Review: The new gravity trails are awesome! They are like the flow trail from Oak Mtn State Park on steroids!

Review: A great variety of trails with new sections being added all the time. So y'all come see us again! If you are a newbie, you will be fine as long as you control your speed. If you like less groomed singletrack, check out some of the other trails in our local network including Coleman Lake, Henry Farm, and Cheaha Mountain Express. Our Southern hospitality and local restaurants will make it worth staying around a few days.

Similar Trail: Enterprise, plus elevation and long descents

Review: I got to ride Coldwater again last Sunday, (3/10) and it was absofreakinglutely amazingly FUN!!! The new section at the start (Momma Bear, I think?) was WAY faster than I anticipated, I guess Wig at Wig's Wheels (LBS) wasn't exaggerating when he said "Put it in the big ring and grab the tallest gear you can push"! I hit 27mph, and that wasn't even a steep downhill! The climb to Bomb Dog was as brutal as it was last time, (hey, I'm a big guy!) but the 3 miles of downhill afterward was completely worth it, especially since I made it all the way down without turning my front wheel into a taco this time! Everyone I ran into in the parking lot, on the trail, and at the LBS (again, Wig's Wheels on Noble St in Anniston) was as friendly to an out-of-towner as they could be, and I definitely look forward to coming back to Alabama and riding again!!

Similar Trail: Nothing I'VE ridden yet!

Review: Wow, rode this trail yesterday on the way home from Tennessee. I HAD AN ABSOLUTE BLAST ON THIS TRAIL! I love how the trail starts out on a small downhill then it makes you climb. It made it fun right off the bat and I think more trails should do this. Then came the big climb, as many people have said, which was pretty brutal to me. I got off several times and walked to take a break. However once I reached the downhill, I realized that the climb was WELL worth it to me. I had so much fun with all the jumps and berms, I couldnt stop smiling! Some people say that the trail is too groomed, but that was my favorite part about it honestly. I have ridden plenty of more "untouched" trails, and this was very nice for a change. These guys have put a lot of work into this trail, and I cant wait for them to finish more, especially some black diamond stuff! I cannot believe how awesome the mtbing in AL is. I feel like this place is somewhat of an obscure gem, but once more people find out and more trail is built, it will explode. I can't wait to go back to this place!

Trail overview: fun beginning downhill, then BIG HARD climb, then awesome LONG downhill with an amazing view, then smaller climb, then another shorter downhill, and then small climb to trailhead.

Review: Very fun trail with good amount of climbing and a very rewarding and flowing 3 mile downhill section. Tons of optional features and a one of a kind experience if you have never tried a flow trail. Will be back many times since it is only a 12 hour drive.

Review: I finally got to finish this trail today! FIrst time out a few wks ago 1" tear in my sidewall about 2 mi in. I had to walk back out.
From the steep incline drive up to the parking lot..you just know you are in for some fun..
Its just an awesome ride. There is a section in the beginning that is like 10 mins of fun bermed DH. (at the very first intersection go left and drop down into it) Then make your way into that long uphill. I found it pretty easy. Van Michaels hills @ Blankets Creek are harder because they are steeper. This uphill is just long sustained easy switchback spinning w/ no obstacles...At the very end when you get to the washed out road bed it will break your heart though. Just hang on because its steep and short and worth it! Just like everyone said the DH is crazy amazing and you can roll it or air it out.. The doubles will penalize you if you don't air them...but hell, its a fantastic penalty of pumptrack bliss. Its so long my calves started cramping from standing. Def bring tubes. There's lots of rough angular stone on the trails. Keep your tires pumped up extra in the beginning to avoid pinch flats. WHen you get to the top you can release some pressure. I wouldn't release much because the rocks are in the DH too. FIgure about 1Hr 20 mins per lap.

