Neon Way - #NeonWay

Socal - Los Angeles County - Granada Hills NickNames: #NeonWay dr. mario decampo memorial trail, sulpher spring

Find Balboa heading north and make a left on Sesnon. From Sesnon, you will see Neon Way and turn right. Go to the end and park in the culdisac. Thomas Guide page 481

68 Review(s)3 Photo(s)Login

• Trail UpdateBEAR!-Saw a bear and cub on the road between Mission Peak and East Canyon on Saturday around midnight. Very unusual for this area.

  Also, the Gas Co. has opened most of the gates along the route, so the horrible switchbacks just below 3 Trees can now be bypassed.
  Louis Wu a Cross-Country Rider

  Posted:08/14/2012

• Trail UpdateNeon Way To O'Melveny Park-I broke in my new MTB yesterday on these trails and oh man let me tell you, IT WAS GREAT! =D 

  The first mile of the loop has some steep hills with many scattered rocky trenches so I switched from biking to hiking. I saw 1 rider and  3 hikers on my way up. To conserve energy, it's best just to hike up from the start to the green fence(the 1 mile mark) that closes off the trail to the left. The fence was slightly open and a person and a bike could fit through but I didn't explore the area.

  From the green fence I continued on the trail up a little hill and took the path to the right. This is where the fun begins because it turns into a single track for a short distance. Once the single track ends the real challenge begins.

  It's all down hill with steep declines until you hit O'Melveny park at the bottom. The path is full of rocks, trenches, bumps, grooves, a couple of jumps, some loose sand and narrows at times. I caught myself skidding a couple of times even though I was controlling my speed. Pump your brakes, keep the wheels rolling and you'll be fine. Don't give into the fear of picking up some major speed for a SHORT distance. 

  The only close call I had was near the bottom at a narrow right turn with a tree on the right slightly protruding in on the edge of the path. There is heavy shade from other trees at this particular turn so this lowered my visibility of the ground. As I came into the turn there were a couple of huge rocks scattered in the line of path I had chosen. I was already hugging the right closely and at the last moment I managed to make the small correction and avoid hitting the rocks which most likely would have made my handlebars hit the tree.

  The whole round trip is about 4 miles and it took me around 1 hour to complete the loop. The first mile is the actual work but after that, it's smooth sailing from there on out.

  I really enjoyed this trail and I will definitely be back in the future.
  I would give Neon Way a 9/10 only because of the short distance of the round trip.
  surefoot a 30 year old Downhiller riding a 2012 Specialized Rockhopper

  Posted:06/01/2012

• Trail UpdateI hiked the trail on December 22nd. The trail was in good condition. The gas company has installed a number of iron fences blocking off what used to be huge portions of this trail. It's still ridable, but less appealing. The sights on a clear day are wondrous. I saw the ocean to the south west, dump to the north east, and the Oat Mountain ridge line to the west. Some sunflowers along the way. Don't miss the pond-like structure .20 miles up the trail on the east side. There are goldfish in there! Amazing.
  tdocan a Weekend Warrior

  Posted:01/07/2008

• Trail UpdateMission Peak-I took a ride up Mission Peak on Sunday morning. The first thing I noticed was that the road was widened by some type of machinery. The nice & narrow doubletrack climb to the top is now a full blown, smoothed-out, W-I-D-E- fireroad. All the way to the top!
  
  Then, as I got closer to the top I noticed a 'structure' near the 'three trees.' The closer I got I noticed that it was an IRON gate. Yes, IRON! All rusty and about 15 feet high. I then noticed TWO iron gates. The first stands where the old closure used to be. You know, the part where you gotta get off your bike and push or take the illegal last bit of fireroad off to the west. Well, now if you take that illegal last bit of fireroad you will be greeted with ANOTHER iron gate about 20 yards west of the three trees.
  
  By the way, someone has already torn down some of the fencing bordering the area so it is possible to get around the iron gates.
  
  Looks like they (Gas Co?) are pretty serious about keeping us out of the western slope of that hill... hmmmm
  
  Oh yeah, and the single-tracks are all still wide open!
  
  
  
  sabbathu a 34 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a SJ120 Expert from Los Angeles, CA

  Posted:11/14/2005

• Trail UpdateGood Father's Day Ride!!!-My dad and I took decided to take a ride 6/19. climbed Weldon Canyon to Mission Pt. to Neon Wy. (Mario De Campos Trail) and it was a great ride. Clear skys and clean air. no smog or clouds. The climb up Weldon Canyon is a pretty good workout, the trail was pretty recently graded and cleared of brush so the trail is in pretty good condition. There are some sandy spots throughout that make your tires slip, but nothing serious. After the climb, we crossed the ridge at the top of Weldon, we saw 2 deer and a bobcat which was right on the trail. scared little guy just ran off though. We continued up to the socal gas fences and took the new cut trails around them to Mission Pt. There are 3 of these little trails which are really overgrown right now, but I guess they work. Stopped at Mission Pt. for a snack and continued all the way down to Neon Wy. Mario De Campos trail is in great condition with a lot of sunflowers on the sides of the trail. very quick and no overgrowth. the socal gas fences below mission pt. and at mission pt. have been torn down by vandals who felt it was disrespectful to the De Campos viewpoint and hikers who wanted to use the old trail. most of the fence material is just lying around and tagged on a pole was a saying that it took 2 men 3 hours to tear the fences down. so there are 2 paths leading down from mission pt. we'll see if the fences are reinstalled or not, but some hikers or bikers clearly got upset over the socal gas issue. overall, great ride. enjoyed the cool weather, the nice shady oaks just above mission pt. and nice clear sky. bring water and have fun. About 6.5 miles. about 90-120min ride.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-1000 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:06/19/2005

