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Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve Mountain Bike Trail
Tampa, Florida
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:   |
36 trail reviews |
|
Status: updated 10/29/11 by jderz |
Difficulty:  Intermediate |
| Length: 20 miles | Global Rank: #450 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Network |
| Ridden: 145 | Wishlist: 53 |
| Avg. Speed: 7.55 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 35min |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +4,246/-5,630 ft | |
 1 trail check-ins |
Directions:
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Description: by Dana Farnsworth, Outdoor Travels - Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve - the b****** stepchild that doesn't get the attention it deserves. No matter how wonderful the cross country riding, no matter how pretty the scenery, no matter how diverse the terrain and the trail personalities, Boyette seems doomed to live in the shadow of its more popular neighbor Alafia State Park. One would think that Boyette offers little to the mountain bike rider, based on the limited traffic of knobby tires on any given weekend. After riding Balm Boyette off and on for a couple of years now, I can tell you that most riders have no idea what they are missing. Boyette does itself no favors with its location. Once a phosphate mine, the area is somewhat hidden from any major road and can be hard to find. My first attempt ended in mad frustration when the directions in my guide book were incorrect! What are you missing if you haven't ridden Boyette before? Well, first there is the 12+ continuous mile Forested Loop Trail. Almost a separate entity from the rest of Boyette, this loop offers up a long and winding, uninterrupted stretch of oak and pine shaded single track that one can really stretch their legs on. As the trail winds back on itself over and over again, it's easy to fall into a hypnotic-like trance. Boyette also features some of the best cross country type riding around. Miles of unobstructed single track weaves its way along the edges of lakes, through pretty and unique prarie-type fields (which are better explored in the non-summer months), and forested canopy with brilliant green ferns lining the trail. There are a couple of short climbs here and there as well as some nice intermediate level challenges. See www.outdoortravels.com for more information, photos, maps and more!
Description: by Dana Farnsworth, Outdoor Travels - Balm Boyette Scrub Preserve - the b****** stepchild that doesn't get the attention it deserves. No matter how wonderful the cross country riding, no matter how pretty the scenery, no matter how diverse the terrain and the trail personalities, Boyette seems doomed to live in the shadow of its more popular neighbor Alafia State Park. One would think that Boyette offers little to the mountain bike rider, based on the limited traffic of knobby tires on any given weekend. After riding Balm Boyette off and on for a couple of years now, I can tell you that most riders have no idea what they are missing. Boyette does itself no favors with its location. Once a phosphate mine, the area is somewhat hidden from any major road and can be hard to find. My first attempt ended in mad frustration when the directions in my guide book were incorrect! What are you missing if you haven't ridden Boyette before? Well, first there is the 12+ continuous mile Forested Loop Trail. Almost a separate entity from the rest of Boyette, this loop offers up a long and winding, uninterrupted stretch of oak and pine shaded single track that one can really stretch their legs on. As the trail winds back on itself over and over again, it's easy to fall into a hypnotic-like trance. Boyette also features some of the best cross country type riding around. Miles of unobstructed single track weaves its way along the edges of lakes, through pretty and unique prarie-type fields (which are better explored in the non-summer months), and forested canopy with brilliant green ferns lining the trail. There are a couple of short climbs here and there as well as some nice intermediate level challenges. See www.outdoortravels.com for more information, photos, maps and more!
added on August 16, 2004 by 
SIMILAR TRAILS
Riders who liked this mountain bike trail also liked:Chuck Lennon Park in De Leon Springs
Jimmie Cottons Trail in Fort Meade
Hard Rock in Ocala
Tillman Canal Mtb Trail (south Shore) in Palm Bay
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by cmoran4 on January 17, 2012
I just started riding and had a blast here. Technical fun for riders of all levels. Tons of trails. I had the most fun on the "intermediate" trails. I wasn't ready to ride the "black diamond" trails, but I'll get there. I can't wait to go back!
reviewed by theUfan on December 22, 2011
This place is so underated and overlooked. I would place it above Santos and Alafia. If you have the skills and stamina Ridgeline is one of the best trails in the state.
reviewed by carlitosway on December 5, 2011
Thanks to swamp!!! Love this trail!! Excellent Mountain biking for all Levels. If you like mountain biking in Florida you need to visit this park is one of the best!!!
reviewed by malva on November 29, 2011
Loved it! My favorite trail so far! Went to see Alafia and Santos in Fl nonetheless this is my favorite! Well mantained and marked, very fun singletrack with ups and downs. Its not awfully technical but will keep you entretained with steep sections.
