De Valle Regional Park

Overall its a terrific trail for the intermediate rider with plenty of technical singletrack to chose from.
Disk brakes are a must on this trail due to extremely steep descents but hydraulics are not necessary. At the moment I am am just running avid bb5 with a pretty bad rotor. There is also many places to wash out where you want to be extremely careful because of steep cliffs that lead to barbed fences and deep water. It is also important to access the trail from the top and not the bottom because the climb would be to rigorous for even a pro xc racer. The trail is also NOT for beginners because the cliffs mentioned earlier are literally next to the trail and bringing small kids there is a no no unless you plan on riding fire roads all day which don't get me wrong, its a tad bit boring. Heavily treaded tires are also a must have because most of the trail is lose dirt with some mildly rocky sections. Having proper rebound is also a good thing to have due to sections with shallow rivets and ruts that can be extremely rough. Full suspension bikes will also benefit due to the trails roughness but however is not required, personally I am running a specialized haddock pro 2006 and I had no trouble. Recommend the trail to anyone who wants an exiting ride that is not too intense.

Rode this trail today and got quite a workout. As another rider said, its not for beginners. Not too technical, just real steep in some areas and some pretty good climbs. Overall, I would recommend it and I will go back, $6 to park inside, great views of Del Valle! * Review edited 3/9/2012

Ride this park every Sunday. Lots of single track now open to bikes. Enough single track to avoid 80% of fire roads. Best place to start is from behind Wente Vinyards and ride out to the marina and back. Round trip is about 20 miles. There are some steep hills so save your wad for the trip back. Trails are fairly tame..have not found any wicked jumps yet. Single track is narrow and a lot of fun. Almost did a Sonny Bono last week on an Oak tree flying down a narrow single track. My buddy and I have managed to ride these trails all year around. Best time to go is in early spring. Cool weather and beautiful green hills and plants starting to bloom. Summer time is rough in the heat. Need to start around 6 a.m. and finish before noon. There are enough trails that you can take a different route each time to mix it up. Can't complain much since park is in my back yard.

Rode this weekend and it was hot. Main trails are wide and steep, not technical at all. Took a side trail that was singletrack for about 1/2 mile all up hill to another fire road. Took a dry creek bed back to main trail, fun but narrow and rough.

I rode bmx as a child but it was really my first time ever mountain biking. My brother and I headed out in late march, the scenery was green the temp. was 67 degrees and no wind. I have to say, as a beginner, that this park has definitely been the greatest biking experience we've had. Great climbs and downfalls. There were some cows on the trails that forced us to walk around but nonetheless it was amazing for a beginner. Will post pics later today.

Del Valle is not for beginners. The only flat part is from the marina to the group camps along the shore. After that it's either climb or drop. It's all fire roads. Last time I was there the "single tracks" were only for hikers. The roads are usually dry with lots of loose gravel and can have some pretty bad ruts from rain. The prettiest trail is on the west side of the lake. It's called Deer Jaw. I don't remember how long it is, but it's a definite work out. There is a lot of shade on this trail. If you want a real challenge to your climbing ability try the Squirrel Gulch trail. It's the only one I never made it up. Very steep. By the way, I did start riding there. It didn't put me off. Just made me more determined.

The trail along the lake shore is a wide non-technical fire trail, but it is a rollercoaster ride. I don't think it is good for beginners (in fact, I went with a friend that just got a bike and she didn't care for the trail). The hills around the lake trail are steep as they weave in and out of the canyons. The side trails from the lake are even harder. So if you're a beginner, make sure you've at least been getting some hills or some good indoor cycling workouts. The dirt, if it hasn't rained recently, is really dry with lots of loose gravel, making downhills a little scary for beginners. Extremely HOT in the summer, little shade, bring as much water as you can--however, the reservior is open for swim at your own risk, which is awesome in the summer!

It was hot and BORING could put off beginners. not cool enought to hook them long term on.