• Trail UpdateThis morning I rode up Weldon Canyon, across the ridge to Mission Peak and down the Neon Way trail. There were a couple of short sandy spots on Weldon, but not bad. Both trails are in very good shape, except for the new bypasses around the infamous Gas Co fence. On the north side of Mission Peak there are three short stretches, only about 100 yards each, where the fence cuts off the old trail. There are bypasses around each of them. Apparently each of these are spots is where there is an overlook into the gas well field. I guess the homeland security thinking must be: "If they take the trouble to come all the way up here and don't actually see the gas field they won't bomb it." Of course there is also the ridulously steep new bypass on the south side of the peak also, just below the four trees.

  No mountain lions. (They may have spotted me, but I didn't spot them.) I did see several hawks.

  From the Weldon trailhead, just off The Old Road, to Neon Way took an hour and forty minutes. An additional half hour took me west on the dirt extension of Sesnon and across Aliso Canyon to Porter Ranch. There is a lot of dirt moving going on along Sesnon and in the canyon, with a sign that says there is a new housing devolopment going in there. Part of the trail at the bottom of Aliso Canyon has been obliterated.
  Ride rating: Novice
  Dirt Road=100%
  JimNo a 64 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Marin Hawk Hill from Northridge

  Posted:11/26/2004

• Trail UpdateUp Neon And Down To O'Melveny-Last Tuesday I rode my bike (well, I admit it hiked it on all the steep parts) up the Neon Way trail to see for myself the new fence and bypass trail at the top of Mission Peak. That trail is an abomination! The fence cuts off the old trail just at the start of the long gentle switchback leading to the four trees. It goes almost straight up the fall line, with two bends. Most of it is at close to a 100% grade (a 45 degree angle), and at the bends its even steeper. I had a hard time pushing the bike up. Just those couple of rain showers we had in October have gullied the entire trail 6 to 12 inches deep down the middle. That will get worse with each rain storm, so I expect the trail will eventually become one deep gully. Its a shame, because there is room to put in a properly switchbacked trail, even keeping outside the new fence. I believe the new trail is on gas company property, because it is all beyond the old gas company fence, which has an opening that was always open, and still is, where the old trail went through.

  At the top the DeCampos monument is outside the fence, but part of the flat area there is fenced off. The four trees are also just outside the fence.

  I went a short distance beyond the peak on the north side. The fence cuts off part of the old fire road there, too, and there is another steep bypass, only a few yards long, around it. Didn't have time to continue on to East Canyon.

  On the way down I took the trail to O'Melveny Park, which starts just below the new bypass, at the opening of the old fence. About 80% of it is sweet singletrack, intersperced with sections that were too steep, rocky or loose for me. I suspect a good rider would have no trouble with any of it. I believe the MRCA map is in error regarding this trail---it shows the trail coming off the top of the new bypass, at the four trees, not at the bottom. It comes out along the creek leading to the picnic area at O'Melveny. From there its a quick quarter mile or so back to Neon.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 5 miles Elevation change:
  Singletrack=40% Dirt Road=50% Paved Path=10%
  JimNo a 64 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Marin Hawk Hill from Northridge

  Posted:11/21/2004

• Trail UpdateMystery Trail-I was on Mission Point today looking for that mystery trail at Three Trees. I don't think it exists. Two possibilities I can think of: (1) the map is based on a surveying map that included a road that was supposed to be built many moons ago but for some reason never got built, or (2) the map is wrong. If you look closely at that map, the mystery trail seems to go down into Bee Canyon from Three Trees. Today, I could see where such a road could be built, but there is no evidence that one ever existed. If you look on the map at the lower trail that goes from Mario De Campo Trail to Bee Canyon, the cut-off (on the map) is not where it exists in real life. I saw a slightly warn/used trail at that location. That makes me wonder if there is a route across to Bee Canyon that none of us seem to know about.

  Posted:11/21/2004

• Trail UpdateA few weeks ago at the bottom of Mario De Campo Trail, a resident was watching a mountain lion about 100 yards up from the bottom. Apparently I had just ridden more or less past it.

  I think it is unlikely that a rider was stalked. A couple of years ago, I spoke with a Dept. of Fish and Game officer. He told me some rather intuitive truths about mountain lions. If you see one, it's not stalking you. That's the good news. The bad news is: if it is stalking you, you aren't going to see it until it's on top of you.

  Posted:11/19/2004

• Trail UpdateMountain Lions-Yeah, I saw one in O'Melveny park about 3 months ago. My friend and I were night riding, and came down through the park. There was a lion just a couple hundred yards up from the parking lot. We were riding by quickly, and I saw his eyes in my light. My friend and I stopped to look, and sure enough it was a lion. The lion was a reasonable distance away, and there were two of us, so we werent afraid. Of course, neither was the lion who just stood there looking at us. My friend even chucked a couple rocks at it, but it still just stood there. Anyway, yeah, they are definitely there. I would be a bit doubtful about claims of being stalked by one, though. Especially during the day...