Similar Trail: Van Michael@Blankets Creek

Review: I had a blast riding these trails. The downhill was totally worth the uphill. Even being not super comfortable with this type of trail I was still able to clear a few of the doubles and really rail some berms. The flow is awesome! People are really overstating the uphill in the beginning. Sure it will get you breathing and by the time you hit the section of old road bed you're hurting but it's doable. If you have done the bear creek, p1, p2, p3 loop out of mulberry gap the climb here will look like a joke. Although that last climb after the downhill is a bummer. Great overall trail and different from most trails you will ride southeast. Hope it keeps growing and getting better.

Review: the downhill on the trail was a lot of fun, as many have stated. however, the trip to get to the downhill was pretty tough. I'm in better than average shape, and my friend and I had to walk about 50% of the way to get to the downhill.

Be sure to bring extra tubes/tires. I popped a tire with about 3 miles left and had to walk out.

One thing that a lot of people have failed to mention is that there is a steady climb after the downhill portion. You're either riding uphill, or downhill, there's not much in between.

Review: Difficult hill to get to the downhill trail. Hard 6 miles uphill for a EXTREMELY rough and rocky downhill. Downhill is pretty fun with alot of jumps. jumps are small, but plentiful. REALLY ROUGH downhill and uphill. The climb is not worth the downhill. Many snakes are in the area. If you ride here, BRING EXTRA TUBES. THEY HAVE A GREAT CHANCE OF POPPING!!!!

Review: I went to this trail after riding over 20 miles (including Blood Rock & Jekyll & Hyde) at Oak Mtn in B'ham because a storm was coming on Sunday & that Saturday was my only chance I had to ride it. We got there at 3:30'ish with sunset around 4:45-5 meaning we had to hammer out the 3 miles of climbing before the downhill to ensure we'd have enough sunlight since we left our lights at home. The climb SUCKS (unless you are one o'these "I just LOVE to climb!" types) or maybe it just seemed to super suck to me since I'd ridden all day at Oak. But, once I hit that downhill, I forgot all about my achy body & laughed & giggled as I descended, fun is an understatement. I think because I'm not scared to jump, the doubles didn't bother me at all. The berms rock, I kept screaming out "BERMTASTIC!" like a kid & rode down as fast as I could reasonably control being that physically exhausted. We finished just as the last bit of sun left, perfect. My only regret is the fatigue from riding all day. I want to go back SOON & do it all over again, maybe do the loop twice. All they need now is a lift & I would ride the DH all day long!

Review: Great ride ! My husband and I are traveling across country mountain biking our way along . Nice local Alabama boys introduced themselves at trail head and invited us along . Great pace uphill with intermittent level breathers . 2 hour loop with several breaks. Thanks Mike,Jim,Dylan and Jake for the l

Review: This trail was epic. The up hills were a challenge but, well worth the challenge. The downhill was like a pump track with table tops and berms. It was totally groomed and designed for MTB. I had such a good time and can't wait to come back.

Review: THE best trail in Alabama and one of the best in the southeast. Smooth, flowing singletrack. Jumps, kickers, rocks, roots, climbs=awesome. Very well thought out. Cannot wait until they make it longe.r

Similar Trail: ain't nothin like it....

Review: I have only been mtn biking for about 2 months. Oak Mtn, Trussville, and Coldwater are the only places I have been. I grew up racing BMX and I am glad I did. This is about as much fun as I think I have ever had on a bike in YEARS. I am hooked on the speed, jumps and berms. I am not a climber, but didnt have too hard a time with the climbs.
A word of advice though. Make sure you air up the tires well. Lots of rocks and jumps that can potentially cause a pinch flat. I shot video, its on youtube under Coldwater, AL Jon Jon helmet cam. GO check it out.

Review: Amazing trail! The climb on the front end was long, but doable. The downhill was a blast until I hit some leaves in a curve off of a jump and taco'd my front wheel...I straightened it out enough to ride the last 5 miles out instead of walking, and even limping my bike in I had a ball! I'll definitely want to ride that again with a new wheel.

Review: Despite the fact that these trails are "machine-built" they're not smooth hardpack. Conditions are fairly loose in places with fist-sized gravel. Everything is fast and the climbs are broken up nicely along the way. If you're confident in the air you can really rip down these trails. Otherwise you'll need to slow down to roll some of the bumps.

