-
Posts
-
-
Long recognized as one of the South’s premiere destinations for canoeing, hiking and horseback riding, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation just landed on the national radar screen as a great place to mountain bike.The International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) recently named five trails in the Big South Fork as Epic Rides. This makes the Big South Fork the first national park unit in the U.S. to receive the elite designation.The announcement was made at IMBA’s World Summit held recently in Santa Fe, N.M. Joe Cross, president of the Big South Fork Mountain Bike Club, was there to receive the honor on behalf of the club and the National Park Service.
Cross said the IMBA recognition will greatly enhance the Big South Fork’s reputation among mountain bikers both in the U.S and abroad.
"The Epic designation will draw hundreds of new users to the Big South Fork, many of whom use the IMBA designation as a bucket list of must-ride trails" Cross said.
Other Epic Rides named this year include the Warner Lake region in South Chilcotin, British Columbia, Canada; and the Bernina Express, in Graubunden, Switzerland.
The five Epic Ride mountain bike trails in the Big South Fork are Collier Ridge (approximately 5.5 miles of single-track); West Bandy (3 miles of single-track); Duncan Hollow (2.3 miles of single-track); Grand Gap Loop (6.4 miles, with a few technical sections); and the portion of the John Muir Trail from Grand Gap Loop to Station Camp (7.5 miles, mostly flat and smooth).
Read more here: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/nov/1 … ls-garner/
The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area may be the first national park to receive the coveted Epic Rides designation, but it’s hardly the only unit of the National Park Service that permits mountain biking.There currently are more than 40 national parks across the U.S. that allow mountain biking on narrow trails or dirt roads, according to the International Mountain Biking Association.
The National Park Service’s standard policy has been to allow mountain biking only on roads that are open to vehicles. This year the National Park Service passed new guidelines that streamline the rulemaking process for allowing mountain bikes. Under the new guidelines, park superintendents can allow mountain bikes on fire roads and maintenance roads that already are closed to the motoring public.
The new regulations also permit individual parks to consider mountain biking on existing trails as long as the park accompanies its proposal with the requisite environmental studies and public input. Any construction of new trails for mountain biking outside of developed areas would continue to require a park-specific, special regulation approved by the director of the National Park Service.
Read more here: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/nov/1 … -national/
Looks like the new National Park regulations are having serious positive effects!
-
I heard about this a couple days ago and have been stoked ever since.
Road trip, anyone?
-
Sounds great. Might have to make that into a long weekend trip sometime. I’ve been wanting to go there anyway.
So much potential on Park Service land its good to see at least one park embracing MTB use. I hope that is the beginning of a trend for increased access to National Park Service trails. One of the articles mentioned all the access available now, but I think that has mostly been dirt roads not singletrack.
-
"GoldenGoose" wrote
I heard about this a couple days ago and have been stoked ever since.
Road trip, anyone?
When do we go?
-
Last time I rode in Big South Fork, Grand Gap was only open during the week days. It is open to hikers and equestrians on the weekends. Have they changed that. If they haven’t it is worth noting that Grand Gap Trail is a big piece of the whole experience at Big South Fork is only available Monday – Friday. Of course I haven’t ridden there since last May (Monday of the Memorial Day Weekend), so things could have changed. It is a great place to ride though! When I rode Grand Gap, parking is kind of limited at the trail head so I parked at the swimming pool and rode the forest roads up to the trail head. I think it adds about 3-4 miles to the ride.
-
I have been riding the trails @ BSFNRA for several years now. The John Muir trail is to die for. The grand Gap loop and John Muir trail are open to cyclists seven days a week now. Hikers have the right of way, but you very seldom have any encounters with them. It is rumored that Mr. Cross is working on getting more trails opened for cyclists.
BTW, the Grand Gap and John Muir are closed to horses. -
That is great to know that they opened up the Grand Gap Trail! I am five hours away and I had to find a day, vacation or holiday, to go ride out there. It really is a great ride up above the river next to the cliffs.
-
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.