  Pilot a 31 year old Racer riding a Spider SPV from Chatsworth

  Posted:11/19/2004

• Trail UpdateMission Peak-I have been riding this area for almost 13 years.
  The only time I actually saw a mountain lion was
  ten years ago in Aliso Canyon. People have told
  me that there are lions in the area as recently as
  four months ago.
  Gringo a 52 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:11/19/2004

• Trail UpdateNEON WAY-i went up there a couple days ago and ran into a mountain biker who told me to be cautious. he said there was a mountain lion stalking him while he was riding. has anyone else ever seen any mountain lions in the area? i know there are signs that state they may be present.

  Posted:11/18/2004

• Trail UpdateMystery Trail-It shows on the map that is listed in a previous
  post but I have never seen it. I am going up there
  this week and looking on the north side of Mission
  Peak to try to find it.
  Gringo a 52 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:11/15/2004

• Trail UpdateWhere does that trail to Bee cyn start? I have rode the trail down to O'Melveny from Neon several times as that is a regular loop for me starting at East cyn on the Santa Clarita side. I have gone up and down that hill every different way possible and don't believe I've done that one.
  Dirtshark a 42 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Landshark from Santa Clarita

  Posted:11/15/2004

• Trail UpdateThree Trees To O'Melveny Park-I thought I knew the area fairly well but that trail
  from The Three Trees to Bee Canyon was a new
  one to me. There is another trail that forks off the
  main trail from Neon Way to the top and goes
  down to O'Melveny Park. It is about 3/10 mile down
  from the Gas Co. gate, just before a right turn in the
  trail. Nice single track, but a little steep in some
  spots.
  Gringo a 52 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:11/15/2004

• Trail UpdateI just looked at the map that was given by one of the posters below. There appears to be a trail/road that drops into Bee Canyon from around Three Trees. Does anybody know where that one is...if it still exists? I see the other one on the map. That's the one you can pick up at the where the new Gas Company gate is. But I can't find the one by Three Trees. Can anybody else?

  Posted:11/14/2004

• Trail UpdateLooking at that map you that you gave us a link to, it looks like I'm wrong about the Gas Company owning the road. I got my info from the Gas Company reps who sat at the top of the mountain after they built the fence. I guess they lied. I apologize for the wrong info.

  I agree with you that the fence will be ineffective at preventing terrorism. But unless you are willing to back you up your talk with some action and actually organize some opposition to the fence, quit bitching because none of us really want to hear your ranting. Why don't you contact CORBA and the City of Los Angeles and organize a trail building party. Make yourself useful. I'll bring the beer.

  Posted:11/14/2004

• Trail UpdateWho says the Neon Way fireroad/Mario DeCampos trail is entirely on Gas Co. property? Look, I am no expert on the property lines, but I don't think the other poster is either. According to the map at http://www.lamountains.com/maps/eastRiceMDAOSNewhall.pdf -- most of the trail is within O'Melveny park. That map comes from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy website, http://www.lamountains.com It may not be correct, but it probably is. Or maybe the other poster went to the county hall of records for his info? Anyway, if you look at that map, it sure looks like the Gas co. put up the fence along their property line! Hey, if you are happy with what the Gas co. has done up there, or are just plain willing to give up this trail because there are others in the area, you are entitled to your opinion. But I don't think it is shared by most of the area riders. Yeah, the Gas co. did make a half hearted attempt at mitigating the negative effects of the fence. They cut an unrideable trail to the top, and a connector over to east canyon. Big deal, I used to be able to ride over there anyway! In fact, I used to be able to ride from Rocky Peak, all the way to Mission Pt. and all points in between. Those days are over now, because of our need to suck the natural gas and oil out of that hill. I think it sucks! Anyway, if the Gas co. took so much input from the trail users, why didn't they cut the new trail right?! Also, who thinks that fence is going to stop a terrorist, anyway? I am not willing to let any of the trails around here go, just because there are others. We don't have enough as it is. I would rather organize an opposition to the destruction of our existing trails, then try and get together a clean up crew for the Gas co.
  Pilot a 32 year old Racer riding a Spider SPV from Chatsworth

  Posted:11/12/2004

• Trail UpdateNo, it is not park property. It belongs to the gas company. That's why the new trail got built so quickly -- no government bureaucracy -- and that's why it was a half-ass job -- the people who did it had no experience building trails. That means we would need to seek permission from the gas company or do it on the sly.

  Posted:11/12/2004

• Trail UpdateNeon Way-Great idea to replace that poorly designed too-steep fence bypass with a well-built trail. If anyone wants to get up a trail-building party I'll help. I currently do volunteer trail maintenance at Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon one morning a week, and I'd be glad to regularly put in another morning on reparing this trail. I assume this is on park property, so we will need county parks dept permission. I bet we could get CORBA people to help. They have some experts in constructing multipurpose trails, with emphasis on biking.
  JimNo a 64 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Marin Hawk Hill from Northridge

  Posted:11/11/2004

• Trail UpdateI agree with all of you that the new trail is a total half-ass job. But, before they built it, they had to representatives from the company sitting up by Three Trees taking suggestions and providing information about the new fence. I appreciate the fact that they solicited some public opinion.
  
