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Harbison State Forest Mountain Bike Trail
Columbia, South Carolina
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:    |
16 trail reviews |
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Status: updated 12/29/11 by jaybird57 |
Difficulty:  Intermediate |
| Length: 20 miles | Global Rank: #1148 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Network |
| Ridden: 67 | Wishlist: 28 |
| Avg. Speed: 8.71 mph | Avg. Time: 2hr 41min |
Directions:
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Description: There are about 20 miles of trails here from beginner to intermediate. Trails are well marked and maps are available at parking area. Please consider riding elsewhere if there has been a recent rain, this forest holds water too well. Also, trails are shared with hikers, and some trails are hiking only. Dogs are allowed, and bathrooms are available. Harbison State forest now charges $5.00 a day for bikin' or $25.00 per year for a permit. For more information: Call (803) 896-8800.
added in 2003 by guest
Description: There are about 20 miles of trails here from beginner to intermediate. Trails are well marked and maps are available at parking area. Please consider riding elsewhere if there has been a recent rain, this forest holds water too well. Also, trails are shared with hikers, and some trails are hiking only. Dogs are allowed, and bathrooms are available. Harbison State forest now charges $5.00 a day for bikin' or $25.00 per year for a permit. For more information: Call (803) 896-8800.
added in 2003 by guest 
SIMILAR TRAILS
Riders who liked this mountain bike trail also liked:Forks Area Trail System (FATS) in Clarks Hill
Campbells Pond in Wedgefield
Killer Three Loop in Sumter
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by radams89 on November 6, 2011
Spiderwoman is the only interesting section here. It's quite short compared to the rest of the trail system, though. The other trail sections can be fast, but they're really walking trails.
reviewed by trekmtbrider on June 5, 2011
I just rode several of the trails in Harbison Saturday and Sunday. I go once a weekend at least. It is a great workout if you push it. There are a few technical spots to work on your technique. You have to loop several of the trails together to log more miles.
reviewed by CRK7376 on April 15, 2011
Columbia, you have a jewel of MTB park in a relatively urban area/State Forest. Not really technically challenging, but challenging enough to get the heart rate elevated on some of the steeper climbs, not long climbs, but enough to get you huffing and puffing and thighs burning. Lots of exposed roots and rocks are the biggest challenges. SOme log pyramids, most of them need some maintenance. Nice shade, plenty of allyoops and tight turns. Some of the allyoops are more difficult than others. I crashed and burned on a few of them. But that's part of the fun and challenge. Lost Creek is a great ride, lots and lots of allyoops, but the sections meandering along the creek are very nice. Beware of riding there after rain, really swampy and lots of mud. Lost Creek is a well marked trail. On the other hand, the most techinical ride is SpiderwomanII, more, steeper allyoops, lots of tight switchbacks and several tough climbs. Spiderwoman II is not as well marked as the rest of the trails in Harbison. I admit, the inner loop on Spiderwoman slapped me hard on a one tight turn where my angle and the mud got me. Went down hard and cracked a brand new helmet. Better the helmet than my noggin. The sections of SpiderwomanII and Midlands Mountain Trail along the Broad River are very nice. Harbison is great place to ride after work. It's well worth the annual fee of $25 for a parking pass. Columbia, you have a jewel of an MTB course in your backyard for those trapped away for the mountains.
Similar Trail: Tanglewood Park, Winston-Salem, NC
reviewed by aabiking on April 9, 2011
Fast trails and has a little climbing. One my first MTB race of the series here so I am a little fond of the place.
reviewed by DRosdahl on September 11, 2010
Awesome trail. Nice rolling hills with some nice descents and a few sweet technical climbs and drops. My wife is brand new and I took her on Fire Break Trail and she loved it. Great trail network. Very shaded!
reviewed by jaybird57 on May 21, 2010
I'm a local so I ride Harbison at least once a week. Nice trail system to mix in a good workout w/ some nice scenery & to log the miles. I recommend riding Lost Creek & Spider Woman II if you're looking for something on the more challenging/fun side. Midlands Mtn. can be fun as well while Firebreak East/West are pretty much big ring doubletrack sections.
