Sulphur Mountain - #SulphurMountain

Socal - Ventura County - Oak View/Casitas Springs NickNames: #SulphurMountain

Take the Highway 33 exit north off the 101 freeway in Ventura. Hwy 33 ends in Casitas Springs. Go through Casitas Springs and on the right side of the highway is a road sign (Sulphur Mountain) prior to a grade (Arnaz Grade) which leads into Oak View. Turn right on Sulphur Mountain road and follow to a closed gate (about 0.4 miles). Park off the road and you are there. Thomas Guide page 461

12 Review(s)3 Photo(s)Login

• Trail UpdateSulpher Mtn. 1-25-06-I took the easy way and got a ride to the top trailhead in upper ojai. Rode down the trail has improved in many ways from the last update. The cow tracks are still there but have mellowed out a bit. Everything's there for a great ride!
  picturesinstars a 20 year old Weekend Warrior riding a GT Backwoods from Ojai, CA

  Posted:01/25/2006

• Trail UpdateSulfur Mtn. Road-Just rode this the other week, right after the rains. Did not do the loop, just did the 11 mile climb and back down from the Hwy. 33 side. This ride used to be fairly easy. Easy, smooth but long. The rains have changed all that. Expect parts of the ride to be washed out. I mean REALLY washed out. Like actually, parts of the road are literally gone. And other parts of the trail are covered w/ hardened cow tracks which makes for a bumpy climb/decent. Oh, and then there are the ruts. Quite a few of them.
  I used to bomb this trail coming dh, but that has changed due to the terrain. It is NOT the once smooth fire road that it was known to be. There is one cool jump about 1.5 from the top. You can hit this pretty fast,(it is downhill) just make sure it is safe. If you choose to jump this stunt, make sure you have experience. Because if you hit this at speed, you WILL definetely be launched. For those who do not do stunts, you can casually roll over this stunt at a medium speed without losing control.

  Overall, it was once an easy & smooth ride. But not anymore. Parts of the trail is literally GONE. And I've a feeling it's gonna take a long time for this trail to be smoothed out again.
  
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 22 mi. total Elevation change: yep, lots
  delcruncho a 40 year old Downhiller riding a Specialized Big Hit from Oxnard, CA

  Posted:02/13/2005

• Trail UpdateNever Been Here-Has anyone recently been on this trail? I usually ride Big Sycamore/Backbone/Guadalasca/Overlook treads but looking for a slight change.
  Purplejbaker a 27 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Marin Bolinas Ridge from Oxnard

  Posted:08/26/2004

• Trail UpdateWhat A Day-You cant ask for much better from a ride then we had here on Sunday 3/14. It was a little hot but other then that perfect. Everything is green and flowers are everywhere. Poppies and Lupin along with so many other kinds that I lost count. Also I came across the biggest Bobcat I have ever seen. He was huge. The amazing thing is I was coming around a corner around the 6.5 mile mark and he was standing in the middle of the road. Once he saw me he turned tail and started to run gently up the road around a corner, I sped up to see where he was going and he was gone, just like that. Man they are quick. Did a quick pace up to the top and spent an hour at the top jsut enjoying the views. What a day to be alive.
  Matt a 35 year old Cross-Country Rider from Newbury Park

  Posted:03/15/2004

• Trail UpdateSulphur Mountain 2-15-04-This was our first time up this gradual uphill fire road. A great ride for day after Valentine Day with The Blessed Queen as my companion. The road is very smooth with only a few rutted spots. The poppies are out and a beautiful meadow full of wild flowers was available in the first half of the ride. We passed three horses up, about a dozen hikers and half-dozen bikers in our two-hour ride to the top and twenty-five minute coast to the bottom. Nice veiws on both sides of the ridge. We enjoyed it!
  Ride rating: Novice
  Ride distance: 18 miles Elevation change:
  Dirt Road=100%
  THC and TBQ a 50 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Sugar One / Sugar One from Simi Valley, CA

  Posted:02/16/2004

• Trail UpdateSulpher Mountain Road-This has always been one of my favorites since it is in my backyard and a great training ride. The conditions on 3-9-2003 were the best I've seen - clear skies, green pastures and fairly smooth trails. Although we were "greeted" (or challenged) by a mob of curious cattle at the 7 mile mark. I was joined by a couple of new riders that enjoyed the ride and the views.
  Ride rating: Beginner
  Ride distance: 18 miles Elevation change: 1000
  Dirt Road=100%
  a Cross-Country Rider riding a Santa Cruz SuperLite from Ventura, Ca

  Posted:03/11/2003

• Trail UpdateWow!!-
  Beautiful Day here on Saturday 1-18-03,
  Steady climb that is pretty even throughout the entire ride. Some truck ruts from recent rain, but generally a smooth steady climb and great downhill fun. Watch for the many equestrians and cows on the road as you descend. Another half a dozen compliments on the cow bell too.

