BACKBONE TRAIL READY FOR RIDING\20-mile trip offers great cycling - and great views.

Byline: Susan Willis

It's finally legal. You can now ride your mountain bike on a newly reopened 7-mile section of the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains. The beautiful circuit from Topanga State Park to Will Rogers State Historic Park is a must for local mountain-bike enthusiasts.

This ride is mostly an E-ticket single track, but it's not the kind of heart-stopping single track that only the best and bravest off-road biker can conquer. Even a timorous bicyclist can relish the route.

Before you head out to enjoy the trail, make sure you're well-equipped. It will take you two or three hours to complete this nearly 20-mile ride, if you make it an out-and-back ride. So, be sure to bring two full water bottles, a snack and tools to fix a flat tire. None of these items is available along the secluded trail.

Out of the San Fernando Valley, you can start from the southern end of Reseda Boulevard, at the recently built entrance of Big Sky Gateway Park. A quick ride up a short but somewhat steep dirt road takes you to Mulholland Drive, known here as dirt Mulholland. Bear right, and pedal a short distance to the bright yellow Fire Gate 30 (elevation 1,750 feet). You can't miss it.

Turn left and ride 2 miles deeper into Topanga State Park on this wide fire road, known here as Temescal Ridge Trail North, to the Hub - a popular respite at a junction of several trails. On weekends the Hub buzzes with fellow mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts resting and socializing.

From the Hub, continue straight - not right - for one-half mile. On your left you will see the entrance to the Backbone Trail (2,000 feet), which leads to Will Rogers Park in Pacific Palisades. It is flagged by a trail sign, with a multi-use designator above it. Turn left, or east. (Avoid the road straight ahead, Temescal Ridge Trail South, which proceeds south and quickly passes Temescal Peak, at 2,126 feet the highest spot in the area.)

Long enjoyed by hikers and equestrians, the 7-mile Backbone Trail section known as Rogers Trail was closed to the fat-tire crowd in 1989 for fear that its steep drop-offs, particularly along the 2 miles leading away from Will Rogers Park, posed a hazard to riders. After a dangerous section of the trail was repaired, it was reopened to bicyclists on Jan. 17.

The beginning of Rogers Trail requires an excessive amount of braking - not because it's technical, but because the views and serenity are inspiring. At times you might feel as though you've entered an Ansel Adams photograph. To your left you look down on to the San Fernando Valley; to your right are the lush Santa Monica Mountains rising from brush-covered canyons.

Along both sides of the trail you will also enjoy the natural flora and the chirping of resident birds. The only other sound you will hear is your own breathing.

The track is lined with tall, dense native brush, portions of which are completely shaded, even during the middle of the day. A jacket comes in handy on winter days, since these areas can get chilly.

Toward the middle of the ride you will pass a tree with a neatly groomed trail encircling it. Continue to your right. From this point on the brush is less dense and the views become more panoramic.

After a few short climbs and descents you reach an overlook of the Pacific Ocean. The sun's reflection dances off the water, and boats appear to be the size of miniature toys.

You then make a quick descent into Will Rogers Park. With less than a mile to go, the trail makes a sharp, quick hairpin turn to the left (700 feet). Be careful, this last section of the trail can be a bit tricky.

If you don't have a car parked at Will Rogers Park (425 feet), you can turn around and make this an out-and-back ride. You'll get a different perspective of the landscape from the opposite direction, and you'll ride this E-ticket trail twice, an option worth taking.

For further information, call Topanga State Park, [phone], or Will Rogers State Historic Park, [phone]

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Photo Mountain bikers ride the reopened section of Backbone Trail that runs from Topanga State Park to Will Rogers State Park. Tina Gerson/Daily News