more stats
2.5 miles
Distance
121 ft
Climb
-1,037 ft
Descent
00:14:33
Avg time
-918 ft
Altitude change
744 ft
Altitude min
1,761 ft
Altitude max
1,663 ft
Altitude start
745 ft
Altitude end
-7%
Grade
-43.6%
Grade max
13.4%
Grade min
3,159 ft
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
479 ft
Distance flat
00:14:33
Avg time

Lower Priest Rock Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Gravel Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
    Los Gatos, California
  • Difficulty Rating
    Access Trail or Doubletrack Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Green (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    65 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 70 in Trail Running
    • 50 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Dirt/Gravel Road
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC, Gravel
  • Direction
    Both Directions[+]
    Popular Direction Shown
    • Both Directions for Horseback
    • Both Directions for Gravel Biking
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    All Year
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • Ride in Rain
    Yes
  • Land Owner
    Santa Clara County Parks

Lower Priest Rock traverses the ridge of some of the highest hills around Lexington Reservoir. It begins at Alma Bridge Road and climbs up to the top of Limekiln Trail where it intersects with Upper Priest Rock. Along the way, you will experience challenging rocky sections, some tree cover, and several sections that are so steep they are almost unrideable. This trail can get very hot in the summertime.

The descent from Kennedy is technical and fast. Riding down the upper section of this trail is for moderate and advanced riders due to the steepness and off-camber turns. Many have crashed - some badly - on this trail. The lower section is also steep, but far easier to navigate.

Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 11 miles average
6 Months
  • 20 rides
  • 20 miles avg distance
All
  • 142 rides
  • Last: Jun 19, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Lower Priest Rock Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
May 26, 2025 @ 12:36pm
May 26, 2025
Feb 2, 2025 @ 2:20pm
Feb 2, 2025
Jun 19, 2023 @ 7:38am
Jun 19, 2023
 took it in the descending direction. Trail is loose, but as long as speed is under control not dangerous. There are ruts in some corners, be...
May 25, 2022 @ 5:30am
May 25, 2022
May 1, 2022 @ 8:46pm
May 1, 2022
 Dry, rocky, and sketchy. Some deep ruts, but the lower section is leveled and should be smooth until Winter.
more »
Status:
on May 26, 2025
Very Dry
Avg: 3.65 (3 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
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  • Both Directions
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  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
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Slope Aspect
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Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to lower-priest-rock trailhead (37.192740, -121.956980)

        Photos

        No photos have been added for Lower Priest Rock yet, add a photo.

        Videos

        2 more »
        youtuber Turkey Day 2021
        5:23 | 250 | Nov 27, 2021 , Los Gatos
        Overgrown Up and Priest Down
        10:34 | 453 | Aug 11, 2020 , Los Gatos

        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Routes with this trail

        19
        slippery tire-killer
        12 miles • 2,750 ft • 6 • Point to Point •
        This trail starts at kennedy trail and begins to climb for about 4 miles then from there it is down hill...
        18
        Limekiln-Kennedy-PriestRock-Loop
        10 miles • 2,714 ft • 5 • Loop •
        Easy loop in South Bay with a good climb.
        29
        Mount Umunhum Loop
        ★ 2.0 • 28 miles • 6,283 ft • 8 • Out & Back •
        Ride to Mount Umunhum from the Lexington Reservoir. Can start from downtown Los Gatos and end at a nice...

        1 Review & Comments


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        Nearby Trails

        Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve

        Frequently Asked Questions About Lower Priest Rock

        ▼ Where is Lower Priest Rock located?
        Lower Priest Rock is located in Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, Los Gatos, California, United States. It is part of the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 37.19274, -121.95698.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Lower Priest Rock?
        Lower Priest Rock has 121 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 1,037 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 744 ft to 1,761 ft.
        ▼ Is Lower Priest Rock a point to point trail?
        Lower Priest Rock is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is dirt/gravel road.
        ▼ How long is Lower Priest Rock?
        Lower Priest Rock is 2.5 miles long. The trail type is dirt/gravel road.

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