  Also, while they took a little from us, they also gave a little: They opened up access across the top to East Canyon over on the Santa Clarita side. That means we can now ride (and hike a little) all the way from Neon Way to Towsley Canyon without trespassing at all. That's more than most corporations would do.

  Also, they didn't fence off all of their property. Contrary to what somebody wrote below, that fence is not on their property line. It's my understanding that they put the fence where the FBI or the Dept. of Homeland Security told them to. Most of what we ride on from Neon Way still belongs to the gas company and they let us ride and hike it.

  No, I don't work for the gas company. This isn't propaganda. I was just impressed that they at least made some effort to do the right thing.

  I noticed this week that somebody cut through the fence. Don't be an asshole. There are so many trails to ride in the area, you can give up this one. They didn't block it off just to be assholes (although that was my first suspicion), they did it because the government told them to.

  Why doesn't somebody organize a trail clearing party? Go up there and cut the trail the way it should have been done in the first place -- make it rideable. Then dump all the bushes that get cut down in the half-ass trail to let it regrow. I don't have the time or energy to organize such an event. Do you?

  Posted:11/06/2004

• Trail UpdateNeon Way/Mission Peak-I rode this one Saturday. Pilot is absolutely right.
  What has been done to this trail is a shame. The
  razorwire topped fences could have been located
  on the west extreme of the fire road and would
  have done an adequate job of securing the Gas
  Company's assets. The new trail is too steep and
  loose for bikes. The end effect is to make this ride
  almost impossible. Maybe liability/expediency and
  not homeland security was a factor here?
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Ride distance: 22 miles Elevation change: +1,600'
  Gringo a 52 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:10/11/2004

• Trail UpdateYeah, I agree, I think what they have done up there sucks, and is unnecessary. Bottom line, the fences that SoCal Gas Co. put up we're not put there with trail access in mind. They just slapped the fences up around their property line, and that is why they have screwed up the trail. If they were concerned about the community around them, they would have put the fences in such a place so as to secure their oil and gas wells, without affecting access to Mission Pt. Instead, they just surveyed their property line, and put the fences up along it. I am surprised that the fireroad is not some sort of easement, anyway. Seeing as how it has been used as a hiking and biking trail to the top of Mission Pt. for so many years...
  Pilot a 31 year old Racer riding a Spider SPV from Chatsworth

  Posted:09/22/2004

• Trail UpdateNeon Way/Mission Peak-The new "trail" was carved by L.A. County after The
  Gas Company was instructed by the Office of
  Homeland Security to improve security around their
  property. The response by the Gas Co. was to put
  up those fences and many others. Be creative.
  Gringo a 52 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:09/22/2004

• Trail Updatehiked up yesterday (9/21)I went to school with the DeCampos kids I've been walking and riding up this hill since '85 . It's a great local hill that my kids,dog and friends enjoyed for years. I even take out of town visitors up to see downtown, catalina etc... Now the last 1/2 mile or so is pretty much unrideable and hiking uphill in sand isn't much fun either. I can't figure out why they put the fence straight up the mountain up near the top. the only access to Oat Mountain is around and west of mission peak. they could of least allowed access along the last switchback and fenced west of that part of the fire road.

  is there anything we can do at this point? who built the trail and why didn't they ask for input from local trail users? and I think it's more than a small price to pay for access to the trails down the north side.
  DGH a 38 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a epic from northridge

  Posted:09/22/2004

• Trail UpdateNeon-This is Hans with CORBA. www.corbamtb.com. I spoke with the Gas Company regarding the access to Mission Peak and they have cut a new trail below three trees to allow easy access to Mission Peak. I have not been up there to check it out yet but I will soon. The Gas Company had no choice but to put up this fence for security reasons.
  Hans a 42 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Titus Quasi Moto from Granada Hills URL: CORBA

  Posted:09/16/2004

• Trail UpdateMore Fences!-I rode to Mission Peak Saturday (7/31) from Aliso Canyon via the singletrack where dirt and asphalt Sesnons meet. I found there are four new fence sections since I was last there on 7/6:

  - Across the fireroad just as you reach Three Trees

  - Along the uphill from the "backside" of Mission Peak itself

  - Around the West edge of Mission Peak where the memorial is

  - At the bottom of the short, rugged chute from Three Trees.

  The last two seem to only be there to limit vehicle traffic as they cross the fire road and extend only about 100ft in each direction. I'm not sure of the purpose of the others nor can I tell if they intend to connect these sections together.
  Namlak a 35 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ironhorse Rogue from Northridge URL: Some photos

  Posted:08/01/2004

• Trail UpdateMore On The Gates...-Yeah, I went back out to Neon on Saturday, and had another look at the situation. Yeah, the new road cut allows a connection to East Cyn. and Weldon Cyn. That's good. But, if you are coming up from Neon Way, the gates make it difficult for a mountain biker to get to the top, or to connect to the new trail. Maybe there is more work to come, to fix that situation. But really, I just think that all these new fences are a bit overblown. They are just creating problems for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. As for security concerns, I don't think these fences they have set up would even slow the bad guys down.
  Pilot a 31 year old Racer riding a Spider SPV from Chatsworth

