Description:
The southern section of the Santa Ana Mountains is not for the faint of heart. This area includes the San Juan Trail, an often technical single-track that features some nasty fall-offs, as well as the Caspers Wilderness area, which can spook visitors with its ominous mountain lion warnings. Set those thoughts aside and you'll be treated to some of the best single-track in Southern California.

The San Juan Trail is a classic for advanced riders. Climbing 2,500 feet along an often slippery and sometimes exposed single-track, the San Juan Trail throws a little bit of everything at you. Riders who choose to do an out-and-back will negotiate tight switchbacks, nasty rock fields, steep fall-offs and, on crowded weekends, screeching downhillers. Use caution particularly if heading uphill on a weekend.

Caspers Wilderness is quite a bit more mellow, with easy and intermediate-level fire roads predominating. Because of an incident in the 1980s, mountain lion warnings are common here. As in all areas of California, know the drill for handling confrontations, but understand that such an occurrence is highly unlikely.