Cattle Pen to River Trail

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Starting at the cattle pen, a short hike/ride takes you to the San Joaquin River Trail while avoiding the crowds at Pincushion. Steep grades at the start and end require some hiking.

Parking at the pen fills up fast, but there are lots of wide shoulders to park if you have a high clearance vehicle. You'll come across a few hikers, but mostly bikers and trail runners. There can be a lot of cows as well.

Park anywhere near the cattle pen, walk through the gate to the left which will take you up a steep incline, a rideable singletrack, then a dirt road to the top, about seven minutes.

The road goes left and right, but you stay straight on the singletrack that drops onto the River Trail. From here, the singletrack follows the river.

You avoid the crowds of hikers at the north end where it joins the Pincushion hiking trail. It's a bit of a hike-a-bike getting back up the hill on the way back. I ride it as an up-and-back.