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Lake Russell Loop Mountain Bike Trail
Cornelia, Georgia
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:   |
6 trail reviews |
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Status: updated 7/23/10 by GoldenGoose |
Difficulty:  Intermediate |
| Length: 7 miles | Global Rank: #811 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Loop |
| Ridden: 9 | Wishlist: 10 |
Directions:
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Description: This trail circles the entirety of Lake Russell. AND, it is AMAZING! The
quality of the trail is stunning, it is truly epic-quality singletrack! The views
are great, as at many times you are riding RIGHT ON the edge of the
water... i.e. if you fell the wrong way you would be going for a swim. there
is not a whole lot of elevation gain or loss (there are a couple of short hills
to mix things up) as this trail runs pretty much on the water's edge the
entire time. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride, and it kept a smile pasted on
my face! I can't believe I found this by accident (when I was trying to find
the Ladyslipper trail) and that I've never heard anyone talking about this.
it is awesome!
Description: This trail circles the entirety of Lake Russell. AND, it is AMAZING! The
quality of the trail is stunning, it is truly epic-quality singletrack! The views
are great, as at many times you are riding RIGHT ON the edge of the
water... i.e. if you fell the wrong way you would be going for a swim. there
is not a whole lot of elevation gain or loss (there are a couple of short hills
to mix things up) as this trail runs pretty much on the water's edge the
entire time. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride, and it kept a smile pasted on
my face! I can't believe I found this by accident (when I was trying to find
the Ladyslipper trail) and that I've never heard anyone talking about this.
it is awesome!
added on June 10, 2009 by 
SIMILAR TRAILS
Riders who liked this mountain bike trail also liked:Winding Stairs in Dahlonega
Flying Squirrel in Oakwood
Jake to Bull Mountain Connecter in Dahlonega
Pinhoti - P1 in Ellijay
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by calebgaines on November 23, 2011
Beautiful lake trail ride. Not too challenging and a great way to entice friends into mountain biking.
reviewed by GoldenGoose on July 23, 2010
Surprising climbs of rooty singletrack mixed with a little bit of forest road and a very short piece of pavement. On the back side of the lake, opposite the camp grounds, the trail is a relaxing ride around the water's edge with a few semi technical climbs to keep you on your toes. At the half way point you'll cross a dam and spillway and pick up the trail as gravel road on the other side. This will change back to single track after the climb so don't worry. The trail section on the dam is VERY overgrown and we almost turned back because we couldn't find it. Dont give up. I assure you, it's there. Ride this one clockwise or you'll climb the cool singletrack and descend the boring forest road. :( My only major complaint about this one is the short paved section (500 yrds at the most), the downed trees, and the constant pedestrian bridges that you have to cross. These bridges were clearly not made with bikes in mind as they are too tight to walk next to your bike. They also have no transition from the ground to the bridge so you either walk them every time or get really good at hopping up an 18 inch ledge to get onto them. Oh well, it was a hiking trail first. Maybe one of these days they'll fix this issue and I might change my rating to a 5. Link it to the Sourwood trail and Ladyslipper for a longer ride.
Similar Trail: This trail has the look and feel of Tribble Mill or Ft Yargo..
reviewed by bchboy1206 on April 4, 2010
Let me start by saying it has been three years since I have been on my mountain bike in which time I have been a roadie. I began mountain biking around the Macon Ga. area then a little bit in California. OK to Lake Russell. I started from the parking lot by the dam and it goes into a wooded area which has some nice single track about 2-3 foot wide covered with pine straw and it winds thru to some hilly areas. Then you have to ride the road for a few tenths of a mile and you descend into the beach area then back into the hills. This leads to another damn where some logging is going on so the trail can be missed and there is loose dirt around from the dozers. I am not sure if I went off the trail a little at this point. I descended beside the dam which is a pretty treacherous rocky downhill, I almost bit it so I walked the bike down. Beyond the dam the track seems to change. Lots of up and downs, and the width is about a foot with some great great switchbacks. Unfortunately there are probably 5 deadfalls to watch for and stairs.... There are rock stairs going up small uphills and also about 4-5 bridges you have to carry your bike up unless you can bunny hop pretty high. Some of the bridges are only two feet wide so after you lift the bike up there you kind of have to push it and follow because you cant walk beside it. The singletrack on this side is right next to the water and it is really fun I would say moderately difficult due to roots and the narrow trail. All in all it is a good place to go but I wasn't expecting to portage the bike so many times. The scenery is really beautiful there, (I ran/walked after riding it). RIght now I would say it is a 3.5 out of 5 but maybe after I get used to it I may start liking it better, especialy if I can figure out how to get around some of the obsticales. Oh and dog walkers too.
* Review edited 4/4/2010
Similar Trail: This was the first in this area so I am going to start looking.
reviewed by mtbgreg1 on November 13, 2009
Rode this trail today, and the sign at the top of the paved road leading down to the park stated that the Lake Russell recreation was closed. I drove down anyway, and the gates leading to the day use parking lot were open, and when I left there was about 5 cars there. The campground is definitely shut down, but the trails are still accessible. There was a large number of sizable trees down all around the trail, some of which looked rather recent. Needs some maintenance, but it was still a good ride!
Similar Trail: Fort Yargo State Park, Winder
reviewed by RJackson on November 3, 2009
Lake Russell Loop Trail is an old hiking trail that now allows biking as well. Be careful in the first mile or so as some of the creek crossings have bridges that were designed with hikers in mind. Park at the Nancytown Lake parking area, head out of the parking lot back down the paved road and take an immediate right and follow the signs to the trailhead and turn right next to the Nancytown group campground. Cross the wooden bridge and bear right onto a singletrack trail to follow the loop in a clockwise direction. After a few miles, cross the dam and spillway and travel back up a forest service road until you get back to a paved road - go straight across back onto single track, follow the trail past the swimming area, then up a hill to near the road where the trail will disappear back into the woods on the right just past a water fountain. When that singletrack emerges back onto a paved road, turn right and follow the edge of the lake for about 1000 yards. Just past where the lake ends look for trail to disappear back into the woods for the short finish. Tight, twisty, rolling singletrack with some FS road* Review edited 11/3/2009
* Review edited 11/3/2009
Similar Trail: Chicopee Woods, Gainesville
