more stats
2,287 ft
Distance
-568 ft
Descent
00:04:42
Avg time
-568 ft
Altitude change
720 ft
Altitude min
1,288 ft
Altitude max
1,288 ft
Altitude start
719 ft
Altitude end
-24.8%
Grade
-67.1%
Grade max
-3.4%
Grade min
2,287 ft
Distance down
00:04:42
Avg time

First Crack Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
  • Riding Area
    Westridge-Canyonback
    Santa Monica, California
  • Difficulty Rating
    Double Black Diamond Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (4 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    45 in Mountain Biking
  • Global Ranking
    #110015 in Mountain Biking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    DH, AM
  • Direction
    Downhill Only
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • TTFs on Trail
    Drop, Jump

No community description for First Crack trail has been added yet!

AI Generated Description

First Crack is a highly rated 2,287 ft moderately popular double black diamond difficulty singletrack trail located near Santa Monica California. This mountain bike only trail can be used downhill only and has a hard overall physical rating. It features drop and jump. On average it takes 4 minutes to complete this trail.

This trail is unsanctioned.

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 3 rides
  • 24 miles avg distance
All
  • 67 rides
  • Last: Sep 7, 2026
update trails status or condition

First Crack Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jan 19, 2026 @ 8:30pm (America/Los_Angeles)
Jan 19, 2026
 Very loose
Sep 27, 2025 @ 1:21pm (America/Los_Angeles)
Sep 27, 2025
 After six days of work this trail is open for business. Go get some!
Jul 5, 2025 @ 4:26pm
Jul 5, 2025
 Trail is abandoned as of now. Not rideable at all.
Jun 1, 2025 @ 8:19am
Jun 1, 2025
 One big overgrown rut with trees down and not rideable
Apr 19, 2025 @ 1:22pm
Apr 19, 2025
 Unrideable and borderline not hikeable
more »
Status:
on Jan 19, 2026
Dry
Avg: 4.38 (7 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (482)
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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Used
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  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
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  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
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Activity Recordings
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Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to first-crack trailhead (34.086320, -118.512130)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        2 more »
        mtb
        297 |
        Feb 26, 2017 @ 11:13am
        Feb 26, 2017
        report
        mtb
        220 |
        Apr 24, 2019 @ 11:39pm
        Apr 24, 2019

        Videos

        5 more »
        First Crack - Santa Monica Mountains
        mtb
        2:30 | 787 | Feb 22, 2022 , Santa Monica
        1st Crack, Running Good : MTB
        mtb
        2:14 | 387 | Oct 20, 2021 , Santa Monica
        youtuber Steep -50% grade on an XC mountain bike?? |...
        mtb
        2:53 | 620 | Apr 29, 2021 , Santa Monica
        youtuber Enduro Trail Check: First Crack, Santa Monica...
        mtb
        1400 | Jun 27, 2016 , Santa Monica

        Routes with this trail

        73
        SM Enduro on Crack
        27 miles • 5,423 ft • 13 •
        Good route hitting some of the lesser known good enduro trails in the area
        4.7 ★★★★★
        7 Ratings
        5 ★ 86%
        4 ★
        3 ★ 14%
        2 ★
        1 ★

        9 Reviews & Comments

        paulc314 paulc314
        Trimmed trail today, loose and steep, but has berms where they need to be. Classic dh trail, only one double black feature.
        jmloutdoors jmloutdoors
        Rode up Sullivan canyon today and it was an absolute river. First time riding there and didn’t feel like peddling up the river anymore so I just randomly found first crack and pushed all the way to the top. Cleared all the brush and fallen trees. Very rutted and very loose but it was rideable and pretty fun.
        Cmguidroz Cmguidroz
        Hey y’all Me and my buddy Mike have decided to start building a new single track trail in this area. So far we’ve made some good progress but it could be a lot faster with a few more hands involved. If you’re interested in building a sick new line with some nice features. Hit me up at 310-210-2066

        My names Chris

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        Nearby Trails

        Westridge-Canyonback

        • #37763 - 4,090 views

        Frequently Asked Questions

        ▼ Where is First Crack located?
        First Crack is located in Westridge-Canyonback, Santa Monica, California, United States. It is part of the Westridge-Canyonback trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 34.08632, -118.51213.
        ▼ How hard is First Crack?
        First Crack is rated as Double Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 24.8%.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for First Crack?
        The trail has 568 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 720 ft to 1,288 ft.
        ▼ Is First Crack a point to point trail?
        Yes, First Crack is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is First Crack?
        First Crack is 2,287 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on First Crack?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on First Crack. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ How do I access First Crack? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to First Crack are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride First Crack?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 4 minutes to ride First Crack. The trail is 2,287 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is First Crack?
        First Crack is a moderately popular trail. There have been 492 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 482 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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