Towsley Canyon trail. Thanks to Vaughn at Electrosonic for telling me about this one. Towsley Canyon Park is just off the "old road" which parallels the 5 freeway up in the Santa Clarita Valley. You can go north from LA on the 5, then exit at Calgrove. You turn left at the end of this off-ramp, under the freeway, and then the entrance is about 1/4 mile on the right hand side. Thomas Guide® ref 4F pg4640.

There was a trail map posted at the trailhead, which I snapped with my camera, and is just about legible here. I did the main loop shown on the map in a counterclockwise direction, which is the better way to go. It's fairly short - about 5.5 miles, but with a few features like sulphurous smells, crude oil coming out of the ground, and some really steep parts where you have to push both up and down, to liven it up. I rode this on June 10th 2000 and passed a few families walking, and met a couple of other bikers who enthused about this particular ride. I have oil stuck to my front wheel now - avoid it!