Similar Trail: North Park, PA Bavington, PA
reviewed by dcluley on November 26, 2011
Balm is the best there is around for epic all day rides. Alafia gets all the attention around here, but overall I feel Balm is a better system. There is something for everyone whether you are just out for a leisurely tool around the woods, meadows, amd lakes, or are up for the challenge of Abyss and Ridgeline. You can easily make long loops out of the trails flowing from one to the next of 20 plus miles of bliss. I have seen wildlife ranging from your usual Florida fauna of tortoises, armadillos, squirrels, gators, hawks, jays. . . To the more exotic sightings of a bobcat and a 2 point whitetail deer that ran along in front of me for a good 100 yards. Some have even claimed to have seen an endangered Florida Panther! SWAMP does a great job of maintaining this extensive system. They always keep the trails clear of brush and blockages. If erosion or wild hog rooting tears up the single track, they are out to fix it and put preventive maintenance in place. And it always seems like the are looking for ways to make the trail system better. For instance, they just started to put in a new "Back Rim" trail that can be used if Swampthing or Ridgeline are closed, with some flowy fast downhill and bermed sections. Overall a great park to layout your epic ride. Only drawbacks are the remote nature of the park with the long ride in and out and it's easy to get lost if you aren't familiar with the layout. But if you're in for an epic ride, these can become a plus. Who wouldn't want to feel like you're dropped into a remote wilderness fat tire playground for 3+ hours every once in a while!* Review edited 11/26/2011
* Review edited 11/26/2011
Similar Trail: Santos
reviewed by G8rbiker on November 18, 2011
JoeTutt: You should'v come to the Fat Tire Festival last weekend!!!! You missed it. Ridgeline is like being on another PLANET!! 15 to 30 foot climbs and drop-ins. (only bad part of trip was our friend broke his wrist - not paying enuff attn on Ridgeline 1st time on it!!!). N. & S. Abyss were also fun, not nearly as high as Ridgeline. Golf Cart was a fun run-out on the way out; Canyon was fast and short. The rest of the Blues were not that hard, a 'B-' rider can have a great day out there.
Similar Trail: Santos - Vortex; Alifia - Rollercoaster
reviewed by joetutt on September 5, 2011
For me, Balm was a little disappointing! Since I heard a lot of really great things about it, my expectations were high. The trails were poorly marked, making it difficult to navigate, even with a map. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out where the heck to go. The black trails were fun, but not too exciting. Up, down, up, down, it just seemed really redundant. Ridgeline, the "best" trail out there, was closed. According to a local we met out there it's closed most of the summer. That was disappointing! Overall, we had a great time out there, it just didn't meet the hype.
reviewed by delphinide on June 11, 2011
Rode yesterday and the trails are in great shape...thanks so much to SWAMP club for building and maintaining such a great trail system. I love Alafia, but I challenge anyone to find a better flow than Lochness to Randys Trail to Pandemonium to Sidewinder to Swamp Thing to Ridgeline to South Abyss to North Abyss....15 miles of insane technical riding. One of the best trails in the US if you like flowy half pipe style drops and benders...
reviewed by jcaiii on November 18, 2010
One of my first stops every time I visit Tampa and bring my MTB. Sweet singletrack with great flow.
reviewed by scotkrzy on June 7, 2010
rode here this weekend, Very fun trails. Heard a rumor at the trailhead that the county was going to plow it down. could this be true? It would be tragic
Similar Trail: alafia, cater park Santos
reviewed by GoKite5 on May 2, 2010
Great trail, Ridgeline is one of the best trail sections in FL, progressively bigger gulps to build some speed, flow, and get a work out. Third only to Alafia and Santos. Its amazing how many people I see at Alafia and how few at Boyette. The trail is worth its while and doesn't get enough love.
* Review edited 5/24/2010
reviewed by pyrophly on March 12, 2010
Hidden treasure! For years I had heard how this trail wasn't worth the drive. After reading reviews & being tired of the same trails & ventured off to find this one. I will tell I was pleasantly surprised. There is "advanced / black" trails here, by FL's standards, that will get the heart pumping. I highly recommend this park. I also, recommend carrying spare parts as if this was all day ride in the wilderness. It's two miles in of flat, single track just to get to the trails. This is not where you want to have a flat & have to hike the bike back to the car. I find it to have the best, flowing "downhill" sections in the state. Flowing is the key word! Though it is up & down, if you know how to ride, the up is minor. "Ridgeline" is the trail that is a must for the more experienced riders. You will forget that you are in FL for about 10 minutes! I was so impressed that I'm going to contribute money to the "SWAMP" club for a well put together park.
