El Prieto (Fern Truck Trail Brown Mountain Road)

Mountain Biking Trail

Hard

7.85 mi

1,315 ft

One of the most popular loops up into the mountains for Los Angeles-area mountain bikers.

The El Prieto trail is a true gem for Los Angeles-area mountain bikers. Where many trails in the mountains just outside of LA are extremely steep and nearly unrideable, the pedal up Fern Truck Trail to access the top of El Prieto is steep, yes, but achievable. This creates an absolute gem of a lariat route when looped with the El Prieto descent that can be ridden from the Altadena area.

While the ease of access helps boost El Prieto's popularity, unlike some routes in the area the quality of the singletrack lives up to the hype! The El Prieto trail itself drops into an uncharacteristically lush valley, following and crossing a stream that runs out of the mountains and into the city.

Small dams along the way block up the stream, providing interesting trail features, and small rock gardens and drops punctuate the flowy swoop of the singletrack.

The delectable descent is over all too soon, and it's back to the car... unless you decide to just keep riding laps of this absolutely excellent little trail! Written by Greg Heil

Created By

Strava Routes

25 June 2018·Public

Route and Elevation

Segments

Name	Distance	Elev. Diff.	Avg. Grade
Windsor lot to start of Brown climb	1.34 mi	177 ft	2.0%
Brown/Prieto Lolipop Loop	7.58 mi	-1,207 ft	-0.0%
Brown Mtn, Ventura Gate to Saddle	3.86 mi	1,260 ft	6.0%
Windsor Gate to Start of Brown Mountain Climb	1.11 mi	75 ft	0.6%
BFR: JPL to saddle	3.33 mi	1,230 ft	7.0%
El Prieto Loop	5.71 mi	-1,260 ft	-0.0%
From start to the first Plateau	1.90 mi	751 ft	7.3%
Brown Prelude	0.17 mi	79 ft	8.5%
Brown Ranger To Saddle	2.84 mi	1,178 ft	7.8%
Brown climb bottom to the flats	2.49 mi	1,083 ft	8.2%
First Climb	2.71 mi	1,135 ft	7.9%
Brown - Fern - El Prieto Loop	5.16 mi	1,119 ft	0.1%
El Preito to Towers	0.58 mi	253 ft	8.1%
Main Climb to Saddle	2.56 mi	1,083 ft	8.0%
El Prieto OUTLET to first plateau	1.28 mi	614 ft	9.0%
First Turn to Last Turn	2.28 mi	1,010 ft	8.3%
training loop	4.87 mi	-1,060 ft	-0.1%
Fern Up N' Down	3.34 mi	1,047 ft	3.9%
The climb without gps glitch	2.25 mi	919 ft	7.7%
Signal Tower to first Plateau	0.65 mi	331 ft	9.6%
Final Stretch to the Top	0.84 mi	302 ft	6.7%
Home Stretch to Saddle	0.58 mi	207 ft	5.7%
Brown saddle to Ventura parking lot	4.02 mi	-1,266 ft	-5.8%
El Prieto Trail Full DH	2.59 mi	-1,083 ft	-7.8%
Brown Mtn saddle to EL P start	0.90 mi	-371 ft	-7.5%
fern descent	0.90 mi	-371 ft	-7.6%
fern down only	0.72 mi	-367 ft	-9.7%
Gateway - Luge	0.80 mi	-348 ft	-8.1%
Between Two Ferns	0.67 mi	-358 ft	-10.0%
El Prieto DH sector 1	0.43 mi	-200 ft	-8.8%
First Half of El Prieto	0.42 mi	-210 ft	-8.9%
LP Extended Remix	1.97 mi	-784 ft	-7.5%
El P DH	1.60 mi	-715 ft	-8.4%
El Prieto Downhill	1.71 mi	-686 ft	-7.6%
El P (wholly decent)	1.67 mi	-699 ft	-7.9%
YEEE EL P	1.42 mi	-640 ft	-7.5%
El Prieto DH sector 2	0.82 mi	-338 ft	-7.7%
Last Half of El Prieto	1.29 mi	-518 ft	-7.6%
el prieto alt start	0.79 mi	-335 ft	-8.0%
El P Lower	1.12 mi	-482 ft	-8.2%
El Prieto DH sector 3	0.37 mi	-161 ft	-7.8%
El "P" last Rock n Roll	0.25 mi	-138 ft	-7.1%
Brown side trail	0.22 mi	-98 ft	-8.3%
final leg to lot	1.41 mi	-164 ft	-1.7%
LP Over and Out	0.78 mi	-135 ft	-3.2%
Extra Credit	0.09 mi	-33 ft	-6.5%
JPL Shortcut	0.13 mi	-33 ft	-3.4%
JPL Parking lot hill	0.07 mi	26 ft	6.0%
JPL Gate to Windsor Gate	0.61 mi	56 ft	1.7%
Gabrieleno Trail - JPL to Ventura	0.54 mi	43 ft	1.2%

Top Sports

El Prieto (Fern Truck Trail Brown Mountain Road)

Mountain Biking Trail

Created By

Route and Elevation

Segments