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Dawson Forest Mountain Bike Trail
Dawsonville, Georgia
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:    |
5 trail reviews |
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Status: updated 8/1/11 by Sizzlin_Weasel |
Difficulty:  Intermediate |
| Length: 12 miles | Global Rank: #1868 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Loop |
| Ridden: 8 | Wishlist: 11 |
| Avg. Speed: 7.2 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 45min |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +2,962/-2,816 ft (based on partial GPS data) | |
 3 trail check-ins |
Directions:
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Description: Dawson Forest is a well known wild life preserve with newly added MTB trails. There are three different trails ranging from 6.7 miles to 12.1 miles. All three have a wide variety of technical challenges including tough climbs and steep downhills, mud, and several creek crossings one of which is a carry across anout knee deep and even higher after a rain. These trails tend to be biker maintained- mostly singletrack which may have unexpected obst. including wildlife. If you\'re in for a challenging ride with Beautiful scenery and wildlife this is great day trip!
Description: Dawson Forest is a well known wild life preserve with newly added MTB trails. There are three different trails ranging from 6.7 miles to 12.1 miles. All three have a wide variety of technical challenges including tough climbs and steep downhills, mud, and several creek crossings one of which is a carry across anout knee deep and even higher after a rain. These trails tend to be biker maintained- mostly singletrack which may have unexpected obst. including wildlife. If you\'re in for a challenging ride with Beautiful scenery and wildlife this is great day trip!
added on June 5, 2009 by 
SIMILAR TRAILS
Riders who liked this mountain bike trail also liked:Jake Mountain Trails in Dahlonega
Big Creek in Roswell
Jake to Bull Mountain Connecter in Dahlonega
Bear Creek in Ellijay
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by NY2cali on September 10, 2011
All in all it was a good trail. I did the red loop today and there were three trees down on the trail but other than that it was clear. I did run into several horses who were very scared of the bikes and did not like us on the trail but their riders were very friendly. However the information here is not up to date. Anyone over 16 is required to pay $5 and there are several officers there to inforce this. Also, there are some days tgat riding is not permitted at all due to hunting so make sure you are riding at a time that is allowed. The law inforcement officers are strict and mean business. Still, its definately worth going back for. There is over 20 miles of trails here.
reviewed by screenrider on August 31, 2011
Great ride today. The trail is as good as it can be considering the horse traffic. Limited areas that are not thrashed by the horses. A great workout …a lot of climbing…a good place to get back in the woods deep. Easy access from 400. Not the best single track but great for getting out and exploring in the woods.
reviewed by GoldenGoose on May 7, 2011
This trail exceeded my expectations on a couple of fronts and I think it is certainly worth riding again. You just have to know what you are getting into before you ride so you aren't disappointed afterwards. Grab a map at the trailhead. Rode the blue loop today. GPS showed the route as 11.7 miles. Everything from gravel roads, to double track, to singletrack, and several water crossings thrown in for good measure. As others have mentioned, these trails are dominated by equestrians but they still have a lot to offer to mountain bikers. Lots of trail and very secluded. In spots, the trail is very rutted from hooves. In others, its hard to find any sign of horses and it's smooth, fast riding. The trails reminded me a lot of what you'll find at the Pine Mountain WMA; rugged trail that was not originally designed with bikes in mind, but still provides a fun and challenging ride. If you decide to go with the Blue loop, be aware of the two major water crossings that WILL get you wet. One is a waist deep crossing of the Etowah river and the other is a knee deep crossing of Shoal Creek. It was 75 degrees outside today and both felt VERY refreshing. Saw no other bikers but passed about 7 horses on the trail. Very polite riders and the majority of the horses seemed accustomed to seeing mountain bikes as well. If I have to ride near horses, it's nice to have ones that are not skittish and seem to also have intelligent riders. There seemed to be some recent "trail maintenance" that was done on the shared section of the red and blue loop that has not yet been "ridden in". Given more riders and some time with mother nature, this section will pack down. In the mean time, you might want to ride the Blue loop in a counter clockwise direction to avoid having to pedal up this soft mess.
Similar Trail: Pine Mountain WMA
reviewed by trek7k on February 2, 2011
I wasn't able to find much singletrack here which was disappointing. The horses seem to keep the trail wide and chunky for the most part. Don't attempt the river ford on a bike except in summer. Regulations state that you're not allowed to bike on any roads that aren't designated as bike/horse trails which seems overly restrictive.
reviewed by mtbgreg1 on August 19, 2009
I went out and rode this trail last week. To start with, there is more like 20 miles of trail out here, not 12. The orange loop is 12.1-12.5 miles long, and the red loop is about 6.7-7 miles long. (That's 19 right there). Now the blue loops is confusing, because it runs in with parts of both the orange and red loops, but it is easy to say that there is at least 20+ miles of trail out there. Started out with the orange loop, and the trail was pretty wide and covered in muddy horse prints to begin with. However, when you reach the outer reaches of the loop, you reap the reward when the trail narrows down to gnary, very single single track. The red trail varies from gravel road to singletrack and back a couple of times. All in all, this place was pretty good, but make no mistake about it: these are horse trails. There are lots of hills, and the trails tend to go straight up them, and straight down them. This makes for a VERY strenuous 20 miles, also bearing in mind all of the erosion that has taken place and all of the technical obstacles that abound. One last note: signage. I was pretty skeptical when there were no decent trail maps in the parking area, but once you are out on the trail, the signs are awesome, with mileage, and several bailout options. That's a couple points in favor for this trail.