Similar Trail: Alafia, Markum & Santos are all similar trails. However, if you're going to Alafia, stay in the vehicle & continue another 10 miles to here. As a bonus, no entrance fee either.
reviewed by jbster13 on December 14, 2009
They just added some great trails to this park. Worth a visit.
reviewed by Jordan300 on October 15, 2009
Great Trail system. Got to ride it last month. It was tons of fun, lots of diverse trails, something for everyone. Well marked through out.
Similar Trail: Santos San Felasco
reviewed by spags25 on August 18, 2009
8/18/09 Update... Ridgeline is still closed...infact if coming from North abyss/ south abyss area they have all the trails closed off from the entrance inbetween north and south abyss.
Similar Trail: Alafia
reviewed by JSurratt on July 12, 2009
I like this trail system except for the 2 mile trek to get out to where the fun stuff is located. Ridgeline was closed so we will missed seeing that part of the trail. However my first trip out not knowing where we were and the rain made a mess of the day.....but we treaded thru and found some interesting spots to come back to. The trail system around the lakes and the prairie views were great to ride thru. The North East, North West & Palmetto trails winded under the canopy of the trees with very little roots to grind over......felt as if we were lost since the map had fell apart from the rain, but finally we came out on the parameter road and found our way back 2 miles to the trailhead.....would like to see more trail map signs to help verify where you are on the trail.....I like ride at Alafia River & Loyce Harpe Park however I will have to try this trail again someday.
Similar Trail: Alafia River State Park, Loyce E. Harpe Park
reviewed by cujo on May 29, 2009
Ridgeline is temporarily closed until it dries out a little.
Similar Trail: Alafia, Loyce Harpe Park, Santos
reviewed by darrinw2001 on May 29, 2009
Great trail system. Signage issue the last reviewer talked about is due to the land managers restrictions on signs on the property. The new "ridgeline" trail is one of the best trails in the area.
Similar Trail: Alafia, Santos
reviewed by Floridadan on May 11, 2009
Conditions: HOT...Dry..Very breezy...It hasn't rained in a long time. I only say that to account for the sandy conditions. LOVE THIS PARK! Its a great mix of fast open single track with a complement of some challenging blacks. My hats off to SWAMP (Clearly not a member yet) and their crew for a great job maintaining and running these trails. There is such a neat mix of tight closed in tracks that feeds to wide open meadows and suddenly your looking at a huge lake. Awesome! I would have given it a five but for the lack of signage. Even the description on the SWAMP website says you will get lost but its not necessary. More signs would really help. I was on the map all day. If you use another SWAMP Maintained property as a gold standard for signage, Alafia, then Boyette falls way short in this department. Other than that...if you don't ride this then shame on you..You don't know what you are missing.
* Review edited 5/11/2009
Similar Trail: Santos, Alafia, Markham
reviewed by Devin_P on April 12, 2009
The trails at Balm Boyette are pretty good. The SWAMP MTB Club that maintains them does a decent job. The Ridgeline is by far the most exciting trail with good fast and steep downhills. I also found the North Abyss and South Abyss to be alot of fun. The two mile ride down a double track road that was made of sand took alot of fun out of the place. It was especially tough after riding several hours and covering near 15 miles worth of trail. The flow of the trails seemed awkward as you often had to double back on the fire roads to get to other trails. All in all it was a cool place and a good spot to visit...Don't forget sunblock and bug spray* Review edited 4/12/2009
* Review edited 4/12/2009
Similar Trail: Alafia
reviewed by cujo on April 11, 2009
This trail rocks. The new addition of Ridgeline will put this place on the map. If you haven't ridden Boyette you don't know what you are missing. Great flow and something for everyone.
Similar Trail: Carter, Alafia, & Santos.
reviewed by jcotton on March 25, 2009
Great trails, my favorite trail of all local trails. the new ridgeline trail is SUPER! lot's of miles of trails to for all abilities. thanks swamp club.
Similar Trail: santos
reviewed by rich67 on January 24, 2009
Not bad! The 2 mile path heading into the main park wasn't much of an issue. The parking area is kind of small and lacks facilities. That makes it better though, since there are less people out on the trails. Some of these trails are VERY short- Gator Pit, Loch Ness, and Spider Berm. The best trails I hit today were Golf Cart and North/South Abyss...what a rockin' ride at the Abyss!!! One of the best ones I have been on, for sure. The intermediate trails are very easy for me, since I ride a lot at Alafia. Even the difficult one like Upper Loch Ness was more like an easy/intermediate trail. This is a pretty decent place; I was pleasantly surprised.
Similar Trail: Alafia, Santos, Morris Bridge/Wilderness Park
reviewed by rnavarro on November 3, 2008
I just got back from riding this trail and i was very impressed. I'll take this place of Alafia any day. Beautiful cross country riding for the state of Florida. Almost forget i was in Florida. True single track everywhere. Single track that even goes through meadows. Skip Alafia and go straight here. U will not be let down. Now if ur the free ride type , u'll get bored. U all can stay at Alafia.