  Posted:07/18/2004

• Trail UpdateNeon Way To Mission Peak-I went up to Mission Peak today from Neon Way.
  Sure enough, there are two gates and a fence
  recently erected by the Gas Company; the first gate
  (with barbed wire)is on the fire road at the east end
  of the plateau just below the three (five) trees. The
  second is further up the road just west of the three
  trees. The chain link fence starts on the west side
  of the top, extending all the way past the gate to the
  north of the peak. There is a new connecting road
  at that gate. I took it for about a mile and assume it
  goes down to East and Weldon Canyons. All in
  all, it seems like a minor inconvenience; a small
  sacrifice to be able to ride from Neon Way to the
  Santa Clarita side.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 24 miles Elevation change: +1700'
  Singletrack=10% Paved Path=20% Truck Trail=70%
  Gringo a 51 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:07/17/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateHuh? Again?-Again? well i know you can reach mission peak from the Santa Clarita side from East canyon. i never went over the hill though. i did that ride about a week or 2 ago.
  Steve K a 17 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:07/16/2004

• Trail UpdateNeon Way To Mission Peak-L.A. City Recreation and Parks people are going
  up the trail this weekend to check on the location of
  gates. They are checking maps to find out if the
  gates are on city or private property. Stay tuned.
  Gringo a 51 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:07/15/2004

• Trail UpdateNeon Way-That trail is supposedly part of O'Melveny Park, L.A.
  City Recreation and Parks. Two contacts: Diane in
  City Councilman Greig Smith's office and Mike
  Antonovich, County Supervisor.
  Gringo a 51 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Isis from Chatsworth

  Posted:07/15/2004

• Trail UpdateWTF?!?!-Went up Neon (DeCampos trail) last night. SoCal Gas has just erected two brand new gates across the main DeCampos trail (fireroad)!!! You cannot even get to the top of Mission Pt., without going around these gates. What the hell is going on here?! Is SoCal Gas doing this in coordination with the area parks? Or are they just doing this crap on their own? We can't even get to the top of a long established trail anymore...
  Pilot a 31 year old Racer riding a Spider SPV from Chatsworth

  Posted:07/15/2004

• Trail UpdateQuoted from Michael Antonovich's post for Weldon Canyon on this website about where the trails will cover once they are cut. See Weldon Canyon entry. I'm not sure if this gives us insight to the new trails but i think one of the main goals is connecting the Three Trees area with East Cyn and Weldon Cyn. "In coordination with the County of Los Angeles's Parks & Recreation Department new trails will be cut in a short time that will connect the trail with those areas that have been fenced off insuring a complete trail system for those individuals using the trail. The Gas Company will be in contact with you to go over the details and answer any questions you have."

  Steve K a 16 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:06/23/2004

• Trail UpdateWow...good News-I'm sure glad to hear that especially since i haven't recently followed up on the issue. If it connects to Weldon Canyon it will be able to connect to East Canyon also as they form a loop. The loop between Weldon Canyon and East Canyon has been fully open and is run by the Michael Antonivich Open Space Area and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The current fence is about a 1/4mile above the loop intersection near where the trail used to connect to Three Trees/Mission Peak. Thanks for the good news. This should make a good ride once again up and over the hills. As far as Oat Mt, it probably won't be acessible for a long time if ever unless trails are cut up to it.
  Steve K a 16 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:06/23/2004

• Trail UpdateNew Connection...-Wow, that is awesome news! But it is not clear exactly what it will connect to. My guess is they are going to make a connection to the Weldon Cyn. motorway, and possibly to another connection from the top down into Bee canyon (O'Melveny).

  Lately, I have seen nighttime patrol activities (vehicles patrolling with big lights) on Oat Mountain. There is definitely an active attempt to secure the oil and gas infrastructure around the mountain.

  All the recent activity around here makes me concerned for the future of a certain route down off the top...
  Pilot a 31 year old Racer riding a Spider SPV from Chatsworth

  Posted:06/23/2004

• Trail UpdateA NEW CONNECTOR!!!!!-Good new for riders of this trail. This morning I did the climb up to three trees and beyond to the Edison Gate. Came upon a Parks and Recreation trail crew, complete with a bulldozer. The Edison gate was open, so I asked them if users were going to get access beyond the gate. No, but they told me that they were cutting a connector trail around the Edison property to join the fire road on the other side. Wow, what a suprise! They were quite pleasant, asked me questions about use of the trail, and said the connector should be open in about three days. One of the crew was on a cell phone and I heard them mention "National Security Inspector" and "Oak tree drip line". Amazing what goes into a simple trail construction project! I thanked them for their hard work and turned back, excited about being able to "legally" transition to the north and east trails. I would recommend anyone who has the time in the next couple days, ride up and tell them how much we will appreciate the new connector.
  jays55 a 44 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Specialized Epic from Granada Hills

  Posted:06/23/2004

• Trail UpdateDon't mean to diss your riding but this trail is beginner or intermediate at best. Its steep but short.
  Dirtshark a 41 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a bike from earth

