The Santa Clara County Motorcycle Park (a.k.a. Motorcycle County Park, or Metcalf to the locals) is 459 acres of county land just southeast of San Jose, CA. While the area is rather small, the dedicated staff of Park Attendants and Rangers has done a great job of managing the land and getting the maximum of allowable trail mileage. In addition to the 20 miles of trails, there are Motocross and Quarter Midget tracks, and a very nice staging area complete with shaded picnic areas and restroom facilities.

Trails are clearly marked for direction of travel.

View of Silicon Valley from MCP.

Covered tables are provided throughout the park.

Tracks are designated MC or ATV to keep the carnage to a minimum.

All of the trails at Motorcycle County Park (MCP) are one way and are clearly marked as to direction of travel and level of difficulty. I did find that the level of difficulty indicated was often much different than what one would find on BLM or Forest Service trails. A Medium difficulty trail at MCP would be an Easy trail on BLM land. But because MCP caters to younger riders and new riders this is understandable. I'm sure it also goes a long way towards keeping liability in check.

View of the Motocross Track at MCP.

Serious downhill at GP Track.

View of lower section of GP Track.

S-turns on TT Track.

The park is very well organized. Upon entering the park you first drive up to the Park HQ building. The cost of entry to the park is currently $5 per tow vehicle and riders are asked to fill out and sign a liability form. Each person who signs a form is given a laminated card so that you don't have to keep filling out the form each time you visit. Once you have signed in you can proceed to the staging area, unload and begin your adventure. Before leaving the building be sure to grab a map of the area which shows all trails and tracks as well as direction and difficulty rating. You can also look at the map online at http://www.scvmed.org/scc/assets/docs/38114motom.pdf.

The terrain at MCP is primarily rolling hills. The area straddles a ridge overlooking San Jose to the north and Gilroy to the south. The soil is primarily adobe clay, but there are sections, particularly at the lower elevations that are more rocky shale. The terrain is fairly steep, which allows for good drainage and keeps weather related trail closures to a minimum.

While the average trail rider could hit all of the trails in the park in about an hour, the creativity of trails and the number of potential routes available will keep you coming back for more. Due to the large number of major trail intersections it is possible to change up trail loops all day long. If you also incorporate the single track trails there is an almost unlimited number of combinations that are possible. In addition to this, the trail designers have incorporated banked switchback turns on some of the trails. When you combine the switchbacks with the deep rain ruts that are left in place at MCP, mastery of the trail system gets a bit more complicated.

Much of the single track trails run through the scrub brush in the canyon that bisects MCP.

Even the hillclimb area has directional markers.

Long downhill with a great view of Hwy 101 at the bottom of the valley.

Lower area of MCP. If you look closely you can see the abundance of trail markers.

Spring and Fall weekends can be a real zoo at MCP, but on the weekdays that the facility is open it is often almost deserted. During the summer MCP is often a popular destination in the evenings for busy Silicon Valley types looking for a little stress relief on the MX track or trails. And while the facility may be small, it has enough of what makes this sport fun to please almost anybody for at least a couple of hours. They have also managed to get a Red Sticker exemption for the MX and Mini tracks. However, Red stickers are not allowed on the tracks from May 1 through September 30.

The lower section of MCP is more on the rocky side and provides a different type of challenge.

Good routine trail maintenance has kept the whoops to a minimum.

The main trail out of the canyon under a canopy of old oaks.

Seasonal single track trail closure.

So you're not a Silicon Valley Executive who's been bitten by the motocross bug, not to worry, there is something here for everyone. This is definitely a place that can be called family friendly. The majority of trails can be ridden by anyone with basic skills on a

motorcycle. There is also a short TT course and a GP course (motocross without jumps) that can be enjoyed by everyone. There are even a couple of areas for Trials riding, one of which MCP is looking to expand in the near future.

MCP works with the Nature Conservancy to ensure that their efforts in the park remain environmentally friendly. With the increase in OHV use nationwide this is a concern that MCP takes seriously. By having experts walk through a couple of times a year there is some assurance that the tracks and trails at MCP are having a minimal effect on the natural environment of the area. MCP also enforces winter closures due to heavy rains and individual trail closures to trails that need more time to dry out. Single track trails are also rerouted and restored when found to be causing excessive erosion or in sensitive areas.

If you choose your riding days carefully you can take in some Quarter Midget racing between rides.

Super trick Quarter Midgets waiting a turn at time trials.

These folks are serious about their racing.

Vehicles lined up at Park HQ entering the park.

If you live in the Bay Area, or are just looking for places to ride in California, this is definitely a place that shouldn't be missed. Unlike the usual public lands on which we ride, MCP offers so much more. And unlike the usual areas, this is a county park, which means it is run by county employees, not Forest Rangers. So instead of the usual law enforcement bent that we are all used to, the employees at MCP are much more focused on putting together programs for young riders and making improvements to their facility. A six week (3 hrs. each Saturday) OHV Junior Ranger Program is offered a couple times of year for youth ages 9-12 where young riders are taught basic safety, basic bike maintenance, track and trail maintenance, and the importance of understanding and stewarding the lands on which we ride. In addition to this the park holds a monthly ATV Safety course for beginning riders.

Everything you need to know about MCP.

Park Ranger helping a wounded off-roader load a bike after a bad crash. Whether it's a crash or a mechanical failure, these folks are quick to get out in the park and assist with getting the rider and bike safely back to the staging area.

There are also competitive events held at the park, both in the form of Hare Scrambles and organized Motocross. To get more information on the park, visit their website at http://www.scvmed.org/channel/0,4770,chid%3D16498%26sid%3D12761,00.html . Come see what it's like to be catered to, rather than just allowed to ride.