more stats
2,533 ft
Distance
-171 ft
Descent
00:03:07
Avg time
-171 ft
Altitude change
1,341 ft
Altitude min
1,512 ft
Altitude max
1,512 ft
Altitude start
1,342 ft
Altitude end
-6.8%
Grade
-20.9%
Grade max
1.2%
Grade min
82 ft
Distance climb
2,451 ft
Distance down
00:03:07
Avg time

Flow Trail 3 Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Adaptive Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Soquel Demonstration State Forest
    Santa Cruz, California
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (2 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    95 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 50 in Trail Running
    • 85 in Hiking
  • Global Ranking
    #14159 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #91654 in Trail Running
    • #2115 in Hiking
  • Trail Exposure
    Normal
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Adaptive MTB, Gravel
  • Direction
    Downhill Only[+]
    Popular Direction Shown
    • Downhill Only for Trail Running
    • Downhill Only for Hiking
    • Downhill Only for Adaptive Biking
    • Downhill Only for Gravel Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    No
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Bridge, Drop, Jump, Rock Garden
  • Land Owner
    CAL FIRE

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.
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 9 rides
  • 17 miles average
6 Months
  • 392 rides
  • 19 miles avg distance
All
  • 3,129 rides
  • Last: Sep 6, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Status:
on Aug 30, 2026
Very Dry
Avg: 4.57 (50 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (22,690)
close
  • Basemap  Map 
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
3D
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
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
cell carrier legend

Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Winter Trails
Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
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

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.

map legend
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
disable
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Enable
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type

    Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.

    Save
        Directions to flow-trail-3 trailhead (37.078730, -121.893710)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        20 more »
        mtb
        724 |
        Jun 26, 2018 @ 9:52pm
        Jun 26, 2018
        mtb
        625 |
        Jun 26, 2018 @ 9:42pm
        Jun 26, 2018
        mtb
        242 |
        Apr 28, 2022 @ 11:26am
        Apr 28, 2022
        mtb
        234 |
        Apr 28, 2022 @ 11:26am
        Apr 28, 2022

        Videos

        14 more »
        Last Ride Down SEQUEL MTB FLOW Trail Before...
        mtb
        14:13 | 197 | May 2, 2024 , Santa Cruz
        Flow Trail / Santa Cruz, CA (Soquel Demo...
        mtb
        12:31 | 345 | Apr 30, 2024 , Santa Cruz
        Demonstration Forest, Flow Trail 1-3 with Sean...
        mtb
        10:01 | 322 | Nov 21, 2022 , Santa Cruz
        Flow Trail Two Weeks After the Rain
        mtb
        9:30 | 424 | Jan 21, 2022 , Santa Cruz

        Routes with this trail

        394
        Flow Trail loop
        ★ 4.2 • 14 miles • 2,088 ft • 17 • Loop •
        New Flow Trail in Santa Cruz
        472
        Flow/Braille Double Lap
        ★ 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....
        394
        Flow Loop via Buzzard
        ★ 4.3 • 14 miles • 2,098 ft • 13 •
        Best route for the flow trail with minimal climbing
        4.7 ★★★★★
        50 Ratings
        5 ★ 76%
        4 ★ 16%
        3 ★ 4%
        2 ★ 4%
        1 ★

        1 Review & Comments

        twowheeledwanderer twowheeledwanderer
        The Flow Trail is so fun! It's 3.4 miles of fast, flowy singletrack with machine-built berms and lots of little rollers to catch air. Climbing up to the top is no joke, though... I wrote a post about everything you need to know about the Flow Trail and Demo Forest https://twowheeledwanderer.com/posts/santa-cruz-flow-trail

        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

        Create a FREE account to view all trail reviews and much more.

        Create a Free Account

        Nearby Trails

        Soquel Demonstration State Forest

        Frequently Asked Questions About Flow Trail 3

        ▼ Where is Flow Trail 3 located?
        Flow Trail 3 is located in Soquel Demonstration State Forest, Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is part of the Soquel Demonstration State Forest trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 37.07873, -121.89371.
        ▼ How hard is Flow Trail 3?
        Flow Trail 3 is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 6.8%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Flow Trail 3?
        The trail has 171 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 1,341 ft to 1,512 ft.
        ▼ Is Flow Trail 3 a point to point trail?
        Yes, Flow Trail 3 is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Flow Trail 3?
        Flow Trail 3 is 2,533 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Flow Trail 3?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Flow Trail 3. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ How do I access Flow Trail 3? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Flow Trail 3 are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Flow Trail 3?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 4 minutes to ride Flow Trail 3. The trail is 2,533 ft long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Flow Trail 3?
        Flow Trail 3 is a very popular trail. There have been 21,758 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 22,690 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

        Hit the Trail

        Open in App

        Get this trail on your phone instantly.
        open trail in app

        Download Trail

        Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
        save the trail

        Find Related Routes

        Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
        find routes for this trail

        You must enter a description before submitting.