  There were some of the best views I have ever seen from this trail. There are beautiful vistas of the islands and green valleys leading down to the ocean. All I can say is “WOW!”
  Ride rating: Novice
  Ride distance: 18 miles Elevation change: 2000
  Dirt Road=100%
  JorgeGrande

  Posted:01/21/2003

• Trail UpdateGreat ride for beginners that are in good shape physically, looking for first challenge and have been working out on their bikes for UH strength. UH is challenging. Not many straight outs for rest. A beginner not in condition will bonk! A good teaching ride to learn how your bike responds. DH is a blast and is pay-off for the bitchin' UH. Watch for cattle crossing road on blind turns. Spotted singletracks off the trail but agree with posted signs to STAY ON TRAIL. This ride needs to be protected for future MTB generations.
  Ride rating: Novice
  Ride distance: 18 miles roundtrip Elevation change: 1500
  Dirt Road=75% Paved Path=25%
  Mtbstack a 39 year old Weekend Warrior riding a TREK 4300 Alpha from Ventura

  Posted:03/04/2002

• Trail UpdateThis trail hasn't been updated in a while so I
  thought that I would do everybody a favor. I really
  enjoy this ride, it is a great workout and the views
  are incredible. I park at the gate and start a 2 mile
  climb that can challenge anyone, after that you
  continue to climb but gradually for another 7 miles.
  At the end of the ride you'll hit a paved road at
  which you can turn around and have a great but
  quick downhill run(a total of 18 miles) or you can
  continue up the paved road and pass Larry
  Hagman's house(I Dream of Genie for you
  youngsters). It's amazing! Then follow the road
  (4.5 miles) downhill to the 150 highway and turn
  left, go down the Denison grade into Ojai and
  follow the Ojai trail downhill back to the start. About
  30+ miles.
  I did this ride in reverse the other day and I wouldn't
  recommend it to anyone.
  I've seen cows, steers, coyotes, snakes, rabbits,
  mountain lions( yes, he was more afraid or me
  than I was of him), and zebra's.
  Take plenty of water and be courtious of horse
  riders!
  Take a camera!
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 18 or 30 Elevation change: 1500
  Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=50%
  Mike10is a 47 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Rocky Mountain Instinct from Ventura

  Posted:02/10/2002

• Trail UpdateThe Sheriffs aren't laughing any more. The laws and ordinances WILL be enforced.

  Posted:05/29/1998

• Trail UpdateThis trail has been recently graded, so it's in killer shape. Also this trail is great for an excellent full-moon ride so pack your headlight and go for it, and disregard the trail-use hours sign at the gate. One of the land owners who wants it shut down forever posted the sign to keep people out at night. But the sign has no CITY ORDINENCE NUMBER on it so therefore it's meaningless. The person who posted the sign is a crabby ol'lady and she sometimes sits in her truck parked at the gate taking down license plate #'s to intimidate people. So don't be takin' in by her bull#&*@. She can't do a damn thing about it, and the local sheriffs laugh at her. So eat your carrots and hit the night ride. Hale-Bop comes in great up there too!
  KMT a 32 year old Weekend Warrior riding a 92' Scott Boulder "modifiedus extremus" from Oxnard CA

  Posted:05/23/1997

• Trail UpdateA fire road climb from the trail head up to a gated cattle guard which is 8.5-9.0 miles from the trail head. It climbs about 1500 feet in that distance. The first 2 miles are the steepest. This fire road passes through cattle range land and is surrounded by private property on both sides of the road. YOU MUST STAY ON THE TRAIL. It has been the subject of some pretty heated trail access problems in the last year. The land owners wanted it closed. SO STAY ON THE TRAIL. After winter rains, the cattle tend to make post holes in the trail from walking on it when it is muddy. This can make parts of the fire road pretty rough. At the gated cattle guard, you can either turn around and come back down the hill, or go through the gate and reach pavement in about a half mile and take paved roads back to Highway 150 in Upper Ojai. Go left on 150 and follow it into the town of Ojai. There you can pick up a paved bike trail which runs down to the end of the freeway (Hwy 33 in Casitas Springs). When you get to Sulphur Mtn road again, cross the highway back to the trail head. That makes the Sulphur Mtn Loop (about 35 miles). The Loop is not recommended for beginners due to distance and total time it takes to ride (about 3-3.5 hrs). The up and back down ride on the fire road is better for beginners. It is a pretty nice ride. After only a few miles up the fire road, you can get wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands. You also get nice views of the Ojai Valley.
  A cross-country rider from Oak View, CA {MuddieP@pacbell.net}

  Posted:05/23/1997