-
Posts
-
-
I’m putting together an article about trails and places where bikes aren’t allowed – but that would be awesome to ride. Think Appalachian trail, Carlsbad Caverns, etc. Where are you jonesing to ride but figure it’ll never happen?
-
*ALL* of the Colorado Trail. (i.e. the "wilderness" parts)
-
"maddslacker" wrote
*ALL* of the Colorado Trail. (i.e. the "wilderness" parts)
I think parts of the Arizona Trail aren’t open to bikes either…
If I remember correctly there’s a 20ish mile section of the Arizona Trail Race (the long version) that goes through Grand Canyon National Park and bikes aren’t allowed. Racers must take the wheels off their bikes and carry everything for that section.
-
Parts of the AT would be hike a bike for a long time. I personally am not against not allowing bikes on the AT. However there are some wilderness areas that I would love to see opened to bikes. Specifically the Pemigewassett Wilderness in NH. ooohhh and National Parks!
-
The AT is definitely high on my list, but I’d also love to ride basically every trail in every national park and wilderness area! Specifically, I’d love to ride the Highline Trail in Glacier National Park, http://www.tripleblaze.com/3/2245/Hiking-Trails/Highline.html I’d love to get in the Bob Marshall wilderness on a bike, and Smoky Mountain National Park. Also, don’t forget the Benton MacKaye and John Muir trails!
-
Here in Ontario we have the Bruce Trail which spans a distance of 885 km not include the many side trails along the way. I have hiked a few portions of this trail and it’s absolutely beautiful. There are many sections of this trail that could not be biked due to the shear amount of rock, but IMO the trails that could be ridden are well worth the hike a bike that would be needed.
I don’t completely understand why bikes are not permitted, I know on the web site they talk about the danger factor, but the silly part is this trail runs along side some of the well know MTB trails in the area, Blue Mountain, Kelso and Rockcliffe-Waterdown just to name a few. I personally think if the Bruce Trail org. and the many local MTB clubs along the length of this trail system worked together it could be such a positive for the betterment of this trail, but what do I know? -
Rocky Mountain National Park would be high on the list if bikes were allowed. The trails above treeline would be so sweet. The great thing is, 6 miles along Shadow Mtn Lake in Grand Lake, CO may be open within a couple of years, pending environmental review.
Any of the wilderness areas in the West would be great to be able to ride.
-
The approach trail at Amicalola falls would be awesome. Also riding down kennesaw mountain would be sweet.
-
I’ve hiked a lot of the AT throughout VA, MD, PA, and parts in New England. I would think most of it would not be that fun to ride. A lot of miles would be pretty unrideable. There could definitely be some fun ridge rides and downhill stretches, though.
Acadia National Park would top my list. As mostly shuttled or hiked downhill, of course.
-
Agreed, biking the AT would be difficult, if not nearly impossible, in many places. Still, the idea of a 2,000+ mile singletrack trail in the eastern US is intriguing…
-
"trek7k" wrote
Agreed, biking the AT would be difficult, if not nearly impossible, in many places. Still, the idea of a 2,000+ mile singletrack trail in the eastern US is intriguing…
AT in my area is ideal singletrack. Rocky (but passable), dry, and with the best ridgetop views. It offers a lot of temptation for poaching (not by me). I don’t see that one ever being open.
Was at Glacier National Park on the Many Glacier Road a few years ago. There was a wonderful hiking trail we hiked that I was constantly fantasizing about riding it while we were hiking.
-
The PCT, Pacific Crest Trail, or as I have also heard it called the perfect cycling trail. Runs from Canada to Mexico.
-
Ditto the already provided list of epic trails that either all or partly prohibit bikes:
Continental Divide Trail
Colorado Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
Appalachian Trail
Arizona TrailAdd to that list:
Tahoe Rim Trail
Superior Hiking Trail (277 stunning miles along Lake Superior’s North Shore from Duluth to Canada)
Maah Daah Hey Trail, parts of which pass through both the North and South units of the Teddy roosevelt Naitonal Park. While the Buffalo Gap Trail provides a viable alternative around the South Unit, there’s no viable route around the North Unit due to private property. What’s so frustrating is that less than two miles of the trail pass through one small corner of the park. There’s 12 miles leading to it from the north trialhead and over 80 miles of available to the south but no through route.Other lamentable prohibitions:
Three outstanding routes (actually just three out of many, many more), that were recently closed as part of "Wilderness Study Areas." Not yet wilderness, mind you, but just study areas. A judge declared them off limits to bicycles so as to "preserve the wilderness character" of the area. Now the precedent has been set–all the FS has to do is declare an area for Wilderness Study and bikes can be locked out. These three gorgeous, epic routes are the Gallatin Crest, Tahepia Lake and Nicolia/Deadman Creek areas. Also in Montana is the "Jewel Basin Hiking Area" filled with class A singletrack in the most fantastic lake filled alpine scenery you could ever hope to see–off limits to bikes.Sedona, AZ–Margs Draw Trail. The Munds Mountain Wilderness reaches out and grabs just a couple miles of singletrack, preventing cyclists from being able to connect north and south Sedona’s great trails without braving Sedona’s famously overcrowded and shoulderless streets. In fact, the Wilderness areas arouns Sedona show what appears to be a deliberate attempt to render numerous loops impossible for bikes (i.e. no route around Courthouse Butte due to just a small neck of wilderness protruding out to the bute, which is completely overrun with tourists anyway.)
