Big Bear Lake Trail Center

We came down from Canada looking for three things: great people, awesome local craft beer, and amazing tactical singletrack in the deep for us with a very natural feel and lots of big rocks. We found all three things here. If you go, try to find Jeff who works there. He will show you the goods. Riding the trails over these big Griffey STAN stone rocks I felt like a character in a video game. Super Duper fun, definitely coming back

If you do not like rocks and rock gardens, this trail system is not for you. Wish I had more time but got rained out, there are several trails to explore here. This was our first time ever riding at Big Bear and I want to get back to ride the ones we didn't get to.
Out first day we did an evening ride on Beaver Creek. (purple arrows-most difficult)It has a severe drop towards the beginning that drops you down into some wet areas and some rocky trails. A bit overgrown and a bit tight but you can see where to go. If you are familiar with these trails, then this is less of a problem. We came put to the dam and played on the jump trails a bit before it got too dark.
We set out and rode the race loop (yellow arrows-intermediate to difficult). The race loop is a lot of fun, amazingly flowy for what these trail builders have to work with. A nice fork will make this trail less jarring but it is still really fun. The climbs are not bad, not long, one nice gradual climb towards end of loop but ridable. Most of the race loop has is fairly wide, rocks everywhere, and ferns... The ferns were unexpected as I usually think of a beach with them but they made it look "other worldly" at times. Really cool looking trail. Lots of wild life, deer and turkeys. We did not encounter bear but I heard they are around. We rode the Pine Spur loop as well (orange arrow-difficult). There is a lookout with breathtaking mountains view. Then you ride through this pine forest, absolutley beautiful. Really cool, the longest downhill on the raceloop towards the end and eventually we took the black arrows, and went towards the dam to end.

The trails here are truly unique for the East Coast. There were portions of trail on Voo Doo rocks that had a Pacific Northwest vibe with all the ferns, moss and loam. This is also a great place to challenge yourself and develop your skills. There is some truly technical terrain here that will force you to work on your balance, pedal stroke and line choice. This system is pretty close to 5 stars for me, reserved for only the most epic, world class trail networks.

Outstanding trail system and plenty to keep advanced riders entertained: features, drops, rock gardens. Couple notes

Some trails are really downhill only, such as Little Cannan which should be NOT be ridden from the general store as the start point.

A good way to go is to hit the jump trail to voodo rocks and then the crack trails. Hopefully the red arrows are still up these are helpful to follow. From there you can either...

1. go to the yellow trail North back to the black trail and then hit the jump section. (Good for 1.5 -2hrs)

2. Or for a more epic 3=4hr ride once you finish crack head counterclock wise on the yellow race trail until you get to the air strip. Once there, take the fern trail/ Gene's trail to "the mother of crack" purple down hill. Fun. Cross fire road. Continue on the mother of crack uphill (there is a gatorade bottle marking it) beware, there is a false trail a very short way in right after a small rock garden leading to an armored stream crossing but nothing thereafter. Instead, the trail bends sharply and heads uphill for a long time and onto a fire climb before heading on more solid singletrack.

When you get back up to the airstrip, ride over the fun bridge and then look for the yellow trail DH at the edge of the airstrip field. Take that to little cannan which is a very steep and Narrow DH, though there is a sharp climb back out to the general store.

If you click on "get directions" be careful that it doesn't take you way out and around. The easiest way to get there is Interstate 68. Once you exit its less than 5 minutes away.
$5.00 needed to get on the trails. You will be given a nice trail map so you know where to go.
Tons of well marked trails.
Lots of parking and theres also camping if you want to make a weekend out of it.
Tons to do there. Make it a priority to ride Big Bear.

I rode the Jump trail, Voodoo, and the Crack trail, and I ought to preface this review by mentioning that it was about 95 degrees and humid when I rode, and the last thing I ate before riding was a gigantic bean burrito that had sat in the car overnight.

Second of all, it is good to note that the lake in the middle of this area is supported by a fairly large dam, which means it is not actually the low point of the network. just by looking at the map I assumed that sections that go towards the lake are downhill, and away is uphill. This is frequently not the case.

For example, the first trail I rode was the Jump trail, which I expected to be a fun, fast downhill with several jumps on it. In reality, it has one rock-drop at the entrance and soon turns into a technical climbing trail UP to the lake. A fun, well made trail, but not what I was expecting.

Voodoo trail was great, with challenging technical climbs and descents, really cool rock features, and terrific dirt. I felt appropriately challenged and was occasionally rewarded with fast flowy sections.

When I did the Crack trail I was almost out of water at the start, which was an issue in the heat, but I still swear it managed to be uphill both ways. Whoever said that most climbs here are short and punchy must have forgotten the 2 mile grind up a fire road with no shade to get out of the Crack trail. Every time I got to the top of a hill I'd go around a corner and keep going up until I found myself back at the start! Many of the descents were just straight and fast, speeding you over chattery rocks and delivering you efficiently to the next climbing section so your displeasure could continue unimpeded by any kind of excitement. Despite this, there was one very fun downhill section which definitely made up for my frustration. I won't ruin the surprise but its called the Crack trail for good reason, as you will find out when riding this fun and unique section.