  Posted:06/04/2004

• Trail UpdateMission Peak-The trail has no rut and was teriffic. Saw a ton of rabbits and a deer. It's
  a great climb. Watch for hikers and other riders on the way down.
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Ride distance: 2.5 Elevation change:
  Singletrack=70% Paved Path=30%
  stef butler a 43 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a Seven Sola XTR from United States

  Posted:06/01/2004

• Trail UpdateMust Be A Second Fence...-I bet there's a second fence then. We could not descend DeCampos Trail to Neon Wy. Right were the DeCampos Trail hits Palo Sola Fire Road near the top of east canyon and there are water tanks is where this fence is. I'm sure there is a lower fence b/c socal gas owns a stretch of that road now.
  Steve K a 16 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:04/30/2004

• Trail UpdateChanges...-The development never stops. Rode here tuesday night. I like to start this ride at Rinaldi and Zelzah (aprox.), heading up lower Aliso canyon. Taking the canyon up, there is a fireroad connection to the dirt portion of Sesnon. At least, it used to be a fireroad, but it has been thrashed by bulldozers, as it appears they are preparing for development. For now, it is still passable. But changes are coming. Anyway, from there I take Sesnon over to Neon Way. Then up the DeCampos trail to the top. This section is in excellent shape right now. As for the gate at the 'end' of the road -- it is still the same old gate, but the Gas Co. has covered it with chain link fencing to discourage trespassing. Still no barb wire top or 8' fence though, at least not yet.
  Pilot

  Posted:04/30/2004

• Trail UpdateNo More Connection To East Cyn-So Cal Gas Co. now owns property at the top of the mountain and has erected a huge fence blocking the Neon Wy/Mission Peak/three Trees ride from connected with East Canyon and Weldon Canyon from the Interstate 5 side. We tried to come over from East Canyon yesterday; didn't work.
  Steve K a 16 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Mongoose XR-100 from Canyon Country (Santa Clarita), CA

  Posted:04/09/2004

• Trail UpdateStill A Good Ride....-I have ridden these trails a few times now, and have not seen any other riders. There are some tire tracks (other than mine) so there are people riding here, but not too many. Anyway, all the routes mentioned on this page are still here, and provide some fun riding. Short rides, but fun. Tough (but short) climb, intermediate downhill... The climb was extremely hard in the 100+ degree heat on 9/1. I took the singletrack down into Aliso Canyon, and the connector down to Sesnon. This singletrack does not look like it has been used recently, by anyone. But it is still there, and a very fun ride. The descent into O'Melveny (Bee Canyon) is also in great shape, and very fun.
  Pilot a 30 year old Cross-Country Rider from Chatsworth, CA

  Posted:09/03/2002

• Trail UpdateMario A. DeCampos Memorial Trail-Rode this about an hour ago and the trail is in fantastic shape up to the top. Came down into O'Melveny Park this time and the descent was tons of fun. Steep in sections but only one or two loose areas. The top of the descent is heavy with stiff plant material and scratched me up pretty good, next time I might want to use shin guards to keep more skin. Mostly hardpacked Single Track down with good traction and almost no rocks, and very rideable by an intermediate rider.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 6 mile Loop Elevation change:
  Singletrack=75% Paved Path=10% Truck Trail=15%
  JorgeGrande

  Posted:10/22/2001

• Trail UpdateMario A. DeCampos Memorial Trail-Rode on Friday and it was absolutely georgous.
  Trail is in great shape. I give it an advance rating
  just because it 2 miles up uphill and steep in
  some long sections. Beatiful views from the top. I
  also rode the singletrack into the Oil Fields and the
  connector that drops you off on Sesnon. Was
  wondering if anyone has gone further that the
  memorial at the top. Gonna try that next time. Bring
  Water and Energy Bars. When you reach the bottim
  at seson you can also go right into Aliso Canyon
  which is a decent ride that can take you down to
  Rinaldi or up to the Sesnon side that meets
  Reseda Blvd. Watch your speeds, cliffs, hikers and
  horses. Have Fun!
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Ride distance: 6-10 miles Elevation change: 1300
  Singletrack=70% Dirt Road=25% Paved Path=5%
  Darren Hallihan a Cross-Country Rider riding a Gary Fisher Sugar 3 from Porter Ranch

  Posted:09/29/2001

• Trail UpdateMission Peak / Three Trees-The trail to the top is in excellent shape right now, especially if you're tired of getting bush-wacked on most other trails this time of year. The fireroad climb looks more like singletrack as it has been quite some time since it's been graded, thankfully. My favorite singletrack route down through the oil fields is in great shape too - good directions found in post dated 12-16-00 below. BTW, it can get REALLY hot if you ride mid-day. Please keep your speed in check so we don't piss off all the equestrians and hikers. Happy trails!
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 10 miles Elevation change: 1300 (seems like more!)
  Singletrack=80% Dirt Road=20%
  Tim Tommasino a 37 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Trek Fuel from Northridge

  Posted:06/27/2001

• Trail UpdateNeon-I ride "Neon" about 2-3 times /week. Great workout ride 2.5 miles of relatively steep single track. Conditions now are not bad. Getting a little too much loose gravel, and pretty dry brush. From the peak (memorial to Dr. Campos) there are three great ways down: 1)The way you came up (super fast downhiller), 2) steep "hikers" trail (excellent skills and slow speed descent) and 3) at link fence, steep ride into Melveny park (sp?). Awesome anyway you go and the views are amazing.
  Ride rating: Advanced
  Singletrack=90% Dirt Road=10%
  Hans Stoehr a 37 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a '01 specialized M4 hardtail from granada hills

