MTB TRAIL STATS

Avg Rating:	5 trail reviews
Status: Closed updated 10/9/09 by stevestrimpfel Closed Open Wet / Sketchy	Difficulty: Beginner
Length: 8 miles	Global Rank: 934
Tread: Singletrack	Configuration: Loop
Ridden: 20	Wishlist: 6
Avg. Speed: 5.79 mph	Avg. Time: 1hr 4min

 

  
reviewed by shonkjp on June 17, 2009

Not too bad for Dayton, Ohio. If you are a mountain biking mad-man or woman, this place won't be much fun for you. It's a decent workout. Go out and ride it!

Similar Trail: The only other trail I've road is Mohican State Park and it's much hard and better!

  
reviewed by Jonismbking on April 25, 2009

Not a bad trail for Dayton, Ohio. Pretty simple singletrack but fast in areas. The Hawk's Lair was pretty good rocky area to test your skills.

Similar Trail: John Bryan State Park

  
reviewed by EpicBiker on April 26, 2008

Duuuuudes! Sweet bike trail right outside of Dayton! What will they think of next? Anyway, as you might be able to tell, I am a big fan of this trail. They really have something for everyone. They have beginner, intermediate, and advanced trails. Since I am an advanced rider, I am going to comment more on the vulture's lair, the advanced part of the trail. Not bad, not bad. This is truely a piece of work for Dayton. When you get to the Wild West crossing, I recommend going right into the lair. Otherwise, you will be going up a rocky slope, not the prefered way to go. You will spiral up the hill, a great climb. You will then go zigzaging a bit through the woods, pass a cliff overlooking the highway and Huffman Dam, and get to the appropriately named Moonscape. After that, you will get to some epic steep climbs and decents, followed by a BANKED CURB! I love those almost too much. The moonscape is a good, mildly technical part too. Great trail for those looking for an exceptionally good challenge in the Dayton Area. Who ever thought there would ever be any good trails here? this is a piece of art. Great maintenance even months after the opening, and great signage as well. This is a trail you have to see for yourself.

Similar Trail: John Bryan for easier, Hueston woods for a bit more challenge, and Ceaser's Creek for the hilliest trail in southwest Ohio.

  
reviewed by Icester on September 25, 2007

Only about 10 minutes from Fairborn and Wright-Patterson AFB. There is enough parking for at least 20 vehicles. Bathroom facilities consist of only port-a-lets. There are no sinks/water available. Here is the official page: http://www.metroparks.org/_fiveRiversOutdoors/MountainBike.aspx Here are directions: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&msid=105781722534619189514.000436cb89ede580fabf3&ll=39.809987,-84.092317&spn=0.014901,0.023346&z=15 This park actually consists of 6 different trails from beginner to difficult with various lengths ranging from about 1 miles to about 2 1/2. There are over 8 miles of trails total and they may be ridden both ways. These are all mountain-bike only trails - no joggers, runners, or motor vehicles allowed. All of the course is in the forest with lots of turns, twists, humps, and (mostly) minor climbs. The routes are EXTREMELY well marked and easy to follow. There is a trail guide at the beginning and at 5-points (where 5 of the trails cross), however, you will probably want to make sure to bring a printed trail guide. EMS points are also available if an accident should occur, but I did not see a phone or alarm so make sure to bring your cell phone (coverage should be very good - there is a cell tower not 2 miles away.) The low areas crossing small cricks have been pretty well paved with stones. The trails are mostly stone and rock free (just compacted dirt) except for the difficult course. I personally did not find a big difference in difficulty between the easy and medium course, but Hawk's Lair (difficult) proved to be a huge jump in difficulty. It was pretty challenging for me as a newbie mountain-biker, but serious bikers would probably not have much trouble at all. All trails have a lot of turns with some narrow spots between trees. There are bridges for the lower-swampy areas. You have to ride through some of the courses to reach others. I typically ride around 9-11 am and there were only about 6-8 people in the park. Note: This is not a course for young children (pre-teens or younger unless they are in excellent cycling condition). Also, if you have a low-end discount store bike, it is going to take a tremendous beating and so is the rider. You will want some low gears for this course. Overall, it is a very well done course and I look forward to getting back out there tomorrow. And the next day. And the next....

* Review edited 9/25/2007

Similar Trail: John Bryan State Park, Yellowsprings, Ohio

  
reviewed by tumbleweed14 on September 18, 2007

Checked it out today, a couple days after the opening. The trail is so clean I felt almost bad for tearing it up! Very similar to John Bryan in terms of type of ride. No hills, no obstacles, lots of tight corners. There are, however more flowy sections than John Bryan. In my opinion the folks here did a great job for the majority of recreational mountain bikers. The beginner loop is wider, the intermediate loops have some fun sections that you can pump, and the "black diamond" section was, well, more difficult than the rest. But there was nothing there that was at all a challenge. Nothing technical for an experienced mountain biker, though beginners and weekenders may find it the hardest trail a bit more of a workout than they are used to. In conclusion, GREAT TRAIL. Excellent build with protection in the right spots. Extremely well marked. Fantastic maps. Great use of space. Good loops. Fits recreational riders needs. However, there are lots of people here on the trails so watch your speed on corners. Maybe the popularity will die down after a while, but it was awfully crowded for a Tuesday after work. For those who ride more and are used to a challenge, both physical and technical, this is not it. The hardest stuff here was not hard for an experienced rider. Lack of natural or man made obstacles (besides bridges) or hills had me kinda bored. sharp corners and sections tight through trees keep out of control speeding to a minimum. Good place to introduce someone to MTB and get introduced to the local biking community. People were very friendly out there. I think I saw a workbench with tools and someone man-ing it at the trailhead. That is nice. Thanks MOMBA for getting us more trails. Well done.

* Review edited 9/19/2007

Similar Trail: Vultures Knob, Hueston woods, Lake Hope

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