SADDLEBACK CLOSED 34 YEARS AGO :(

jbrownmxr
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jbrownmxr 9/20/2018 2:06pm
9/20/2018 2:06pm
jbrownmxr wrote:
Over The Hump mountain bike race series. Super fun 12 week Tue night cross county’s race series. Best part is all the pro moto dudes I’ve...
Over The Hump mountain bike race series. Super fun 12 week Tue night cross county’s race series. Best part is all the pro moto dudes I’ve seen and talked to.

I’ve met Johnny O, Tomac, the Martins, Tickle, Troy Lee, Millsaps, Ryno, Ward..

I think they use them as training rides during the outdoors.

Anyway...WTF was the track in relation to the lake?
barnett468 wrote:
if you come in from orange, you go past the track a couple miles then you get to the lake entrance.
So heading SE on Santiago Canyon after the 241/261 exchange there’s the dump entrance then a mile from that the lake entrance.

Anybody have any maps or photos? I look for evidence everytime I pass.
dimetime
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dimetime 9/20/2018 2:17pm
9/20/2018 2:17pm
jbrownmxr wrote:
Over The Hump mountain bike race series. Super fun 12 week Tue night cross county’s race series. Best part is all the pro moto dudes I’ve...
Over The Hump mountain bike race series. Super fun 12 week Tue night cross county’s race series. Best part is all the pro moto dudes I’ve seen and talked to.

I’ve met Johnny O, Tomac, the Martins, Tickle, Troy Lee, Millsaps, Ryno, Ward..

I think they use them as training rides during the outdoors.

Anyway...WTF was the track in relation to the lake?
barnett468 wrote:
if you come in from orange, you go past the track a couple miles then you get to the lake entrance.
jbrownmxr wrote:
So heading SE on Santiago Canyon after the 241/261 exchange there’s the dump entrance then a mile from that the lake entrance. Anybody have any maps...
So heading SE on Santiago Canyon after the 241/261 exchange there’s the dump entrance then a mile from that the lake entrance.

Anybody have any maps or photos? I look for evidence everytime I pass.
The entrance to the original Saddleback shared the entrance to the dump. If pull up that road the pits and start are to the immediate left as soon as you turn in. You went up that road and turned to the left to enter the park and kept going straight for the dump.

SB2 was off to the left as you come down that hill past the dump entrance on the extreme western? edge of the lake property. It was easily visible from Santiago Canyon road. It was underwater for a few years but l think it's visible again.
jbrownmxr
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jbrownmxr 9/20/2018 5:17pm
9/20/2018 5:17pm Edited Date/Time 9/20/2018 8:25pm
Right on! Thanks for taking the time to put that together.

I’m not bitching here at all...but since i started riding (20 plus years) I’ve been loadin up and driving for 1-2 hours one way to ride. I can’t imagine if I had a track that close.

The Shop

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Mr. G
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Mr. G 9/20/2018 9:57pm
9/20/2018 9:57pm
LoudLove wrote:
"Anything you can do, I can do better..." [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/09/14/287331/s1200_Hannah_Saddleback.jpg[/img]
"Anything you can do, I can do better..."

Great picture. Reminds me of this pic from an old article that I have in a photo album.
mx_563
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mx_563 4/4/2024 3:50pm
4/4/2024 3:50pm Edited Date/Time 4/4/2024 3:53pm

Reviving this old thread because I've recently developed a fascination with Saddleback Park. I was almost 10 years old when Saddleback closed. I didn't have a bike yet and nobody in my family knew anything about motocross. Sometimes my mom would buy me a Dirt Bike Magazine at the grocery store and that was it. But I had a sort of vague awareness of the place, having seen an absolutely amazing black and white shot of The Dogger launching up Suicide Mountain in one of the mags. The shot was from the bottom looking up and the camera was down low near the ground, if I remember right. 

Anyway, let me get to the point. I've been studying some satellite images and I'm a bit confused. Best I can tell, the starting gate was located where Santiago Canyon Road is today (highlighed zone). Yet off in the distance, there are some remnants of another starting gate....I presume it was part of the "back track" ??? What exactly was the back track? And where was it in relation to Suicide Mountain? Where is Suicide Mountain? Was the back track just for local races? Was it a mini-bike track? What's the story with the back track? 

image-20240405003744-1

 

image-20240405003948-2

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Magoofan
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Magoofan 4/4/2024 3:58pm
4/4/2024 3:58pm

Holy 6 year old thread......