Similar Trail: Enterprise South in Chattanooga.

Review: This is a great fun addictive and fast trail. This trail should be on anyone's to-do list.

Review: First time on trail and the wife and I were getting over a cold so we took it easy on the climb. Alot of work went into this trail and it shows. Very well groomed and well constructed. The current trail is very BMX style. It's called a "flow" trail and would be if you like getting air. It will be great for some people - Not so great for others. If you don't like getting air, manage your speed well. Many artificial jumps and "doubles" - man made humps about 3 feet apart. If you don't clear them, you will most likely endo and be in a world of hurt. This interrupts the "flow" for alot of people. I prefer more cross country and felt held back by the doubles and could have gone much faster and smoother if they had just table topped them and not had the second "hump". This would not have prevented anyone from getting air that wants to but allowed others to go faster and have the trail feel more like a true "flow". Still was fun and would go back once they get more trail (proposed 60 miles worth). Not necessarily a destination trail system for me just yet.

* Review edited 10/12/2012

Similar Trail: Oak Mtn - New flow section - which is more "flowey".

Review: Great, fun, flowy trail. Currently a 10 mile loop where the first few miles are a steady climb then an awesome downgill section. I will ride this trail as much as I can.

Review: it was fun, but all the doubles were about knee high and a few side jumps were not placed just right, jump off the side jump land into a tree or going off the side of mtn. it may get better with time, after it gets burned in.. will go back but not more than 2 times a year... for an 90 mile drive..

Review: This was my first trail ride with my boys (10, 9 & 6) and we loved the 1 mile loop. It had great moguls, lots of downhill and the uphill was broken up enough so it wasn't to tough. We all loved it and made two runs. Fantastic day out with my boys!

Review: Drove in from Woodstock Ga just to see if all the talk was legit. First and foremost Ive been riding serious for 12 years and have traveled up to 7 hours in all directions of Atlanta just on a whim and word of mouth and this 2 hour drive from the Atl hands down was the most exilerating downhill double jump pump track that Ive ridden. Now, the uphill sux.....BUT the price of admission was so worth the smoking speed. The final climb out of the hole after the downhill is pretty tough simply because your legs and arms are toast from standing and jumping but this is a must on your MTB bucket list. Oh Yea a word of caution.....drop your seat at least 3 to 4" on the downhill and enjoy the decent... Joey- Woodstock, Ga.

Review: This is the most fun I've had on a mountain bike in the short 4 months that I have been riding. If you like the lightning or "flow" trail at oak mtn state park then you will like this trail even better. I would say the trail is pretty evenly split between downhill and long climbs. Lots of rollers, doubles, a few tables, massive berms, and some fun rocky/technical spots. I rode this trail with a couple buddies in the pouring down rain and even though the trail was a little slippery I had a great time and cant wait to go back!

Review: Different for sure. Fun definitely. The climb in was long as stated - it finally got the best of me and I hiked the bike near the top. Was dissapointed at the ~4 mile mark when the trail headed up an old washed out road bed... thought the worst but was quickly reassured to pick up the engineered trail again. From the looks of it, the wash out wont be used much longer - a new route is being cut in. The down hill section starts with an awesome rock garden - then - a sign warns "the next 3 miles are down hill" - no joke! The previous reviews warning of excess speed and injury are no lie - this trail is as fast as you dare! I loved it even though I just rolled thru most of it - a few places I felt secure enough to let it go and simply soared. Awesome. My overmountain bike ate this trail up. Finishes with a shorter climb on the way out. This trail had everything for me - good cardio, a smooth surface, and fast downhill with as many jumps as you can handle. Will definitely make the 260 mile round trip again! Make sure your brakes are good...

