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5,151 ft
Distance
19 ft
Climb
-376 ft
Descent
00:04:56
Avg time
-355 ft
Altitude change
1,680 ft
Altitude min
2,038 ft
Altitude max
2,038 ft
Altitude start
1,683 ft
Altitude end
-6.9%
Grade
-31.1%
Grade max
14.6%
Grade min
591 ft
Distance climb
4,327 ft
Distance down
233 ft
Distance flat
00:04:56
Avg time
Flow Trail 1 Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Gravel Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaSoquel Demonstration State Forest
Santa Cruz, California -
Difficulty Rating
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Voted DifficultyBlue (5 votes)
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Local Popularity95 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 40 in Trail Running
- 80 in Hiking
- 90 in Gravel Biking
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Global Ranking
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State Ranking#68 in Mountain Biking · California [+]
- #5,883 in Trail Running
- #4,166 in Hiking
- #3 in Gravel Biking
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Hiking SAC ScaleT3 Demanding Mountain Hiking
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Trail ExposureNormal
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeDH, AM, XC, Adaptive MTB, Gravel
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DirectionDownhill OnlyPopular Direction Shown
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike Allowed
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TTFs on TrailBerm, Jump
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Land Owner
Built specifically for mountain bikes, a flow trail emphasizes speed and rhythm, featuring berms, rollers, jumps and other features that are designed in a way that uses the rider’s momentum to minimize pedaling and braking (think downhill pump track). From the young (or not so young) beginner, to the downhill pro, a flow trail delivers smiles for riders of all ages and skill level.
MBoSC has partnered with land manager California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to build a four mile flow trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest (SDSF). The objectives of this project are to promote mountain biking by creating a progressive trail that can be enjoyed by riders of all ages and ability level, and to increase the diversity of riding opportunities, demonstrate innovative and sustainable trail building design and techniques, and provide a model for other land managers for similar types of projects.
source: Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz
Adaptive Bike Info
aMTB Blue Rating: Intermediate features and steeper terrain.
Trail Supporters
Bell Bike HelmetsSponsor
Specialized Bicycle ComponentsSponsor
Santa Cruz BicyclesSponsor
Ibis Cycles
since 2015Sponsor
Local Trail Association
-
-
Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 8 rides
- 16 miles average
6 Months
- 373 rides
- 19 miles avg distance
All
- 3,182 rides
- Last: Oct 18, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Flow Trail 1 Trail Reports
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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.
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
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 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
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- 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.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
?
Winter Trails
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Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
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
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Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
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Directions to flow-trail-1 trailhead
(37.073450, -121.889820)
Photos
55 more »
Videos
29 more »
Trail Lists
-
NorCal Dreamin'
7 trails
Routes with this trail
★ 5.0 • 18 miles • 3,222 ft • 14 •
The Flow Trail is one of the best-known trails in Santa Cruz. It's 3.5 miles of fast, flowy downhill fun....
★ 4.3 • 14 miles • 2,098 ft • 13 •
Best route for the flow trail with minimal climbing
13 Reviews & Comments
derekschinke
I can’t believe I drove 3 hours round trip and biked uphill for 2 hours for this. Also complete lack of respect from e-bikers commiting misdemeanors by riding here.
MatthewbFumky
Needs some major love. Too many break spots. Very rough today. Such a great trail, wish we had some more beginner flow spots around so people could work their way up to this. Definitely not a beginner spot like mentioned in the description.
scubasteve123412
Probably the most fun I’ve had on a bike. Well done to everyone who maintains this masterpiece.
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Nearby Trails
- Braille Trail 486 ft
- Ridge Trail (tractor To Sawpit) 1,929 ft
- Flow Trail 2 1,942 ft
- Logging Spur 1,995 ft
- Logging Spur 2,234 ft
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
- By brenthillier
NSMBA TRAILFORKS & contributors - #29328 - 25,089 views
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