This park was the first indian land grant in the country and has been a local secret for some time, so bikers please be respectful (PLEASE READ THE SIGN NEAR PARKING AREA). It's a twp. park composed partly of private property with an agreement from land owners so our respect of the land and locals is necessary for biking to continue here... it's not specifically banned, but may be frowned upon by trotting locals who walk their dogs here (lots of these), or snooty locals with horses. The park is surrounded by private horse farms.
The trials are moderate difficulty overall with a mixture of grass, dirt, gravel, roots, and up-down sections through fields, scrub forest, and old growth forest. Lots of variety & wild life. You get the best distance and variety by taking the outer most trails that link together in a loop that can be biked non stop in 40-70 min depending on your level of fitness and pace. The steepness of most of the hills can surprise you and requires good endurance to tackle without rest. There is a network of other trails throughout the park if you're pressed for time or want something different. Just exploring the park can be fun. The heavily wooded sections are sometimes plagued by fallen trees which the township doesn't seem to care to move so that sometimes breaks the flow of a beautiful section. First and foremost this is a nature preserve so read the signs and be mindful.
As requested by the original poster, I read the sign at the entrance and, while the sign is very poorly worded, my take on it is that bikes are not welcome.
I took a shot and went for a short ride anyway. Not much single track. About 15 feet of technical difficulty (a wet rock outcropping).
It is a beautiful and historic park. It is a nice ride. But it's not what most of my hardcore MTB friends will be looking for. Since it's only 5 miles from my house, I'll add it to my list of places to check out when I don't have time to run down to Fairhill or Middle Run.
Thank |