I did not have very much fun overall while riding here, but I can't blame the trails for that entirely. They are beautiful trails with plenty of interesting and challenging features, and I bet I would have had a blast in cooler weather. If I have the chance to come back, I'd probably take the shortcut out of Crack and try out some of the other trails I missed.

Miles of singletrack that can't be beat. Lots of roots and rocks. Rode 10 miles here and enjoyed it. A recent rain shower left it pretty muddy and slick.

If you like rock gardens, this place is for you. Trails difficulty is accurately rated, however trail entrances are not. Rangers at the gate and employees at the country store are less than helpful about trailhead location, which are not clearly marked. Maps are conveniently placed at some trail intersections with "you are here" markings and are given out upon arrival and highly recommended. This place will test your suspension and handling skills. Hills are mostly short, steep and very slippery when wet. My one complaint was that downhills that could be fast and fun required caution as just around the corner was a pile of rocks. Others were simply rocks for the entire length, making for a "just hang on" descent !Piles of fun! (ha ha). I will be going back!!!

Awesome trails! There is plenty of variety here---something for everyone. Lots of techy spots and large boulders, with flowy stuff in between. I can't wait to head back in August for the Big Bear Ultra race!

Wow this trail system kicked my rear end. Just moved to WV from Maryland and I'm typically used to fast flowy singletrack like Seneca Ridge, Shaffer Farm and Fountainhead. This place even makes Patapsco look like child's play. Lots of rocks, roots and mud, although we just had 3 weeks of rain, so that's what I'll chalk the mud up to. Even though I'm used to the fast flowy stuff, I had a great time here.....once I adjusted my rebound for all the rocks. This place is what mountain biking is all about. Tons of trails and after over 2 hours of riding I felt like I barely tapped into what this place has to offer. For West Virginia the climbs weren't too brutal, I was expecting worse. This place is about an hour away but I'd definitely make the trek again.

Simply the greatest place ive ever ridden. I love it here. Great maintenance. Any type of terrain you want. Super flowy, gnarly, drops, downhills, climbs, flat singletrack for what seems like miles of each. I honestly havent found a better place to ride, and cant wait to make it back out.

I'm the Recreation Land Manager for the Big Bear Lake Trail Center, so I am biased but this is a 5 star riding area all day long. I maintain the trails and make sure riders know where to go to find their perfect ride. We are new to Singletracks.com but aim to update our trail info and continue to contribute to this really great resource for finding places to shred. We now have close to 50 miles of trails, mostly all sweet WV singletrack. Many miles of new hand made feature trail have been built that really compliment the existing trail network. Attending one of our events throughout the year is a really great way to check out the trails. Look us up at www.bigbearwv.com (trail events tab) or Big Bear Lake Trail Center - WV on FB.

This is some sweet, but challenging singletrack. I have only ridden there once. I did a race there some time back but just now getting around to writing a review. I feel I would have enjoyed this trail even more if I wasn't racing that day. All the other people and the lung buster start was rough. I would like to make it back there some day. Not very close to my home. Once you finally make it to the top of the mountain there is some awesome singletrack in a pine grove that ends with a great view.

Very fun! Amazing scenery! Lots of up and down. Only about 500ft elevation, so it's not too brutal

Awesome trails! We rode about 18 miles here and had a total blast! The trails are technical and some sections are challenging. Some great features along the way that some riders may chose to walk over instead pif ride, but they are all rideable with the proper skills and confidence;)
The foliage in the summer time is magnificent too. We are heading back up this weekend for another round. It is definitely good to have a guide show you around the park. there are so many trails and knowing which ones link up and the best direction to travel is key. You can easily ride all day and note get bored!

Singletrack heaven. Bury me and my salsa el mariachi here.

These are amazing trails. Very emwell maintained. My brother and I spent three days riding this summer and it was different each time. There is a lot to keep you on your toes. The climb up the mountain to the Pine section is brutal no matter which way you go. But once you are there, there are so many different ways down. My favorite was a new unmarked trail that was marked with orange tape. The ground was loose dirt and pine needles, so you had to keep moving, or you'd wipe out. Then came the great rock slides. An epic trip. I've only been riding 4 months or so, and these trails really taught me how to step up my technique and ability.

trails are great single track with alot of variety climbing and decending. Some very technical stuff and some very fast stuff. I love the place.

Rode here back in 9/09 and 9/10. On both rides we rode mostly on the race course. Didn't find it overly technical, but you can find rock gardens to keep you challenged. Great ride to just get out and rack up miles. LOVE the pine tree grove, so much fun. As you would expect, you do get in some grinding climbs. Makes for a beautiful epic ride.

Hey just to let everyone know that Big Bear is closed to mountain biking from October through December. Usually reopens in January.