Similar Trail: Alafia. still a very fun place. just more bump and grind.
reviewed by Tranceman on October 28, 2008
We use Boyette as an alternative to Alafia. It's always a good time and there are certainly some challenging trails out there. I go about once every other month when I start to get burnt out on Alafia or if I just want to ride more conservatively. The bad thing for me (and the guys I ride with) about Boyette is that there is a mix of single track and double. Plus there is a two mile trip out to the trails via boring mix of single and double. This sucks if your bike breaks down beyond repair or you get hurt. I'm told that at one time you could drive out to the trails and park but that is certainly not the case now. Others have said they appreciate the extra few miles of fat burning. I'd probably go at least a few times a month if it wasn't for the remote parking lot. There have been some new trails cut so get out there and give them a try.
Similar Trail: Santos, Alafia River State Park, Carter Rd, Fl
reviewed by guest on September 29, 2008
Always worth the ride at this singletrack while visiting Alafia. A very nice network of singletrack with some technical areas that you can get up some speed. AAA++ in my book!
Similar Trail: Alafia, Santos, Carter, Gran Canyon
reviewed by guest on August 14, 2008
A very beautiful trail to ride! Not to many technical things but a real work out that you can get some speed up on. Lots of trails to ride throughout this netwrok of trails so it is easy to get lost out there. Those guys & gals with that SwampClub do a really good job with these maintaining these trails. Thanks!
Similar Trail: Too many to post, but Alafia & Santos are the bomb!
reviewed by Phlip44 on August 12, 2008
Great trails, a wide variety of scrubs, ridges, meadows, forest, and mine hills. Great scenery, very quite and secluded, very florida. Scrub sections were extremely long and fun, east sections had some great rolling sections, a lot more difficult than i anticipated, not quite double diamond, but close. Watch the ticks and spiders. Saw a huge turtle on the main path just chillin'.
* Review edited 8/12/2008
Similar Trail: Alphia, Santos
reviewed by mikew on March 16, 2008
2 ml. ride to get to trails, not so cool. Trails are awsome though, no doubt. Blue and Black trails, tough stuff.
Similar Trail: Alafia River State Park.
reviewed by Hypocrisy_Kills on February 24, 2008
Beautiful area, very little traffic, and some great intermediate trails made for a fun ride and a great workout. If it's your first time here, you'll probably get turned around a bit.
Similar Trail: Alafia
reviewed by papercityhustler on April 16, 2007
great ride for the intermediate, a bit challenging for the beginner and advanced riders will find this trail to be boring other than the abyss(nice ups and downs)* Review edited 4/16/2007
* Review edited 5/8/2007
Similar Trail: san falesco preserve
reviewed by ositoking on September 23, 2006
On the east side of Boyette Road are 12 miles of beginner's level two-track circling the dozen or so lakes. Several intermediate level single-track loops branch off this main two-track. These loops are cut through the woods and along the lakes, and consists of moderately strenuous, more technically difficult trails. There are some open sections where a rider can gain speed, but for the most part, the trail is tight, twisty and tough. Oh yeah, it's also great fun.
reviewed by dlnelson15 on August 25, 2006
Great Trails for both beginners and experienced riders alike. Swamp Club does a superb job maintaining this area.
Similar Trail: Alafia State Park - Sweet Trails
reviewed by aguamaul on June 25, 2006
This is a trail I had always wanted to try but never got around to. Now that I've ridden Boyette twice I can say that this site truly has something for everyone. Trails can be hard to find out in the open areas, but the eight mile wooded trail is well marked. Wildlife of the reptilian kind is abundant as are small furry woodland creatures. If you don't mind the two mile ride from the parking area to the trail-heads, or the lack of a bridge over the creek just past the start of the trail system (where I broke my wrist!), then this biking site may just be one of the best places to ride in the Tampa area.
Similar Trail: Wilderness Park, Tampa
reviewed by dashreeve on May 11, 2006
I'd say the Farnsworth review is 100% accurate. I rode it twice today and it's a great set of trails. Great orkout, super cardio, no super technical stuff just easy single track dor the most part. One tough trail in the very back. Trails are not too easy to find, just go to Balm Boyette Rd. off of 672 and you'll see the small parking area. Well maintained by SWAMP. Great views of the lakes, nice pleasant ride for us non-professional riders. Had it all to myself most of the day, but after 5:30 there were about 15 or so people there.
Similar Trail: Similar to Croom but flat, some harder parts like Carter Road but without the same flow.
