All the trails are excellent and utilized by all three user groups. On any day, you may see one user group all three or none. Solitude at its finest.
Trail systems are maintained by USFS and the local IMBA affiliated club SCGMBA (Sundance Chain Gang Mtn Bike Association) also a nonprofit. A killer selection of trails would be the one used for the Bearlodge Mtn Classic.
The majority of these trails are fantastic. If there not fantastic, they are among other things different. The trails in the Bearlodge National Forest vary from scrub sage to aspen meadows with pine and oaks interspersed, all trails have great views. During certain times of the year, the trails are different, depending on moisture, growth and weather. We have limited usage by trail users; however you will often find equestrians on the Sundance Trail head side. Hikers are few and far between if those present usually are in the Carson Draw trail system. If this was a stacked loop system of trails we will venture to say that Carson Draw trails are easy trails mostly two track road and cross-country trials with a wide path, great for a group ride or talking with your friends. More difficult trails include the Edge, Ogden Creek, and Tent Canyon Ridge trail in the mix. The more advanced or very difficult trials are Sheepnose, South Fork, Ogden Ridge, and Tent Canyon trail. This is attributed to route finding, descent, narrowness, and exposures.
So to say the farther from town you get the more difficult the system gets. We have our favorites, and therefore we use them for the Bearlodge Mtn Classic. We volunteer our time to maintain what we have, and we would like to eliminate some junctions that crosses Forest Service roads. Nothing like all singletrack... Though given there is very little fire road... Sandpit and part of Ogden Creek is road... Again very limited roads... There are many deer and cattle trails, and you must be vigilant, to know where you’re going, this is a great trail system and we enjoy riding with groups and solo. It is definitely worth your while to come ride...
Great views, lot's of riding to be had. Tough ascents, but overall not too technical based on my experience. We rode it in the race direction and there was one super long HARD sustained ascent because of loose rocks, which will cause a little bit of hike-a-bike. Bumpy rocks you can roll right over but I really enjoyed my shocks! We had a map and advice from past racers or else we may have not been able to make the loop as others said the signage is lacking.
| ThankGreat trail, just needs to be signed better. Also the trail maps are terrible. The trail has a little bit of everything, fast and flowy, tight swithbacks, technical decents, incredible views, and, thigh burning uphill.
| ThankThe trails as you described where for the part, as you described, unfortunately your remaining for the most part on the west side of the Highway, you limited yourselves away from singletrack. Easy trails that by standards we judged as below meet the qualifications by IMBA.
We wish we would have not been so busy attending to race course prep that week that you were here, we would loved to show you a single track variety of fun vs work..It is all about location. Dugout Gulch would have been fantastic for your needs.
This system is not like Fruita, Moab, or Curt Gowdy, It is special in it's own right, and with all systems we enjoy, be it, the Storm Mountain, M Hill, Porcupine Rim, St. Mary's, Trail 89 in SD, the Rails to Trails they each have the special things that some may dislike and others enjoy.
As for recreation, this system is utilized by many groups, riders, etc.. We have children climbing these hills, and descending these trails. I would not put out a blanket statement to ignore these trails. Your limited scope of what you rode vs what was out there seems unfair. Note: the grade eval..goes 6ft wide or bigger with small incline..and no obstructions to single track width 1ft with obstacles 15 inches tall.
If we graded exertion levels on trails...We would all be in trouble on any trail because our perceived exertion is totally personal, to fitness, ability, and type of gear used. We are sorry for your difficulty, we wish you would come again, and let us know what your bringing to assist in the better route, trail, and maybe location..
| ThankThese trails are ideal for the described solitude of the user that presented them. They may not be all ever flowing Fruita trails, nor the Rails to Trails in SD. However depending fitness level, skill level, and attitude, they can be devastating to an ego, or exhilaration in the adrenaline dump.
they were difficult some areas, adn i walked a few sections due my infamilairity with the trails I chose. But that gives me a reason to come back..I liked not hearing another soul, a quad or for the most part another human.
I enjoyed most of the trail, Reuter was fun up and down and Upper Ogden was to short. We did the R.O.B.R. system on MTB project map..Pretty cool.
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