The Jackson County, Alabama director of tourism is proposing the county fund the recruitment of a mountain bike resort in 2009. The idea is to create a destination for mountain bikers from both inside and outside the state and bring in badly needed tourism dollars to a struggling local economy. Although I’ve never been to Jackson County myself, from what I can see on the Google map it’s located in the eastern foothills of the Appalachian mountains about 50 miles as the crow flies from Chattanooga, TN so the possibilities for terrain seem good.
The tourism director argues that Jackson County would be the only mountain bike development in the south making it an instant MTB mecca. I’m not sure what a ‘mountain bike development’ is exactly but I’m pretty sure Jackson County won’t be the first MTB destination in the south since places like Tsali and FATS have been around for years and new lift-serviced terrain at places like 26West is coming online.
Speaking of mountain biking in Alabama, I’ve never been so on New Year’s Day we’ll be heading down to Oak Mountain State Park for the first ride of 2009. We’re planning on getting started around 10 or 11am so send us an email if you’d like to try to meet up. Happy New Year!
