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What’s the most technical mountain bike trail you’ve ridden? We’re working on putting together a post about the most technical MTB trails in North America and need a little help!
So far we’re thinking places like Dakota Ridge, Porcupine Rim, and Sugar Mountain (NC) deserve a spot but we’d love to hear what other super technical trails are out there…
[i:306dgzhw]Dakota Ridge[/i:306dgzhw] -
South end of Morrison Slide trail right acroos the street from Dakota Ridge,although I could swear I heard they smoothed it out,haven’t been on morrison slide lately myself to confirm though,I’ll have to check it out today…
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So I would have to say, I agree with dakota ridge based on the fact that’s it’s kinda bumpy, but that’s really about it. If you have spent any time in Gunnison Colorado you hopefully have hit some of the Hartmans trails up. V drop, Sawtooth, Notch and Rattle Snake all have big moves and tight lines, super fun fun trails that will get your knees a-wabblin!
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For the stuff I have ridden, I would have to go with a tie between two West Virginia trails
Red Run – Slatyfork WV
Plantation Trail – Canaan Valley, WVThose trails and all the ones attached to them are rocky, rooty, mossy, and muddy. 15 miles of that kind of riding and you’re begging for some dry doubletrack.
Honorable mention to some drier rocky trails in Virginia that are quite technical; Massanutten Mountain and Dragons Back.
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Fontucky and the Tower out in CA. Has some of the most rocky boulder ladened descents I have ever road or raced.
Here is a video from my PinkBike of the ’06 Fontucky DH Race, the last year I attended, though I raced it in ’05. Excuse the music mix, I did not do it, though kinda funny…..
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/176209/
Check out the terrain after the slalom race. This is typical terrain for Fontucky and the Tower.
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Great recommendations guys! I can definitely look them up in the database myself, but links would be much appreciated as well!
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My vote for east coast tech is for Pilot Rock and Farlow Gap in Pisgah.
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5 Miles of Hell in Green River, UT comes to mind
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Thanks guys! Now I know where not to go. Just saying. 😄 Later,
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Keep going, I’m putting these on my bucket list 😀
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Deer Creek Canyon park in Denver is tough, especially "The Wall". Lots of tough rock gardens, but also a lot of easy terrain, but the wall is pretty intimidating. You can forget about going up if you aren’t in amazing shape and extremely good at climbing, and you can forget about going down if you don’t have balls of steel.
I was there today, I couldn’t make it up, but going down wasn’t a problem, even with a hard-tail. I should have taken a picture. I’ll probably go back later this week though just because it’s so close.
Off the top of my head that’s the most technical I can think of. Not overall the most technical, but sections are pretty tough, plus its a 5 minute drive from the city! -
"steve32300" wrote
South end of Morrison Slide trail right acroos the street from Dakota Ridge,although I could swear I heard they smoothed it out,haven’t been on morrison slide lately myself to confirm though,I’ll have to check it out today…
Went and rode Morrison Slide trail tonight,,,,still technical….and the rattle snakes didnt help,hahahahaa.
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Templeton Trail in Palmer Park — ColoradoSprings
Moore Fun — Fruita with Honorable Mention to Holy Cross
Gooseberry Mesa — Hurricane, Ut (if you take the right lines)
Sourdough/Buchanan Pass/Waldrop/Little Raven complex — Ward, Co
Templeton, Broken Arrow, Hangover, Damifino — SedonaBack East there was the Frederick Watershed in Maryland.
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"skibum" wrote
Templeton Trail in Palmer Park — ColoradoSprings
Moore Fun — Fruita with Honorable Mention to Holy Cross
Gooseberry Mesa — Hurricane, Ut (if you take the right lines)
Sourdough/Buchanan Pass/Waldrop/Little Raven complex — Ward, Co
Templeton, Broken Arrow, Hangover, Damifino — SedonaBack East there was the Frederick Watershed in Maryland.
skibum speaks!
These must be the nastiest of the nasty… 😮
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I haven’t ridden them, so I couldn’t comment firsthand, but my rockhound friends all like palmer park and sourdough.
