1
riders
Lake Spafford – Mondavi Center UC Davis loop from Davis
01:10
22.3km
30m
Mountain biking
Easy mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: June 29, 2026
Tips
Cycling is not permitted along parts of this route
After 4.62 km for 123 m
After 14.2 km for 199 m
Waypoints
Start point
Bus stop
Get Directions
3.59 km
Log Cabin Gallery in the former Boy Scout Cabin
Highlight • Historical Site
Originally built on UC Davis-leased land, the university had been renting the parcel to the Boy Scouts since the construction of the cabin in 1927, but the city took over the lease in order to build a public parking lot next to the cabin. Since that time, the Boy Scouts paid the city $1/year for a land tenancy sublease, but co-owned the cabin with the Davis Rotary Club.
In 1999 the city's Human Relations Commission cited the Boy Scouts' stance on not admitting gay leaders and atheists in making its recommendation to the City Council to cancel the lease. The scouts vacated the cabin in 2002.
The nearby John Natsoulas Art Gallery, now called the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, is the largest of the Davis art galleries. They operate the Log Cabin Gallery, by appointment, in the former Boy Scout Cabin. localwiki.org/davis/Boy_Scout_Cabin
Tip by
4.69 km
Lake Spafford
Highlight • Lake
The waterway, built in 1968-69, occupies what used to be the north fork of Putah Creek, which brought floodwater to the town then known as Davisville. A dredging effort in the late 19th century diverted most of the flow to a channel known as the south fork of Putah Creek. In 1948, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built levees at the north fork's mouth (the west end); the levees completely eliminate flow in the north fork. Whereas the original north fork flowed east, the waterway flows west. This is the result of dredging and grading over the years. When the waterway fills up with storm runoff, excess water goes through a weir and into a holding pond and from there is pumped into a pipe that carries the water to the south fork of Putah Creek. The waterway is about 1½ miles long, about 2 to 5 feet deep, along the south edge of UC Davis' central campus. A wide portion of the waterway just east of Mrak Hall is called Lake Spafford, named after F. Edwin Spafford, an alumnus who went on to be come a longtime UC Davis administrator, holding such positions as assistant to the provost; executive assistant and special assistant to the chancellor; and vice chancellor for physical construction and maintenance. The waterway runs from near the south end of D Street in downtown Davis to the UC Davis Equestrian Center.
The university classifies the remnant north fork channel as a recreation and aesthetic amenity, and a biological resource. The waterway runs through the arboretum, established in 1936 and considered today to be the university's landscape centerpiece. Pedestrian and bicycle paths line the waterway's banks. The waterway also serves as a storm water detention pond.
Poor water quality conditions have persisted since the arboretum waterway was first created more than 50 years ago. In large measure, the problems of today stem from the original design. The arboretum waterway is a stagnant pond designed to look like a flowing creek.
ucdavis.edu/news/arboretum-waterway
Tip by
5.25 km
Mondavi Center UC Davis
Highlight • Monument
Tip by
6.11 km
Ruins
Ruins
22.3 km
End point
Bus stop
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
15.9 km
4.90 km
849 m
563 m
145 m
Surfaces
12.9 km
7.89 km
1.32 km
201 m
< 100 m
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Elevation
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Weather
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Today
Monday 6 July
31°C
12°C
0 %
Additional weather tips
Max wind speed: 22.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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