UNLIMITED CITY LIMITS; MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUNDS IN LOS ANGELES.

Byline: MARK LANGTON Cycling

The populace of the Los Angeles area is blessed with more public backcountry than any other major city in the nation.

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, composed of several National Park Service sites, three state parks and a variety of county- and city-held parks, offers a diverse wilderness experience unequaled by any other metropolis.

The crowning jewel is Malibu Creek State Park, known as much for its television and motion-picture backdrops (``MASH,'' ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,'' ``Gunsmoke'' and ``Pony Express'' come to mind) as for its spectacular chaparral and rugged beauty.

Most mountain bikers know Malibu Creek for its serene fire road, Crags Road Trail, which follows the creek 3 miles from the park's southern boundary at Malibu Canyon Road to its northern border at Crags Road and Malibou Lake. However, the park possesses a much wider assortment of bike paths, from intermediate to downright extreme.

One of the best kept secrets is to the north of Mulholland Highway. Known as the Liberty Canyon side of the park, the Grasslands and Liberty Canyon trails traverse rolling hills and open meadows where hawks nest in old oaks and bobcats silently hunt their prey.

The Grasslands Trail begins at the Crags Road Trail, just two-tenths of a mile from the main parking lot. It consists of rolling double-track, with some single-track near its terminus at Juan Bautista de Anza park at the intersection of Lost Hills and Las Virgenes roads in Calabasas. Total distance from Crags Road Trail to de Anza Park is 3 miles.

There is another route that branches off the Grasslands Trail and ends at a residential community at Liberty Canyon Road, a half-mile from the Ventura Freeway. At 1.47 miles from Crags Road Trail, the Grasslands Trail comes to a Y. Turn left (north) to continue to Liberty Canyon, or right (south) to head toward de Anza Park. Mileage from Crags Road Trail to Liberty Canyon Road is 2.6.

For those who like to climb (and then climb some more), there is the relentless Bulldog Motorway Fire Road, which rises from the Crags Road Trail nearly 2,000 feet in 4 miles to the Castro Crest Motorway and National Park Service property. The reward is a breathtaking view of Malibu Creek State Park and the Pacific Ocean on either side below.

To make a long loop back to the Malibu Creek State Park main parking lot, continue southeast (left) toward Malibu Canyon on Castro Crest Motorway over to Corral Canyon, then hook up with the Mesa Peak Motorway. This will take you to Tapia Motorway, which descends dramatically to a recreationist parking lot on Malibu Canyon Road.

From there, head back into Malibu Creek State Park via the Tapia Spur Trail single-track, which is accessed through Tapia Park. This trail is slated for realignment this month (see below); once trail work is completed, it will be open to shared use. What this loop lacks in single-track and technical terrain is certainly made up for in elevation gain. Total distance for the loop is around 15 miles.

If you're adventurous and exceedingly fit, head west (right) from the Bulldog and Castro Crest intersection to the next fire road on your left (south), Newton Motorway. This will take you to the midway point along the Backbone Trail. You can go west on this rugged single-track to Kanan Dume Road, or east to Corral Canyon. Both sections of trail - though not in Malibu Creek State Park proper - are a technical mountain biker's delight. Prepare for an additional one to two hours and another 6 to 12 miles, depending on how much of the Backbone Trail you wish to tackle.

Extra miles: The state Department of Parks and Recreation has managed Tapia Park for more than a year, having acquired it from Los Angeles County. For years, the Tapia Spur Trail, a mile-long single-track and lone connector into Malibu Creek State Park, had been closed to mountain bikes. With the transfer to state ownership comes a realignment of the trail and designation as shared use.

As a result of this use policy, cyclists will no longer have to ride the dangerous shoulder of Malibu Canyon Road back to the main gate of Malibu Creek State Park. Trail work will be taking place within the next few weeks.

If you are interested in volunteering to assist with the realignment, contact the California State Parks office, [phone], or the Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association, [phone].

MALIBU CREEK STATE PARK BIKE TRAILS

TAKING IT TO EXTREMES

Malibu Creek State Park, sandwiched between Calabasas and Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains provides more than just the backdrop for ``MASH''; it's a mountain-biker's paradise, offering several challenging trails for intermediate and grizzled two-wheelers alike.

Those looking to keep it mellow can traverse the Grasslands and Liberty Canyon trails in the park's northeast arm.

Those with pumping mettle can target Bulldog Motorway Fire Road up to Castro Crest. Haven't had enough? Pedal on east, over the Backbone Trail via Castro Crest, Mesa Peak and Tapia motorways, to complete a long loop back to the park's main parking lot.

Either way, there's few more picturesque spots to sweat in Los Angeles County.

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MAP: (Color) MALIBU CREEK STATE PARK BIKE TRAILS (see text)