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2,392 ft
Distance
10 ft
Climb
-162 ft
Descent
00:01:56
Avg time
-154 ft
Altitude change
1,073 ft
Altitude min
1,227 ft
Altitude max
1,227 ft
Altitude start
1,073 ft
Altitude end
-6.4%
Grade
-33.2%
Grade max
12%
Grade min
151 ft
Distance climb
1,831 ft
Distance down
302 ft
Distance flat
00:01:56
Avg time
Flow Trail 5 Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- Gravel Bike
- Adaptive Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
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Riding AreaSoquel Demonstration State Forest
Santa Cruz, California -
Difficulty Rating
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Voted DifficultyBlue (2 votes)
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Local Popularity95 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 45 in Trail Running
- 85 in Hiking
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Global Ranking
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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 TypeAM, XC, Adaptive MTB, Gravel
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DirectionDownhill Only[+]Popular Direction Shown
- Downhill Only for Trail Running
- Downhill Only for Hiking
- Downhill Only for Adaptive Biking
- Downhill Only for Gravel Biking
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Climb DifficultyBlue
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Physical RatingModerate
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Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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Dogs AllowedYes
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eBike Allowed
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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
Local Trail Association
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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
- 14 rides
- 18 miles average
6 Months
- 310 rides
- 19 miles avg distance
All
- 2,892 rides
- Last: Jun 17, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Flow Trail 5 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 ridelogs 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 riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans ridelogs 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 ridelogs 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 rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
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Max Vehicle Width
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US Cell Coverage
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Radar Time
Activity Recordings
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Missing Trails
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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 riders jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
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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.
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
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Directions to flow-trail-5 trailhead
(37.081240, -121.897610)
Photos
15 more »
Videos
16 more »
14:13 |
91 |
May 2, 2024 , Santa Cruz
12:31 |
148 |
Apr 30, 2024 , Santa Cruz
9:30 |
265 |
Jan 21, 2022 , Santa Cruz
21:30 |
250 |
Nov 1, 2021 , Santa Cruz
Trail Lists
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
4 Reviews & Comments
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Nearby Trails
- Flow Trail 4 646 ft
- Logging Spur 1,214 ft
- Flow Trail 6 1,558 ft
- Tractor Trail 2,297 ft
- Logging Spur 2,346 ft
Soquel Demonstration State Forest
- By brenthillier
NSMBA TRAILFORKS & contributors - #29322 - 13,419 views
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Frequently Asked Questions About Flow Trail 5
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Where is Flow Trail 5 located?
Flow Trail 5 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 37.08124, -121.89761.
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How hard is Flow Trail 5?
Flow Trail 5 is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 6.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
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What is the elevation gain for Flow Trail 5?
Flow Trail 5 has 10 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 162 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 1,073 ft to 1,227 ft.
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Is Flow Trail 5 a point to point trail?
Yes, Flow Trail 5 is a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Only. The trail type is singletrack.
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