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Yeah, the thing about Palmer Park, like many of the trails mentioned, is there are very technical [i:2dhr5uo4]sections[/i:2dhr5uo4] but I wouldn’t go so far as to say the whole ride is technical. I guess that’s the hard part of trying to define which trails are the most technical – maybe it should be based on a measure of gnar per mile or something like that. 😀
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"trek7k" wrote
Yeah, the thing about Palmer Park, like many of the trails mentioned, is there are very technical [i:1nz7isje]sections[/i:1nz7isje] but I wouldn’t go so far as to say the whole ride is technical. I guess that’s the hard part of trying to define which trails are the most technical – maybe it should be based on a measure of gnar per mile or something like that. 😀
If you’re talking about GPM, Snake Creek Gap has gotta be on that list somewhere.
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Not a mention yet of Raspberry Ridge/Blackjack @ Buffalo Creek yet? I tell you what, the first time you
roll up to the Slot of Death (first thing in the vid below) it will quickly climb to the top of your list. The whole trail is just a Buffet Tech sections one after another. http://youtu.be/mZ_wjUZ21_Q -
Wow, I hadn’t seen that trail @ Buffalo Creek. Is it legal?
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I do Dakota Ridge regularly and it definitely deserves a spot. Also, there is a much more technical trail across the street off of Red Rocks Trail. You climb to the top of the ridge which is technical in its own right and the decent over the ridge has about 5 super technical rock sections along with exposed switchbacks. This takes you to the top of Red Rocks Trail proper. My friend Dave and I call it the pube route.
Also, Bobcat Ridge just outside of Ft. Collins is all that and then some. It’s an in-your-face four mile climb to the top. You can then link that with a sortie to Mormon Rocks. Either way, the way back down is relentless 20 – 30 minutes of singletrack downhill. Lots of rocks, get-skinny sections, switchbacks and feature options that will definitely put you outside your confort zone. Worth it if you like to get nuts.
Also, Dead Dog, Keyhole Canyon and Hooters Canyon trails in the Pueblo Reservoir South Shore trail system are rowdy. They only go on for a little while but are great techincal sections that are tough to beat.
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National Trail at South Mountain Park in Phoenix
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"trek7k" wrote
Wow, I hadn’t seen that trail @ Buffalo Creek. Is it legal?
I heard they put a FR/DH trail in out there about a year ago.
Edit: May have been more like 2 yrs ago.
Second edit: I don’t know what the name of the trail is though, and I haven’t ridden it. -
How about Most Technical Climb? Bull Mountain is south of Dahlonega and is a popular riding area, just ask Goo. If you go up the entry trail from the parking lot and take a right and go down to and cross the creek. Go left and ride along the creek. It used to end there but new trails have been added. At the old end there is a uphill that takes you to the trail back to the entry and the trip back is some awesome riding. The uphill is steep and covered with loose rock and stationary rocks. The loose rocks are as big as your fist and make the climb a toughie. There is no run at the hill so you start off in granny bailout and pick your way up. Over the years I’ve cleaned it only a couple of times but clearing it is better than a 6 pack of Heinekin in the car. Haven’t been there in a long time but it was the toughest climb on a great trail. 😄 Later,
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"fat_billy" wrote
How about Most Technical Climb? Bull Mountain is south of Dahlonega and is a popular riding area, just ask Goo. If you go up the entry trail from the parking lot and take a right and go down to and cross the creek. Go left and ride along the creek. It used to end there but new trails have been added. At the old end there is a uphill that takes you to the trail back to the entry and the trip back is some awesome riding. The uphill is steep and covered with loose rock and stationary rocks. The loose rocks are as big as your fist and make the climb a toughie. There is no run at the hill so you start off in granny bailout and pick your way up. Over the years I’ve cleaned it only a couple of times but clearing it is better than a 6 pack of Heinekin in the car. Haven’t been there in a long time but it was the toughest climb on a great trail. 😄 Later,
Yeah we call that lance creek. The bull/jake trail system has recently seen a lot of maintenance, and that climb has been totally cleaned up! It’s still really steep, but much more rideable.
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Temleton Trail in Palmer Park Co Springs is a gnar trail but Section 16 in Cheyenne Canyon (Co Springs) is probably more technical on the descent. Williams Canyon out of Manitou Springs Co is phenomenal as well.
