elevation change:
  Bob Umpenhauer a 32 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a KHS Single-Speed from Point Loma

  Posted:03/14/2005

• Trail UpdateLittle Laguna Holds Water!-The Peninsula Racing assoc. Held a 24-hour training camp at El Prado camprgound. We started riding at about 1 p.m. on Jan 1. Trails we rode include big laguna and the top part of Noble. The big suprise was that the "lakebed" for little laguna had collected water and looked like a lake again! The trail itself was in pretty good condition despite the rains. The temp. dropped well below freezing and the mud on the trail froze hard. Noble is a bit soft and there are still some tress that are falling BE CAREFULL! The PRA rides local trails at least 2 times a month. E-mail us if you want info. re: the next group ride!
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 20+miles Elevation change:
  BOB UMPENHAUER a 31 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a right now single-speed KHS from Point Loma ">page two

  Posted:01/14/2005

• Trail UpdateWooded Hill Option-The 4th of July weekend parking situation proves the "Gazebo" trailhead offers some great options involving the Big Laguna Trail and nearby stuff!

  From the Gazebo, the climb up Wooded Hill is fair payment for the stepped descent to the old road near the camps, giving two great options for singletrack descents to the BLT. The lower singletrack is a much better climb than the higher one, so remember that if you're just there for a big BLT loop. Both are in absolutely great shape right now, although the lower one still has a low-bridge tree that only munchkins can ride under.

  If you use the Gazebo as trailhead for a Noble Canyon shuttle, you get more miles and way less driving!
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  EBasil riding a Manitou HT or a Fisher Cake from San Diego

  Posted:07/06/2004

• Trail UpdateBLT All Open, In Good Shape-It's a little dry, thanks to a lean winter, but the whole BLT and the Penny Pines trailhead are open and in good shape.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Singletrack=100%
  EBasil from San Diego

  Posted:06/01/2004

• Trail UpdateBig Laguna Trail-As of 5-28-04 the top of the Big Laguna Trail is open for riders. This includes the start of Nobel Canyon. Please take special care as to not tear it up as it is just opening after the fires and we don't want to ruin a good thing. The fires gutted a lot of old trees but it sure looks different. Rode what I could a week ago. Trail was in good shape. The upper part and start of Nobel Canyon had green grass everywhere. There was orange fencing blocking Nobel Canyon. I'll be doing my 18 mile loop this Saturday morning... Can't wait.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 18 miles Elevation change:
  Singletrack=95%
  Darin a Cross-Country Rider riding a '03 Specialized Enduro from Chula Vista

  Posted:05/27/2004

• Trail UpdateBig Laguna Trail-Penny Pines entrance is still closed. Went to the trail from mile marker 25.3. Excellent day. 65 degrees and nice wind on the way out. Lots of flowers and a ton of squirrels, chipmunks and hawks. Saw two hikers all day and that was it. You can go all the way to where the BLT meets the Sunset Trail. The rest of the BLT to the Sunrise HWY is still closed.
  Ride distance: 10 miles Elevation change:
  Scott a 47 year old riding a Junker from El Cajon

  Posted:05/20/2004

• Trail Update
  The last serious snow storm to strike the area was in the beginning of February, but I'm sure with the recent Santa Ana Winds the snow has melted off.

  Weather permitting, I'm planning to ride this trail sometime next week and I'll keep you posted.
  Oblivious12 a 39 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a 1994 GT Zaskar LE Hardtail from Chula Vista

  Posted:02/12/2004

• Trail UpdateTrail Update-
  Hey old man: if you ride there twice a month, how about giving us an update for how it was doing before it snowed-over? Has it melted off?
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  EBasil riding a Manitou SS from San Diego

  Posted:02/09/2004

• Trail Update

  Illegal aliens routinely use these trails in an attempt to circumvent the Border Patrol's checkpoint on Interstate 8. The San Diego coroner reports indicate that many of them die from exposure and are later eaten by predatory animals. I may be wrong, but I haven't heard of any recent mountain lion attacks in this part of East County.

  Because I ride this trail at least twice a month, it would be nice to know if the fires took such a heavy toll on normal food sources that mountain lions may be forced or have already begun preying on humans.

  If there are any rangers visiting this site, please feel free to provide us with your expert opinion and or recommendations regarding this issue.