 

One of the holy grail tracks.    Consider myself lucky to have raced there a number of times. 

 

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SLAPAHO
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SLAPAHO 4/4/2024 4:35pm
4/4/2024 4:35pm
mx_563 wrote:
Reviving this old thread because I've recently developed a fascination with Saddleback Park. I was almost 10 years old when Saddleback closed. I didn't have a...

Reviving this old thread because I've recently developed a fascination with Saddleback Park. I was almost 10 years old when Saddleback closed. I didn't have a bike yet and nobody in my family knew anything about motocross. Sometimes my mom would buy me a Dirt Bike Magazine at the grocery store and that was it. But I had a sort of vague awareness of the place, having seen an absolutely amazing black and white shot of The Dogger launching up Suicide Mountain in one of the mags. The shot was from the bottom looking up and the camera was down low near the ground, if I remember right. 

Anyway, let me get to the point. I've been studying some satellite images and I'm a bit confused. Best I can tell, the starting gate was located where Santiago Canyon Road is today (highlighed zone). Yet off in the distance, there are some remnants of another starting gate....I presume it was part of the "back track" ??? What exactly was the back track? And where was it in relation to Suicide Mountain? Where is Suicide Mountain? Was the back track just for local races? Was it a mini-bike track? What's the story with the back track? 

image-20240405003744-1

 

image-20240405003948-2

Yes, there was a 2nd track further in the park. We raced High School Motocross on it quite a few times as well as on the main track.  It was a bit more mello than the main track, but it was pretty long, too. Lots of elevation changes. As far as location goes, I believe it would have been to the right and further back from the Magoo Double in that picture a few posts up. 

Also, the starting gate is still there. Someone posted a pic on IG of it...   Great memories of that place...  

 

7
tmphotoart 4/5/2024 1:41am
4/5/2024 1:41am Edited Date/Time 4/5/2024 2:23am

Take a look at saddlebackpark.com website for more history and photos.

Also, check out IG @saddleback_park page for old and new info about Saddleback Park

Here's a couple aerial photos with track features

 

Today a portion of the old motor playground has been re-opened for Hiking / Mtn Biking / Equestrian called Saddleback Wilderness.
The same front access road to the front gate is used to get into the two level parking areas. Access is limited due to parking limits and opening schedules.

You can hike or ride up along the famous start hill overlooking the first turn/banzi hill area. Trails are easy to moderate and marked - approx 2+ miles
A lower trail takes you down to the bottom of the start / banzi hill leading to the finish line turn, below Webco hill, where the scoring tower was located.

The remaining forward falling start gate is part of Saddleback Park's 2nd MX Track. You can still line up behind the gate to take a memorable photo.

There's a great scenic lookout above what was the old bmx track / terrace parking area.

 

You can also see the old telephone pole that is on the incline of Suicide Mtn. from a trail that takes you along the terrace parking areas overlooking the entire main mx track.

Check out OCPARKS.ORG and search for Saddleback Wilderness to see the park opening dates.
The Saddleback Park Wilderness has been open for 1 year now and it is well worth the time to see the old motor playground in person even if it's your 100th time or first time!

10
Motoxdoc
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Motoxdoc 4/5/2024 10:01am
4/5/2024 10:01am

I grew up at Saddleback and Escape Country.  I have fond memories of both those places.  I got 13th at the last 250 national held at Saddleback in 84; I was the top true privateer who paid for his tires and entry.  

10
kpiper
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kpiper 4/5/2024 6:27pm
4/5/2024 6:27pm
Motoxdoc wrote:
I grew up at Saddleback and Escape Country.  I have fond memories of both those places.  I got 13th at the last 250 national held at...

I grew up at Saddleback and Escape Country.  I have fond memories of both those places.  I got 13th at the last 250 national held at Saddleback in 84; I was the top true privateer who paid for his tires and entry.  

Awesome.

Pit Row

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