more stats
1.2 miles
Distance
152 ft
Climb
-117 ft
Descent
00:08:59
Avg time
37 ft
Altitude change
5,872 ft
Altitude min
6,009 ft
Altitude max
5,972 ft
Altitude start
6,010 ft
Altitude end
0.6%
Grade
-30%
Grade max
20.1%
Grade min
4,104 ft
Distance climb
2,316 ft
Distance down
151 ft
Distance flat
00:08:59
Avg time

Thing Valley Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Cleveland National Forest (San Diego County)
    Mount Laguna, California
  • Difficulty Rating
    Access Trail or Doubletrack Rate
  • Local Popularity
    60 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 95 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Dirt/Gravel Road
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Gravel
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular In Reverse
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • Land Owner
    US Forest Service- Cleveland National Forest

Thing Valley (also known as La Posta or Desert View) is a dirt road that is actually much longer than shown on Trailforks. Starting on the Sunrise Hwy this road drops over 5 miles and over 1500 feet down to Thing Valley at the foot of the In-Ko-Pa Mountains. At this point the road intersects the La Posta Truck Trail - dedicated XC riders can continue riding there or turn around. The Thing Valley road is very loose and sandy in spots. It is not well maintained so expect some alternating rough and smooth sections with loose rocks, deep ruts, etc. There are no services available at the bottom of the valley and cell phone reception is spotty at best so don't ride down without the fitness and hydration/nutrition necessary to get yourself back to the top.

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 24 miles average
6 Months
  • 25 rides
  • 21 miles avg distance
All
  • 197 rides
  • Last: Aug 28, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Thing Valley Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
May 6, 2026 @ 9:09am (America/Tijuana)
May 6, 2026
Mar 14, 2026 @ 8:36am (America/Tijuana)
Mar 14, 2026
Jan 19, 2024 @ 8:43am
Jan 19, 2024
Apr 30, 2022 @ 9:38am
Apr 30, 2022
 reporter
May 2, 2021 @ 3:36pm
May 2, 2021
 All clear and running fine all the way to the bottom. Tough climb back up.
more »
Status:
on May 6, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 3.61 (2 votes)
Your vote: 0

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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)
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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 Ridden
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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 ?
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ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
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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 thing-valley trailhead (32.856560, -116.423090)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        25 more »
        mtb
        39 |
        Jun 12, 2023 @ 10:18am
        Jun 12, 2023
        mtb
        53 |
        Jun 12, 2023 @ 10:18am
        Jun 12, 2023
        mtb
        52 |
        Jun 12, 2023 @ 10:18am
        Jun 12, 2023
        mtb
        47 |
        Jun 12, 2023 @ 10:18am
        Jun 12, 2023

        Videos

        no videos have been added for Thing Valley yet, add a video.

        Routes with this trail

        25
        Mount Laguna EBike Demo Ride
        5 miles • 777 ft • 1 • Out & Back •
        a legal route for classified ebikes within the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area. Please use caution and...
        331
        San Diego 100
        100 miles • 13,366 ft • 18 • Loop •
        The SD 100 course covers 5 major areas: Mt Laguna Recreational Area, Pacific Crest Trail(PCT), Noble...
        2.5 ★★★★★
        2 Ratings
        5 ★
        4 ★
        3 ★ 50%
        2 ★ 50%
        1 ★

        Reviews / Comments

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        Nearby Trails

        Cleveland National Forest (San Diego County)

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        Frequently Asked Questions About Thing Valley

        ▼ Where is Thing Valley located?
        Thing Valley is located in Cleveland National Forest (San Diego County), Mount Laguna, California, United States. It is part of the Cleveland National Forest (San Diego County) trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 32.85656, -116.42309.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Thing Valley?
        Thing Valley has 152 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 117 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 5,872 ft to 6,009 ft.
        ▼ Is Thing Valley a point to point trail?
        Thing Valley is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is dirt/gravel road.
        ▼ How long is Thing Valley?
        Thing Valley is 1.2 miles long. The trail type is dirt/gravel road.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Thing Valley?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Thing Valley. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Thing Valley?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Thing Valley are:
        • July (32 activities)
        • August (16 activities)
        • June (15 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Thing Valley? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Thing Valley are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to ride Thing Valley?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 10 minutes to ride Thing Valley. The trail is 1.2 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Thing Valley?
        Thing Valley is a moderately popular trail. There have been 894 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 901 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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