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Laurel Hill Mountain Bike Trail
Lorton, Virginia
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:    |
20 trail reviews |
|
Status: updated 1/6/12 by BAUZ67 |
Difficulty:  Beginner |
| Length: 0 miles | Global Rank: #1436 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Network |
| Ridden: 47 | Wishlist: 10 |
| Avg. Speed: 6.67 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 30min |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +1,515/-1,643 ft | |
 2 trail check-ins |
Directions:
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Description: This was a huge surprise. As you would expect in this area, there's not much exciting terrain, no big climbs or descents, and nothing technical to speak of, but boy is this great trail in spite of the inherent limtations. The trail designers did a great job extracting maximum fun from the area. From the parking lot, you can hit the CCT by getting on the pavement at the north side of the parking lot. It soon turns into crushed surface, passes under Furnace Road, then crosses Lorton Road. Then, you can dive into the series of connected loops. These loops are mostly meadow, so there's not the usual issues with leaves. The trail, while mostly wide, is packed with crushed rock, so it drains well. What makes it really great is the flow built in to the trail. It's fast and perfect for yanking and banking your bike through meadows and forests. On the way back, look for the Giles Run trail on your right shortly before returning to the parking lot. This is the true, narrow singletrack in the area. It snakes through the woods. Even here, the woods are less dense than most of Virginia, and some of it's evergreens, so again there's not so many leaves. Even though not covered with the crushed rock, it also seems to drain well, making this a good ride when others in the area are still wet. Or, you can hit the Giles Run trail straight from the parking lot by hugging the fence on the left side of the playground on the south side of the parking lot and going through the opening there. Overall, the great flow, generally good trail conditions, and (so far) less crowds make this new trail one of the best rides in the area.
Description: This was a huge surprise. As you would expect in this area, there's not much exciting terrain, no big climbs or descents, and nothing technical to speak of, but boy is this great trail in spite of the inherent limtations. The trail designers did a great job extracting maximum fun from the area. From the parking lot, you can hit the CCT by getting on the pavement at the north side of the parking lot. It soon turns into crushed surface, passes under Furnace Road, then crosses Lorton Road. Then, you can dive into the series of connected loops. These loops are mostly meadow, so there's not the usual issues with leaves. The trail, while mostly wide, is packed with crushed rock, so it drains well. What makes it really great is the flow built in to the trail. It's fast and perfect for yanking and banking your bike through meadows and forests. On the way back, look for the Giles Run trail on your right shortly before returning to the parking lot. This is the true, narrow singletrack in the area. It snakes through the woods. Even here, the woods are less dense than most of Virginia, and some of it's evergreens, so again there's not so many leaves. Even though not covered with the crushed rock, it also seems to drain well, making this a good ride when others in the area are still wet. Or, you can hit the Giles Run trail straight from the parking lot by hugging the fence on the left side of the playground on the south side of the parking lot and going through the opening there. Overall, the great flow, generally good trail conditions, and (so far) less crowds make this new trail one of the best rides in the area.
added on December 29, 2008 by 
SIMILAR TRAILS
Riders who liked this mountain bike trail also liked:Copper Creek in Herndon
Fountainhead Regional Park in Fairfax
Wakefield in Annandale
Reddish Knob in Harrisonburg
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by Mike10760 on November 9, 2011
Good condition, fast ride. Flood damage (new bridge on Giles Run) has been repaired by county.
Similar Trail: Wakefield
reviewed by jfigel76 on October 25, 2011
Great for beginners or advanced riders who ride fast here. Lots of options and distance is great. Obstacle course is challenging and fun. I have yet to make it through all the obstacles. Trails are well marked and parking is tricky with many access points. Traffic can be a nightmare, but Fountainhead is right up the street. Designed by mountain bikers.
reviewed by rutleyj on September 30, 2011
First time riding this trail and it was awesome. took a little time to find the trail but once i did this will be my all time fav. Yes it is flat but fluid and you can keep your speed up. getting some good jumps and switch backs. people review on this tail is mixed and i think it is because there is a trail system that is small and does suck but once i had found the better branches it was a blast spent most of my time in a nice low gear and ready to pedal any time. great traction. almost no roots and a couple of fun rock gardens. Trail does need maintenance because of a flood washed out some bridges but just got off and walked around and carried my bike. This is a great beginner track if your going 0-5mph but many times i was going about 10-18mph and had a blast. "no speedo". Hard tail would rock this trail and great for 29er as well. Will be back often.
Similar Trail: Wakefeild
reviewed by sprkplg73 on April 1, 2011
Nice and fast single track.. no technical sections..just a good way to catch some wind in your hair.
reviewed by Gusso on March 21, 2011
wow this was great! i love it , didnt care that it was a noob trail . the red trail on the map is fast and awesome there are technical areas , like the slaughterhouse trail. lots of fun for all skill levels
reviewed by jtorlando25 on December 8, 2010
I've been riding this trail for a little over a year now. While it's not the most technical trail in the area, I have to say that it is by far my favorite. It really is what you make of it. Another benefit is that there is minimal trail traffic...even in the middle of the season. The trails here are flowing and beginner friendly but an experienced rider can take advantage of the flow and rip through the single track at full speed. The ticks really suck in the summer but that doesn't take away from the awesome trails.
Similar Trail: Wakefield, Rosaryville, Shaeffer Farm
reviewed by skibum on September 14, 2010
During my 2 years in NoVa, this was my most oft-ridden trail network. Primarily because it is superior to all other trails in the area in one respect--drainage. When the constant rains and humidity come and Fountainhead and Wakotink are all mud, this one usually good to go. It may not present the physical challenge of Fountainhead, but it's nice to have a place to ride after bad weather--and there's some really good singletrack. The Giles trail is nice, tight, flowy singletrack through dense woods with one challenging log crossing. The switchbacks on Slaughterhouse are good and there's jumps on the Power Station loop. This trail is also good to ride in the fall when the other trails are so covered with leaves you can't see a thing; this one stays readable as there are more pine trees and the leafy trees are more spaced.
