mountain biking in Atlanta, GA

[David Adamus]

Hi,

I’m new to the Atlanta, GA area, and am looking for places to go mountain biking.  So far, i’ve found Sope Creek and Big Creek.  Is there anything I should look out for-snakes/animals/etc?  Thanks,

 

Dave

[Jeff Barber]

Welcome!

Critters aren’t usually a problem, but watch out for poison ivy in the summer. 🙂

What part of town do you live in?

[David Adamus]

Thanks!  We’re in Sandy Springs, just off route 400.  How about you?

[Jeff Barber]

I live in Decatur, just east of downtown. While there aren’t really any trail systems in the city that are worth driving to, we are able to piece together disconnected patches of singletrack into a decent ride.

Blankets Creek shouldn’t be too far to drive from Sandy Springs. Rope Mill is another excellent trail system to check out as well.

[kenwrightjr]

Depending on how far you are willing to drive you are surrounded by awesome trails in every direction. Northeast of you is the premiere Chicopee Elachee Trails ranked #2 in Georgia with every level of trail you would want. Allatoona has the same on the Northwest side however on Turtleback and Red Baron are only open until first of year. Great trails to ride. And further east is Ft. Yargo which is supremely awesome to ride and experience. It’s a park so it has a $3/per car entrance fee and then $2 per Biker fee for the day. Well worth it.

[kay oh]

Welcome to Hooterville! Chicopee rocks. So does Cochran Mill.

Make sure you do a multi-day trip to Mulberry Gap.

[Dr Sweets]

I live in Alpharetta and thus follows my insight on the local rides I hit routinely.

• Big Creek: My home base. Old school gnarl-laden technical trails with the area’s only dedicated DH/Freeride runs. Easily the most consistently burly trails in the region. I ride here at least once a week.
• Sope Creek: The main trail(s) is fun for a quicky. Pretty mellow over all. The most fun stuff is off limits, but maybe you could meet up with some poachers (or take your chances…probably not worth being hassled/ticketed/bike confiscation by the park service though). I only hit if I am down that way for an appointment, but otherwise there are more interesting rides closer. Heirloom BBQ is the shiz though.
• Blankets Creek: These are really fun trails and probably my second fav after Big Creek. They are not as gnarly, but there are some fun technical sections. I love the steep roll in at the beginning of the South Loop going clockwise and thereafter.
• Rope Mill: Most riders go there for “The Mill” trails which are basically all smooth flow trails. I don’t really feel like I’m mountain biking on them, but opportunities for flight abound. My fav thing over there is Avalanche. It is a demanding aerobic ride that has enough technical features to keep you on your toes. Explorer is fun too. If you are feeling spry you can connect Rope and Blankets for a bigger mileage burner.
• Chicopee Woods: These are classic trails are fun to do now and then. They are not super technical, but there are some features that you can bug out on. I don’t go there that often as it’s a schlepp.

There are others further out that I’ve ridden in the past that I do not bother with any longer due to distance, lack of challenge and/or both. As far worthy distance rides go there are tons of options for big rides in N Georgia (Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Dahlonega), NC (Pisgah, duh.) and Tennessee (Ocoee, Raccoon, etc).  Have fun!

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