  
  Oblivious12 a 39 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a 1994 GT Zaskar LE Hardtail from Chula Vista

  Posted:02/08/2004

• Trail UpdateLooks like these cats are hungry. It appears they have struck on the PCT near Laguna. Check out the article.
  Pablote a 34 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Uzzi SL from SB URL: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040126-1319-bodies1.html

  Posted:01/26/2004

• Trail Updatestarted @ mile marker 25.29936587ish yesterday. It was kinda muddy starting up the ridge, but the rest of the trail was ok. Fresh pine needles make some areas slicker than owl crap. I saw a bobcat, which reminded me that some of the other predatory animals in the area are tripping on acid and practicing gruesome rituals. After I reached the temporary trail end I did some of the trails around/through the valleys. Not a soul in site. Nice.
  Eauxgod a 29 year old riding a Enduro from SD

  Posted:01/20/2004

• Trail UpdateDue to the Forest Closure Order the first mile or so of the Big Laguna Trail from the Penny Pines trailhead is temporarily closed to the public. You can access the BLT from the Laguna Campground or at mile marker 25.3 on Sunrise Highway
  URL: http://www.sdmba.com

  Posted:11/30/2003

• Trail UpdateSweet Ride!!!-Every time I ride BLT I find more singletrack that is just as sweet as the main trail through the valley. Today the winds were blowing through the trees and the temp was just right for a ride. About 2 miles south of the store on Sunrise Hwy there's a forest road that heads to the west for a half mile up hill ride. Once I got to the water tank at the top, the singletrack starts and doesn't end till you get to the other end of Big Laguna Valley. As I came out of the valley just past the Sunset trail junction there's another trail that's a fun twisted downhill ride to Pine Creek Fire Road. Once I reached the road, 200 yards to the right I caught the top section of the Nobel Canyoon trail and back to the BLT. Rode back out through the valley the same way for a nice loop ride. The best part of the whole day is I had the whole area to myself. Not another sole in sight!!!
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 18 miles Elevation change: a little up and down
  Singletrack=95% Dirt Road=5%
  Sailor a 41 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a GT LTS from San Diego

  Posted:09/09/2003

• Trail UpdateLeft truck at top of Los Huecos Rd by store. Great day out on the trail. Hardly a sole out there except two guys on bikes - appeared to be novices - and some special ops guys (navy) conducting communication experiments on both BLT and Sunrise Trails. On the last mile back to truck (up Los Huecos Rd), it started raining, then small hail joined in. Rain came down even harder as I was about 1/2 mile to truck. I was completely soaked when I finally got there. Then, it started hailing really, really hard with even bigger hailstones, about the size of Garbanzo beans. Really pelted my truck for about 15 minutes straight as I waited it out inside. BLT, the Sunrise and Noble Canyon Trails will all benefit from the downpour for at least the next 3-4 weeks before things start to dry up. Trail will be a little muddy tomorrow and Sunday, I'm sure. If it doesn't rain all next week, the w/e of June 7/8 will be the best time to ride. Get up there during June when all the wildflowers are still out in full force.
  NOTE: I actually hiked the BLT and Sunrise trails (12 miles total in 3-1/2 hours) today because my stead is still on the ship in the Persian Gulf. BTW, there were four guys and one girl who just started the BLT when it started to hail on them. I wonder how the rest of their ride went???? If any of you read this I was the tall guy near the gate (at the top of the BLT) with white BB cap, sporting a brown/red beard. (The chick was in the back of that pack, was blonde, and really HOT!)
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 12 miles Elevation change:
  Singletrack=80% Dirt Road=20%
  GhostRider I a 40 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Nike Shoes over Dogs from SD

  Posted:05/30/2003

• Trail UpdateBig Laguna-Try starting at the Noble Canyon/Big Laguna Trailhead at the Penny Pines Parking area on Sunrise Highway. The trail starts on the south side of the highway. After about 100 yards, turn left onto the Big Laguna Trail. Follow the trail for about 4-5 miles until it dumps you back out on the Sunrise Highway. Turn right and ride the highway east for about 3.5 miles to the Agua Dulce Campground. Turn right into the campground and follow the paved road to an iron gate. Go around the gate onto the broken pavement and follow that for about .5 miles. Take the dirt road to your right then the single track to the left. The single track is about 3-4 miles long and is one of the best trails in the county. The trial will end up in a grassy meadow, turn right to and follow the trial to a cattle gate. Do not go through the gate, turn left and follow the Big Laguna Trail back to the car. GREAT RIDE! LOTS OF FAST, SMOOTH, TWISTING SINGLE TRACK!!!!!
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 12 miles Elevation change:
  Singletrack=90% Paved Path=5%
  James Stanley a 18 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a 2002 Trek Fuel 100 from Spring Valley, CA URL: MVCC

  Posted:08/31/2001

• Trail UpdateBig Laguna Valley-
  Rode there Monday and had a great time plowing through the snow.

  Here's a way to make an all day ride of it. Start in Pine Valley at the lower Nobel Canyon staging area. Ride 9 1/2 miles up the fire road to the upper trail head and then do 10 miles out and back through Big Laguna Valley returning to where the Nobel Canyon upper trail head and Big Laguna Valley trail head meet. From there it's 10 miles down Nobel Canyon trail all the way back to your car!!! Takes about 4 to 5 solid hours of riding for the average MTB'er.. Well worth the time though!! Don't forget your camera!!!

  The Big Laguna Valley trail is Intermediate at best but if you add the Nobel Canyon loop it's Advanced.
  
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 30 Elevation change: 2,300 ft
  Singletrack=75% Paved Path=25%
  Rick a 38 year old Weekend Warrior riding a 97 GT LTS from San Diego

  Posted:02/24/2001