* Review edited 9/14/2010
reviewed by RappAttack on August 11, 2010
trying to get your lady to ride with you can be a challenge for some of us so im sure glad they made this trail, not technical at all, i counted to log hops. no big thing for the advanced rider but good for introducing someone to single track
Similar Trail: wake field
reviewed by luv2mtb on June 22, 2010
This trail network is ok; I'm glad I went once. But next time I make the 45 min trek from Leesburg, I'll go to Fountain head instead. All of the trails south of Lorton Rd are made of crushed rock: great for drainage, horrible for cornering. Every trail is encroached upon by nasty briars-wear glasses! Most trails lack shade also, so bring your sunscreen. But most of all, if your fitness level is up to it-go to Fountain head.
reviewed by JarheadMtnBkr on June 16, 2010
This trail was my first singletrack ride, and I loved it. Great to get out there and get a feel for how a new bike handles. Not a lot of challenging climbs, but there were a few technical sections that if you didn't think about what you were doing, you were going to eat it. I'd ride it again in a hearbeat.
Similar Trail: Quantico Trails
reviewed by Flying_W on April 29, 2010
Laurel Hill is an IMBA designed multi-use singletrack trail network of 11 miles that flows like few that I've ever ridden. What it lacks in killer climbs is made up for by nicely flowing trails through forests & open meadows Now that the trail has filled-in, it is hard to tell that it was made with a small excavator with a 3' treadway. The 3-4" of gravel enables the trails to withstand traffic, and drain quickly - mud is not an issue, nor is erosion. IMBA is really onto something with their sustainable trail program! Quite different from nearby Fountainhead..
* Review edited 5/5/2010
reviewed by GFish10 on March 9, 2010
I rode it Laurel Hill yesterday and today and for the most part all the trails are in pretty good shape. The Giles Run trail that you can hit directly from the parking lot is the only one that seems to be in bad shape from the snow this year. It is definitely ridable there is just one area where your going to have to dismount and go around a tree that has fallen and taken out a good chunk of the path. Otherwise a fun ride/great workout.
reviewed by soulmonkey on October 21, 2009
Nice trail, fast with a lot of flow. After 5 straight days of rain and 2 days of sun the trails are already dry. Went to Wakefield yest. and that was still slippery in spots. Well marked system as well. Almost ran over a 3 ft long black snake coming around a tight switchback but I took the advise of the posted signs and braked for snakes. Going back on Sun with some friends that have not been.
Similar Trail: Wakefield, Difficult Run, Severn Creek Park
reviewed by kleppe on October 9, 2009
Lots of fun. The orange trail out of the parking lot is a blast. Even more fun rode backwards. Then follow the CCT to the "house" and take the red loop up and around for some good rocks. Great for after work.
reviewed by blakninjacat on September 27, 2009
Went on it again today. there are extreme expert sections and i got six feet of air but in the same spot my friend wrecked like crazy. The hardest sections are the power house loop and the slaughter house loop.
Similar Trail: Copper Creek
reviewed by blakninjacat on August 27, 2009
There are a few roots on this trail nothing technical. But becasue there are a few roots you can get very fast on turns and hills going up. There is one trail where there is jumps every 5 feet where you can get air if bunny hopping.
Similar Trail: Wakefield, Difficult Run
reviewed by DDDoherty on August 18, 2009
The trails are divided into color-coded loops and you almost always know where to go. The trail has minimum rocks and roots but some switchbacks and jumps. The jumps can be avoided by not getting speed and can be used by getting speed and bunny hopping. Overall its not as technically challenging as say Fountainhead but it flows perfectly and it has sick roflcopter jumps roflcopter.
Similar Trail: wakefield
reviewed by Shmoo on August 17, 2009
All trails (but Giles) is nicely color marked. Be careful of ticks. I've gotten 4 flats (all punctures) from dead briars. All trails are beginner-friendly other than the Slaughterhouse. I'll reiterate...I've gotten 4 flats here.
reviewed by Lawmaster87 on July 26, 2009
Bring your sunscreen. This trail gets a mixed review. Get trail map online, Laurel Hill Fairfax County Park Authority. Many (most) of the trails are out in fields and would be best ridden on an overcast day. By far, the highlight of the trail is Power Station Trail. When ridden clockwise you get a fast, bermed trail with a few jumps, small skinny, and it is all shaded. Slaughterhouse (ride counter clockwise) is probably the most technical, but not very techincal at all. The skills area at the bottom is decent but will be mastered quickly. Giles Run Meadow trail is the most singletracky. Dairy barn trail is like driving a Camary (gets the job done, but not very fun.) The rest of the trail is out in tall fields. The soil there is rocky and sandy, which drains well, but it makes railing corners a bit of gamble. This is a new trail that was very well designed and will only get better as more people ride it. Nothing there requires your full suspension bike because everything is quite smooth.
* Review edited 7/26/2009
reviewed by drexlerkm on July 18, 2009
Fun to explore. Trails are well designed and very clearly marked. CCT makes access and options super easy. Giles Run, Dairy Barn and Power Station are the highlights. Slaughterhouse was OK. Too many briars- perhaps not enough traffic. Skills area is a nice plus. Power Station jumps and rollers are lots of fun- nice flow. Went on a Saturday afternoon and saw maybe 3-4 riders the whole time. Would go back.
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