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Ellicottville Epic Mountain Bike Trail
Ellicottville, New York
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:   |
3 trail reviews |
| Status: |
Difficulty:  Advanced |
| Length: 31 miles | Global Rank: #150 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Network |
| Ridden: 4 | Wishlist: 12 |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +3,158/-3,240 ft | IMBA Epic Trail |
Directions:
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Description: This is an IMBA certified Epic Trail in New York. Located an hour south of Buffalo, Ellicottville is home to some of the finest mountain bike trails on the east coast. Built by mountain bikers, for mountain bikers, and easily accessed from town. The climbs are long, steep and plenty. The descents are rocky, rooty and fun. This is singletrack designed by bikers for bikers (although it is great for hiking, too). For example, some of these trails are used for the annual 6 Hours of Power and the Roots Rocks and Ridges MTB races. It is also designed to be sustainable without lots of maintenance: it has built in dry areas and plenty of effective drainage designed in. These new trails are often the driest around for riding when it is wet elsewhere. The trail systems can be broken down into the East McCarty Hill area (Big Merlin), the Mutton Hollow area (Porcupine Trail, Mutton Hollow Trail, Yukon’s Lunch), and the newest sections which provide greater connections to Rock City State Forest (Pale Ale Trail, Rim Trail). These trail systems are great and have more than one access point to allow for varied loops. While these systems can be readily accessed from Holiday Valley via the singletrack behind the top of Eagle Chair lift on the race loop, there's more riding further toward the south extending to and past Little Rock City. The FLT (which is open to bikes in this forest, but is always under threat of closure) and the new Pale Ale Trail takes you there and back, and loops can be made with some of the dirt roads. Suffice it to say there is way more riding than you can do in a day or two. Go here and ride!!
Description: This is an IMBA certified Epic Trail in New York. Located an hour south of Buffalo, Ellicottville is home to some of the finest mountain bike trails on the east coast. Built by mountain bikers, for mountain bikers, and easily accessed from town. The climbs are long, steep and plenty. The descents are rocky, rooty and fun. This is singletrack designed by bikers for bikers (although it is great for hiking, too). For example, some of these trails are used for the annual 6 Hours of Power and the Roots Rocks and Ridges MTB races. It is also designed to be sustainable without lots of maintenance: it has built in dry areas and plenty of effective drainage designed in. These new trails are often the driest around for riding when it is wet elsewhere. The trail systems can be broken down into the East McCarty Hill area (Big Merlin), the Mutton Hollow area (Porcupine Trail, Mutton Hollow Trail, Yukon’s Lunch), and the newest sections which provide greater connections to Rock City State Forest (Pale Ale Trail, Rim Trail). These trail systems are great and have more than one access point to allow for varied loops. While these systems can be readily accessed from Holiday Valley via the singletrack behind the top of Eagle Chair lift on the race loop, there's more riding further toward the south extending to and past Little Rock City. The FLT (which is open to bikes in this forest, but is always under threat of closure) and the new Pale Ale Trail takes you there and back, and loops can be made with some of the dirt roads. Suffice it to say there is way more riding than you can do in a day or two. Go here and ride!!
added on May 20, 2009 by 
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by centaur on July 18, 2011
After hearing so many great things about Ellicottville a group of us made the 5 hour trip out there for a 3 day excursion. To start let me say that the WNYMBA has done an amazing job getting the permission from NY state and executing the construction of these trails. Our group rode close to 30 miles of trails over the 3 day period. The Rim, Bent Rim and Pale Ale trails are probably the most technical. Lots of rocks and roots should humble all but the real masochists. This group of trails doesn't have a large elevation gain but other parts of the McCarty Hill section do. One of our other rides consisted of more than a 500ft climb right out of the gate. And the most of it consisted of long sections of more than 15% grade. Tough going. The down hills were also quite long and steep. Flow to me means the up and down hills have it along with the side to side flow. Not so much on this section. Breaks in the up and down flow would have made for a more enjoyable trail system. (this was the Eagle, Sidewinder and Big Merlin section 3.25) We give a 4.5 to the Rim, Bent Rim section. Be prepared to get lost as well. Signage was great near the start and pretty much non-existant elsewhere. The topo maps you get of the trails don't have elevation data on them. Overall a good experience. But not likely to be repeated anytime soon. If you go bring a local guide or your GPS.
Similar Trail: Millstone Quarry, Vt,- Lippman Park, NY, -909, NY
reviewed by Phieagles1976 on May 1, 2011
These trails are absolutely perfect! Everything you need to truly experience an epic ride indeed when IMBA puts their name on it you know they did it right. You could easily spent a couple days out here to ride their 30+ miles of singletrack. When your done riding swing down into town and hit up the EBC Brewing company they have amazing selection of brews including one called Pantius Droppus this place is worth the trip in itself go out for the day or stay a while it's a great place!
reviewed by kstoddart on October 20, 2010
Unreal. I was so happy that I brought my bike home back to Buffalo when I visited this summer. "who knew" was the thought of the day. Who knew this trail was in Ellicottville? I sure didn't. We didn't see another bike the entire 3 hours we were out there. The climbs were painful, but very rewarding on the way back down. It was great to ride my Trek Top Fuel on the same trails I ride my Lib Tech snowboard. I'll never forget this ride.
Similar Trail: Geez, not sure!
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