  Posted:12/30/2000

• Trail UpdateSingle Track On Mission Point-A summary of the single track I have found at this location: (1) Straight down from three trees. Pretty steep at the top (advanced) but it mellows out (intermediate) and is a lot of fun; (2) Directly below the tree trees, the Neon Way/Dr. Mario A. DeCampos Memorial Trail passes a chain link fence; there is a single track that heads off to the left (if you are going downhill) and will eventually lead you into Bee Canyon in O'Melveny Park; it is pretty steep in some areas but is generally a fun ride; they recently plowed the section just above O'Melveny Park next to the stream, so some of the fun obstacles are gone; but it's still very much worth the ride; I rate it an intermediate; (3) A few switchbacks below the chain link fence, there is another single track that traverses to the left and meets up with #2 above; (4)My favorite single track on Mission Point starts at the first switchback below Three Trees; it drops down the ridgeline with Aliso (?) Cyn on the right; after going through a decent vegetable tunnel, it opens onto a dirt road next to a high voltage tower; follow this down to an asphalt road (belonging to the oil company); go straight down the road; it curves to the right, then there is a sharp switchback to the left; then veer off the road onto the single track to the left; this is the section that is a lot of fun; it will drop you off on Sesnon right where Sesnon becomes a dirt road; you can ride up this route, although you'll probably have to throw the bike over your shoulder close to the top; consider it cross-training; this single track I would consider intermediate.

  I think that's all of the single track on Mission Point. If there's more, please post the information here.
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: Elevation change: ?
  Singletrack=90% Dirt Road=5% Paved Path=5%
  a Cross-Country Rider

  Posted:12/16/2000

• Trail UpdateNeon Way Update-Yes, the 'trail' has been graded. The surface is returning to it's normal hardpack, though. There are a couple soft corners to watch for. Wait til spring, then the trail will be it's usual overgrown self. Rode a nice trail down to O'Melveney Park - don't know the name so I'll call it the "Fencline Trail" because it starts near the chain-link fence immediately below Three Trees. This trail is not very technical but VERY steep, especially near the bottom. Shorter than the main trail, but less traffic. BTW, the main trail ("Neon Way") has for some time been named the "Dr. Mario A. DeCampos Memorial Trail" to honor the Doctor, who enjoyed hiking the trail when he was among the living. "Neon Way" is the name of the street that ends at the trailhead.

  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: ~3 miles Elevation change: 1200'
  Singletrack=50% Dirt Road=50%
  Tom Kenney a 32 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Klein Pinnacle from Reseda, CA URL: Tom's Page

  Posted:12/20/1999

• Trail UpdateSingletrack is no-more, trail has been changed to smooth, steep, wide fire-road up to "three trees".
  After that, trail is same condition as before...

  Posted:11/27/1999

• Trail UpdateRode this for first time. Open grass hill on smooth singletrack-ish meanders up for few miles, bit of a climb for 'bout 30 minutes to "three oak trees", little past trees, past gate & trail turns into wide dirt road. Another mile or so down & up to those tanks that have mileage markers painted on one, which is the top ridge route. (45 minutes now) Left here following ridge line, road eventually becomes broken rough blacktop. That changes at Limekin turn-off into newley paved blacktop, 2 more miles up and down on road to last tower at tiptop of Oat, (Just over one hour, 8.5 miles) WHAT A VIEW! *** 360 degrees *** From Mt. Wilson towers in distance/East, all the local valleys, Las Padres peaks to west/North. Only saw cowboys below me hearding the doggies (they didn't see me) 45 minutes to get back down same way. Nice ride, will have to do this again on a day when it's totally clear, I'm sure the view is out past ocean and some of the islands. BTW: What's the name of the first part/singletrack, not "Neon Way" is it? The ridge road is marked "Oat Mtwy".
  Ride rating: Intermediate
  Ride distance: 17 miles Elevation change: 2500?
  Singletrack=30% Dirt Road=30% Paved Path=20% Truck Trail=20%
  ET a 41 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a On2wheels from Simi

  Posted:07/19/1999

• Trail UpdateMission Point And Beyond....-I have hiked and biked this trail many times. The whole adventure is when you venture past Mission Point and get onto the ridge that everyone I know has different expierences on. I sill have not found out who owns exactly what land up there. Oil and gas companies, ranchers, radio tower owners, and now the LAPD I guess. Anyway, everytime I go up there, its a different expierence. Well....if anyone knows any new news about this topic, spill your guts please. I love to hear new info. And we all should schedule a ride up and past there...what do you people think?
  Tony a 18 year old Cross-Country Rider from Granada Hills

  Posted:06/18/1999

• Trail UpdateMission Peak To Oat Mountain-I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but according to the LA Times last week, the old Nike missile site on Oat Mountain is now formally owned by LAPD, who will be using it as a SWAT training facility -- with live ammo. If you experienced access problems before, they just got worse. Just a word to the wise...
  the Walrus a Weekend Warrior from Simi Valley