* Review edited 6/19/2011
Similar Trail: Lynchs Woods
reviewed by sturides on April 1, 2010
Have to agree with most of the previous reviews. Trails are finally drying out from a very wet winter. A great local trail system with lots of variety. Spider Woman is the only really technical/challenging section but the other trails offer plenty of fun. Ride details at http://www.sportypal.com/Workouts/Details/208180
reviewed by rwbuff78 on July 13, 2009
this used to be my home town trail. if you ride firebreak to lost creek to connector and stewardship to midlandmountain to spiderworman to firebreak it was a 28 mile trip ...i think? also find the heinous. it heinous.
reviewed by peekabook91 on November 2, 2008
this trails was awsome it had big rocks and had diffcult terain it was the collest mountain bike trail i have ever been on yet
* Review edited 12/23/2008
reviewed by smitten on August 3, 2008
Plenty of trail to ride, i rode 20miles and still didnt' see the whole park. Several riders there to give you a rundown of what you are looking for. I was a little dissapointed with most sections of the trail as its mainly rooty doubletrack on fairly level ground. Spiderwoman was an awesome section though, at 2.5 miles, i'll go back and ride spiderwoman a few times to get a good ride in. Spiderwoman was a nice, tight and technical section with great descents and climbs.
reviewed by mcpiv on September 20, 2007
Nice to have such a large area to ride 10 minutes from downtown Columbia. Good variety of trails here, from the easy firebreak trail to the much more difficult spider woman II. Some of the trails look like they are are old service roads. Trails are kept up well are are used a lot. My preferred trails here are spider woman II (is there a spider woman I somewhere?), midlands mt. and lost creek.
Similar Trail: K3, Lynches woods
reviewed by rmurph4 on February 18, 2007
Good set of trails at Harbison. Lost creek and Spiderwoman II have some good runs and technical work, but I felt like Midlands Mountain and the Stewardship Trail were nothing special. String all the trails together here for a great day of riding.
Similar Trail: K3
reviewed by leadbutt on January 2, 2007
This place is great. I got to ride everything but Lost Creek which was still very wet. Stweardship & Midland are both wide-open singletrack. They are great to get in the big ring and just hammer. SpiderWoman II was awesome - fast downhills, rollers, rock gardens, climbs. It was a bit muddy from some rain a few days before, but only small puddles were left. For the relatively flat area that these trails are located in, this place has a good mix of everything you could want.
Similar Trail: Westwood Park, Devil's Ridge & Governor's Creek
reviewed by Ranger8729 on June 14, 2006
After a few years out of the sport, i've decided to get back in. Moving to Columbia to take classes at USC forced me to look locally for trails as I cant take as many trips as I would like. Harbison is an excellent set for beginners and experts alike. Stewardship is the one i'm mostly on, as it is not too difficult and keeps the ride interesting. Midlands Mtn is a nice trail, with good scenery, but when it rains it floods pretty quickly. Thats another thing, Harbison after a rain is so sloppy and wet that you almost need to wear rainslickers when riding; i say almost, mud is fun! I have yet to try SpiderWomanII, but I will update on that at a later date. All in all, a great place to ride, and its close to home. and at $25 for an annual pass, only my schoolwork will keep me away.
reviewed by jasongraphix on March 22, 2006
The cost to bike in Harbison State Forest is $5/day or $25/annual pass. You can get an application for the annual pass at the fee boxes in the parking lot or online at: http://www.state.sc.us/forest/permit.htm There is a map of the trails at Harbison State Forest available at: http://www.state.sc.us/forest/refhartg.htm
reviewed by cowcookie on May 29, 2004
A fun series of trails, but location is the best part. Firebreak is an access trail that's good for casual, non-technical riding. Midlands is somewhat more technical, but not much. Stewardship is lots of fun without being overly difficult. If you take the 'bad' line, you can get in some decent drops. Spiderwoman is a blast and the most technical of the trails. The inner Spiderwoman has some of the most exciting sections with banked turns and steep, but short, drops. Signage isn't too great and it is easy to get onto Spiderwoman without intending to, so pay attention. All the trails are very rooty.
Similar Trail: Lynches Woods