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"rdietz001" wrote
Temleton Trail in Palmer Park Co Springs is a gnar trail but Section 16 in Cheyenne Canyon (Co Springs) is probably more technical on the descent. Williams Canyon out of Manitou Springs Co is phenomenal as well.
Yeah Templeton is super tech, especially since you’re climbing and descending either direction you take it. Speaking of Colorado Springs, does anyone still ride out at Waldo Canyon? I seem to remember that as a pretty tech ride as well…
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Snake Creek Gap Trail in Dalton, GA. It is a part of the Georgia Pinhoti Trail and the Snake Creek Gap race runs right along it. The whole thing is pretty damn technical, but the worst part is the last 7 or 8 miles of the 34 mile and 17 mile race. The section starts with a super rutted out downhill that then goes into England Springs, which is a little stretch of trail that is practically unclimable. Most people don’t even attempt to climb it and just push it and I believe that the race winner has only done it once or twice in all the Snake Creek Gap Time Trials he has done (and there are three race days over three months for the time trial). The climb is both incredibly steep and technical. The climb then puts you on the ridge to Dug Gap Mountain, and from this point until the fireroad in about 7 miles, the trail is a constant rock garden and it is ridiculously technical and tough, especially at the end of a race. Snake Creek definitely deserves a spot on the list.
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"ohockeym" wrote
Snake Creek Gap Trail in Dalton, GA. It is a part of the Georgia Pinhoti Trail and the Snake Creek Gap race runs right along it. The whole thing is pretty damn technical, but the worst part is the last 7 or 8 miles of the 34 mile and 17 mile race. The section starts with a super rutted out downhill that then goes into England Springs, which is a little stretch of trail that is practically unclimable. Most people don’t even attempt to climb it and just push it and I believe that the race winner has only done it once or twice in all the Snake Creek Gap Time Trials he has done (and there are three race days over three months for the time trial). The climb is both incredibly steep and technical. The climb then puts you on the ridge to Dug Gap Mountain, and from this point until the fireroad in about 7 miles, the trail is a constant rock garden and it is ridiculously technical and tough, especially at the end of a race. Snake Creek definitely deserves a spot on the list.
^^^^^ + 1 😄
Have not rode it in a year or two, but yes, that is rough but a blast on the DH runs. I have family up that way and when I visit them I ride those trails around Dalton.
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"Yeah, the thing about Palmer Park, like many of the trails mentioned, is there are very technical sections but I wouldn’t go so far as to say the whole ride is technical. I guess that’s the hard part of trying to define which trails are the most technical – maybe it should be based on a measure of gnar per mile or something like that."
Which is why I specifically called out Templeton Trail in Palmer–4 miles of unrelenting brutality.
I echo the thoughts above on Section 16–people get hurt there (or they walk a bit). But the real tech part is only about a mile. Nearby Williams Canyon will also force a dismount or two, but it’s so unknown, even locally, that I didn’t bother to include it. There’s also fun tech and annoying tech without any flow whatsoever–Palmer is mostly fun tech while Williams is mostly bothersome tech (although a pretty and unique piece of geography).
I found a new addition to the list this weekend. In the Arkansas Hills trail system above Salida (CO) is the very aptly named Uncle Nazty. I was really sorry I didn’t bring my armor. If you think you’ve got good skills for steep downhill techy bets, ya’ gotta hit this one. After a pretty hateful climb, the Pauli/Uncle Nazty/Prospector combo gives you about 2 miles of be-on-your-game or be-face-down-in-the-granite fun.
Although I haven’t been there yet, I hear the new Blackjack trail in the Buffalo Creek area will also give you the opportunity to test the size and composition of your cajones. The pics I’ve seen confirm this.
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Hall Ranch in Lyons, CO. is very rough, surprised nobody mentioned it. I do think Dakota Ridge is even more technical, but it’s more on the verge of needing a freeride bike with how rough it is.
http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/hall-ranch.htmlYou can always direct people to the downhill trails at Keystone 😀 Those are insane..
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Templeton Trail at Palmer is brutally nasty. Majority of the time something always goes wrong, its either a face-plant or in yesterdays case a slashed tire from a rock. I am tubeless so the sealant shot out like a geyser and what really sucked was that I was parked on the other side of the park 😠 . But you know what, I will keep going back for more!
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