Area Summary
Location: Lafayette, Pleasant Hill vicinity
Best For: Strong Intermediates
Suitable For: Intermediate and advanced riders
Ground Cover: Open grasslands and oak woodlands
Seasons: Best from late fall through mid-spring. Usually hot in summer. Can be muddy with heavy rain.

Description:
Briones Regional Park, a holding of the East Bay Regional Park District, is decidedly more remote than its developed siblings in the Berkeley and Oakland hills. The 6,000-plus-acre Briones has an open feel that befits its origins as a large cattle ranch dating back to the early 1800s.

Like all areas in the East Bay park system, Briones lacks open single-track trails, but makes up for it with a vast network of fun and scenic fire roads. The number of loop rides you can create is almost endless. The scenery is classic California, with wide open grasslands punctuated by stands of oak trees.

The fire roads at Briones are invariably steep though generally not technical, making for a great work-out for strong riders. Less fit riders should definitely stay clear, and all riders should beware of brutal midday heat on many summer days.