Similar Trail: Paynes Creek

Review: I was pretty excited to ride this trail, yet skeptical. I have seen other IMBA designs and was not impressed. In fact, I have grown to truly despise their involvement, as it pertains to trail design. My excitement quickly waned and morphed into what can only be described as disappointment. If you have been or are currently a BMX rider, you will love half of this trail. If you are a XC rider, you will only like about ten percent of the trail. The climb is long and not too steep. The descent is long and annoying. As has been previously mentioned here, it seems a bit dangerous. There are man-made jumps everywhere. It seems you literally cannot go more than 100 yds without hitting a man-made jump. This is particulary aggravating as the jumps are a series of neverending doubles that are not a table top, but w shaped jumps. Not sure why that is the case. The rock gardens and condition of the trail are excellent. The giant berms leave me wondering if I was in the woods or on a bmx track. I am hopeful that IMBA will have the decency to stop creating such man-made trails and simply build some solid xc trails on the remaining part of this park. i would not reccomend this trail to anyone who does not like to jump doubles.

Similar Trail: fats

Review: Waited a long time for this trail system. Finally, one section is opened. The 10 mile outer loop has it all. Pump track, flow trail, sustained climbs, some technical sections and a bombing downhill section! There are a few alternative lines as well. I am looking forward to riding again, maybe a couple laps in one ride to dial in the jumps on the downhill. You can pump and roll them all with ease but they are placed just right to air our the doubles. I was able to hit a few but tried not to get too crazy on the first ride. I did flow through a turn and into the woods when I hit one the jumps a little "off". Take is easy on the DH the first time out and have fun! I can't wait until we have aprox 60 miles on Coldwater Mountain. Cheers to IMBA and all of the volunteers! Job well done!

* Review edited 6/7/2012

Similar Trail: Not sure I have ridden anything like this one.

Review: While this trail is a fun trail, the 2 mile climb was not much of a challenge. The downhill section feels like a downhill BMX track that will cause a lot of injuries I'm sure. Again, it is a fun trail just not what I expected. You need to hit this trail two times for a good work out.

Review: Nice flow on the downhill section of the intermediate loop but it takes a lot of effort to get there. My GPS indicated that the trail starts at about 1,000 feet elevation, topped out at 1,600 feet, and bottomed out at 700 feet. The intermediate loop contains a few rock gardens, bermed corners, and bermed "jumps". The beginner loop flows well and has nothing technical, but it is just as fun!

Similar Trail: Five Points Recreation Area (Cloudland Canyon State Park) in Rising Fawn, GA; Oak Mountain State Park in Hoover, AL.

Review: It's easy to tell that plenty of planning and work went into these trails. Great combination of flowing singletrack with a little BMX riding.

Similar Trail: May be compared to Cloundland trails near Trenton although this is one big loop.

Review: This is a very unique trail. I've never ridden any other trail like this in the southeast. It has been a privilege to work on it and now ride on it. The climbs and switch backs are gradual. The downhills are smooth and flowing. In my opinion it'll take a little getting used to as it is probably different then the norm. Just make sure and feel the trail out at first and have some good brakes... Fantastic trail, I'm looking forward to the additional miles coming. How lucky I am to live so close to this project...

Similar Trail: None, that I'm aware of...

Review: I have ridden hundreds of trails all across the nation, and I have never ridden a trail like this before. Would I say this is the BEST trail in the nation? I don't think so, it is just very different. This is definitely a new-school trail design and embodies everything that a flow trail should be. You could roll over all the jumps and rollers and berms with ease, but if you amp up the speed and air out all of the doubles, your speed becomes just perfect and what the trail is designed for! If you air out one jump, it will set you up to air out the next, and to hit that berm at speed, and then pump those rollers... man, this thing is perfectly designed! I guess that's what $600k can get you, haha! Put this trail on your MUST RIDE list!

* Review edited 6/2/2012

Review: Get ready to add a new trail to your top 10 list. This place was worth the wait. Tons of berms, rollers, doubles, and air opportunities. Once these trails get packed in this place will be hurt-yourself-fast!! Can't wait for the new mileage. Several signs already in place showing sections of phase two in the works.

* Review edited 5/30/2012