Here’s jsut a tiny sliver of the great trails in Colorado shut down to us by Wilderness designation:
Colorado–Buchanan Pass. Start off with four and a half miles of challenging, boulder-strewn singletrack gradually climbing from Peaceful Valley then–you guessed it–a Wilderness boundary turns you around just as you reach the high alpine meadows and well before you star the ascent to the actual pass.Rich Creek Trail–awesome loop near Fairplay largely contained within the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness.
Brookside-McCurdy, Goose Creek and Wigwam trails–largely contained in the Lost Creek Wilderness.
Frisco’s Meadow Peak Trail, constrained by the Eagle’s Nest Wilderness.
Aspen’s Midway and Woody Creek trails (Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness).
Could you imagine being able to ride in the most remote and beautiful Wilderness areas — The Bob Marshall in Montana and the Wind River in Wyoming?!?! I salivate just thinking about it.
-
"skibum" wrote
Also in Montana is the "Jewel Basin Hiking Area" filled with class A singletrack in the most fantastic lake filled alpine scenery you could ever hope to see–off limits to bikes.
Good call on Jewel Basin. I was thinking about adding that, too–I’ve done a lot of hiking up there, and the views are gorgeous and the trail is (on the whole) impecable! There are even a couple of bike-legal trails leading right up to the boundary that are great riding… it would be amazing to combine them with trails inside the basin!
"skibum" wroteCould you imagine being able to ride in the most remote and beautiful Wilderness areas — The Bob Marshall in Montana and the Wind River in Wyoming?!?! I salivate just thinking about it.
If somehow the ignorant prohibition of mountain bikes in wilderness areas was overturned, these would be two of my first destinations!
-
"tarvisg" wrote
The PCT, Pacific Crest Trail, or as I have also heard it called the perfect cycling trail. Runs from Canada to Mexico.
Too funny. 😃
Have heard the AT called the "Alternative Trail" 😏 -
how about the white house lawn or tahoe rim trail, all the way around.
-
[quote="jrobertharms"]how about the white house lawn
Unless you are a member of the secret service, I would not recommend poaching that one 😆
-
Too bad "W" never installed a pump track or at least a short XC loop while he was there. 😀
-
he did all that down at the CrawfordRanch. 😃
-
Search the Pacific Crest Trail and see what they say about mountain bikes, you won’t like it.
I’d like to ride on the Gauliuro Mountains here in Arizona, East and West Divide trails. All wilderness and very low usage. Very big views of valleys and ranges in the to area.What is open to bikes are many trails in Canadian national parks! For a taste read Backcountry Biking in the Canadian Rockies, excellent trail guide.
-
"trek7k" wrote
Too bad "W" never installed a pump track or at least a short XC loop while he was there. 😀
So where did "W" ride when he was in DC? There’s right many trails in NOVA/ MD area, but I don’t ever remember seeing any pics of the prez riding them.
-
Found this from a USA Today article:
Bush traded in his running shoes for mountain bikes about three years ago after pain in his knees kept him from jogging. At 60, he is a devoted mountain bike rider, regularly leaving the White House for rides on Saturday mornings or after church on Sundays.Most of his cycling is at Beltsville, but he also bikes occasionally at the Marine base at Quantico, Va., Camp David at Catoctin Mountain Park and at his ranch at Crawford, Texas. He also sneaks in rides during presidential trips.
As he delivered his statement on exercise, Bush gave a rare glimpse of the wooded area in which he cycles. He typically rides his bike out of the media’s view.
So it sounds like a lot of his riding was done on private trails which isn’t too surprising.
-
would like to check out the presidetial singletrack
-
sorry, presidential
-
"jrobertharms" wrote
sorry, presidential
Settle for the Falcon Trail on Air Force Academy grounds if I get back to Colorado Springs.
-
"abegold" wrote
Settle for the Falcon Trail on Air Force Academy grounds if I get back to Colorado Springs.
According to the website it’s open again:
http://www.usafa.af.mil/information/vis … center.asp
The Falcon hiking trail is open to the general public during normal visiting hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily with access available at the "B-52 Loop." Active-duty and retired military personnel and their families may use the trails from 5 a.m. to sundown. Parking for the Santa Fe Trail is available next to the North Gate.
One of my riding buddies has a daughter who is a cadet, so I will verify that.
-
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.