  Posted:03/20/1999

• Trail UpdateNEON WAY, 3 TREES-THE TRAIL IS TRANSFORMING INTO A SINGLE TRACK.
  THEY USED TO GRADE IT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, IT HAS NOT
  BEEN PLOWED FOR AT LEAST 2.5 YEARS. EL NINO FORMED
  LARGE RUTS AND VOIDS IN WHAT WAS ONCE A FIRE ROAD.
  ITS GREAT WORK OUT AND A FUN FAST DOWNHILL.
  THE NICK NAME FOR THIS TRAIL IS 3 TREES. DOES ANYONE
  HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON RIDGELINE ACCESS?
  Singletrack=90% Dirt Road=10%
  MIKE a 41 year old Die-hard Enthusiast riding a STUMPJUMPER S-WORKS HARDTAIL from GRANADA HILLS

  Posted:03/15/1999

• Trail UpdateThis trail is more like a single track. el nino being partialy responsible. trail has not been cleared for aprox. 2 years. does anybody know what the status is on the ridge access? seems like every time we ride up there this cowboy wantabe gets in our face, he is very rude. once he threatened to take our bikes away from us.
  Singletrack=80% Truck Trail=20%
  a Cross-Country Rider

  Posted:09/25/1998

• Trail UpdateNeon Way-I've been up to the top of Mission Peak several times. The last time I tried to ride along the ridge, I was rudely tossed off the hill by an employee(?) of the owner, Orcutt Ranch.
  I have heard rumor that the part of the ridge is going to be acquired as part of offsite mitigation by the nearby Sunshine Canyon Landfill. Whats the recent word on ridge access?
  Wayne Smith a 39 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Trek 7000 from Porter Ranch

  Posted:07/30/1998

• Trail UpdateMission Point By Tony Docan-Be careful when riding down quickly. A very fun trail. Try to hike or bike it soon! Keep going across the mountain range when you get to the top and you'll see many oak trees and nice views!
  Tony Docan a 17 year old riding a tricycle(just kidding) from Granada Hills

  Posted:04/04/1998

• Trail Update"Neon Way" Trail Update-Rode this trail on Sunday. The rain has rearranged things a bit. There are many ruts, some waist deep and 4 ft. wide. The hillsides have slumped onto the trail in places. Still not as bad as several years ago, when the ruts were man-eaters!! Be careful...
  Tom Kenney a 30 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Klein Pinnacle from Reseda, CA URL: Tom's Page

  Posted:03/02/1998

• Trail UpdateMisson Point And Beyond By Tony-You start at Neon Way and wind your way up about 2 miles through a sensational trail that are smooth and clean. You will reach the Three Trees and keep going to the top of the mountain about another quarter mile. Now you are at the top of Mission Point. You will see a white cross and a brick memorial. Now is your chance to go beyond into the great rolling hills of oak trees. This great trail/road is smooth, clear, and is great for any rider. You will shortly come to 2 large water tanks which have a directional map on them. You want to go to Oat Mountain, trust me! From these tanks it says 4.1 miles to Oat Mountain. So simply go that way. You will go through rolling hills. You will see towers and maybe others up there. Once you get to Oat Mountain, you can go back the way you came which will take the longest or you can go down a path that leads into the Hardman and Boyle cattle company and eventually into De So! to Avenue. From the top of Oat Mountain, to the bottom of De Soto you will have a very joyful and worthwhile downhill ride. If you choose not to go this way then you can go down the Mission Point way or you can take another downhiller! Just follow one of the roads facing the valley a go....you will come out at Tampa Ave. after your 15 min. freefall! I have gone through all of these ways many times and are all extremly safe. The view of the San Fernando Valley, Simi Valley, Valencia, Magic Mountain, and the Ocean are great. Mission Point's elevation is 2,800 and Oat Mountain is 3,700 feet. Go out and try these trails, they are fun!!
  Dirt Road=70% Paved Path=30%
  Tony Docan a 17 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Raleigh from Granada Hills, Ca.

  Posted:02/15/1998

• Trail UpdateNeon To Mission Pt. And Beyond!-Starting at Neon Way will be the quickest way to the top of Mission Point! A total of 2.5 miles without the steep shortcuts has been hiked by me in under 25 minutes. From the top of Mission Point you can see much of the Sanfernando Valley. Since I can get to Mission Point so quickly, I have decided to explore beyond. If you keep going on a trail opposite of the Valley you will come quickly to a gate. This gate is there for one purpose which is to keep roaming cows in there mile upon mile area. After ducking your head and pulling your feet over the gate you start on a wide fast paced dirt road to Oat Mountain with an elevation of just under 3,800 feet. You will pass farm after farm and cow after cow and keep going on the trail seeing wild birds, deer, squirl, and cotton tailed rabbits. If you successfully make it to Oat Mountain you have conquered a large task and will feel like your on top of the world! Now you can continue on the trail the same way and it will eventually lead down to De Soto Avenue! Have fun and go as far as you can and enjoy the nature! P.S. there used to be a old Nike Missile Base on top near Oat Mountain which you will see......or many buildings and towers used for communications. Its really neat. Go for it!
  Dirt Road=30% Paved Path=10% Truck Trail=60%
  The Conquerer a 16 year old Die-hard Enthusiast from Granada Hills

  Posted:12/04/1997