Cerro Alto
(J.G. near the top of Cerro Alto).
This ride has some really good climbs and some good downhilling on singletrack. Enjoy this ride for a brief loop, or keep moving from the top and over to West Cuesta Grade. From there you can ride Shooters, Morning Glory, Roller Coasters, Pick and Shovel, Poly Canyon, or Stagecoach Road.
Take highway 101 north to the highway 41 exit towards Morro Bay. About halfway between Atascadero and Morro Bay on the left you will see the sign for the Cerro Alto Campground. Pay the parking and drive in, or park outside the gate and add an extra mile to your ride. Ride or drive all the way to the end of the road and look for the trailhead #12e01. It is in the back left hand corner of the campground behind the back parking area.
The climbing starts right away, and it is a pretty good pull. Take the single track to the double track and take it uphill. Soon you will be on single track again and resume climbing. At just under 2 miles you’ll see a sign that points you in the direction of Cerro Alto. Keep moving until you reach a junction at about 2.7 miles. At the 3 mile marker you will reach the top of Cerro Alto. The elevation is 2,600 feet with a killer 360 degree view of the area. After enjoying the view and taking a needed rest, roll back down for a six mile mini-loop.
Experiment with single tracks you passed on your way up. There is an alternate route off to the left on your way down that drops you to the lower end of the campground parking lot. You may have seen it on your way in the park.
Die hards will want to ride to TV Tower Road (aka West Cuesta Ridge) if you’re looking for a 25 mile out and back if you throw in a Morning Glory to Shooters Loop. You’ll see the fire road from the top of Cerro Alto. This part dirt- part pavement road takes you all the way to various other rides which lie off the West Cuesta Ridge.
Hiked this last weekend. The trail as described is really very steep and loose in quite a few places. I am not the best MTB climber around but am pretty experienced. There was a lot on this trail I would have needed to hike-a-bike. The trail to the west described as the “alternate” above was less steep though still had some rough stuff. I may try to ride the loop that was in a week or so.
There was one biker coming down the day we went (he came up from cuesta though). He looked pretty over his head on the downhill even.
Just be warned. Fat Tire Fun lists this as a moderate bike ride same as Kiler. I do Kiler all the time and this is MUCH tougher.
super sick ride. narly hike but totally worth it for the dh. look out for hikers
Road this today (march 29th) Great ride, the climb up is tough, hiked a few sections, but well worth the effort. made it to the top to find outstanding views of the Pacfic. The downhill section was great, fast, a few rollers and just enough rocks to keep it intersesting. A note about parking ** I parked outside of the gate and still got tagged with a citation or pay feeway.*** What a joke, any way if u go up there plan on paying the fee even if you dont use the facilities and ride in. Have fun and be safe*******
I just rode this one yesterday. It’s a climb! I’m not in the best shape, so I walked a lot of the climb. The view at the summit is amazing, and the downhill makes it all worth it! As already mentioned, the downhill is fast with just enough rocks to keep it interesting!