Taconic-hereford

I love these trails. They provide a great mix of terain for all skill levels. I definatly recommed ant hill for beginers and byk head foe more expereanced riders. Definaly ride byk head in the fall for the most rewarding view.

This is my local trail and where I learned--and continue to learn--to ride mountain bikes. This is my second season, and I'd consider myself a beginner-intermediate rider. I just started riding mountain bikes last summer and have only been to a few different places to ride, but I rode BMX as a kid and have been riding dirt bikes and other motorcycles since before I remember.

That said, I find 909 to be a great set of trails. It's a large park for the area with quite a few more trails than I am currently in shape to do in a day. As others mentioned, you won't get lost here thanks to the fire road that runs through the center of the park. But there are a ton of trails--and after two summers, I'm still finding new ones.

I usually start my rides out on Mercury and Mustang, both of which feature some great technical turns and fast but comfortable downhill straights. Tango is my favorite trail, with a long, fast downhill section and some excellent technical features. Byk Hed is fantastic and long, with a medium climb up from the Taconic Parkway entrance and a ton of technical riding and some nice, fast sections. Fong's Way is a hefty climb that's definitely worth the effort. It's the most technical trail that I've ridden at 909 and one of the most rewarding. There are also a few trails that feature drops and very steep downhill sections that are simply outside my current skillset. As such, I haven't ridden them much and can't offer any details--but I look forward to the day I'll consider them fun instead of terrifying.

For me, the downsides to 909 are too many steep climbs--I don't mind some but you really have to climb here to have a good time. (But the payoff is in long trails with solid fast sections.) The fire road is great for getting to other trailheads quickly (and getting back to your car when your legs are shot), but there are sometimes cars and the occasional dirt bike that drive too quickly without enough caution. You also have to watch out for hikers and dogs at this park. (Mine among them.) But they are relatively few and far between. Lastly, as others mentioned, the trails aren't very well marked, so even if you don't get lost, you might have trouble planning an exact trail run without some prior experience on the trails.

All said, this is an excellent park and one that's worth making a trip to. The trails are well maintained and the people who ride here regularly are all friendly in the parking lot and courteous on the trails. And even if you show up and the parking lot and the sides of the roads are full of cars, once you're on the trails, you may not see another soul.

Wide range of trails to suit all levels of experience. Fire roads and double track to tight, techy steep winding singletrack. Trails are not very well marked but the fire road runs through the middle of property so orienting ones location isn't overly difficult. As was mentioned by a previous reviewer the "stick blockings" are not malicious. They are placed to prevent alternate lines and trail entrances. Trails are built to be ridden a specific way, and unofficial routes are typically blocked by many of the original trail builders. There are no ladder bridges, skinnies berms or trail features besides natural ones, however there are plenty of trails with challenging features and punchy quick technical climbs.

I highly recommend this trail. Lots of trails very fun to ride easy to get to. Its easy and very technical. Be on the look out for bears. Its well marked.

Good trails, many require advanced skills or at least a lot of experience. There are a greater number of trails that require less abilities though than there are trails requiring more.

Taconic-Hereford 909 is definitely one of the best and most popular trail systems in the area. I mostly ride here or Stewart, depending on what type of ride I'm in the mood for. 909 has a lot of small & medium-sized climbs and downhills. Your legs definitely get a workout here. 909 is pretty technical in a lot of spots. A beginner can definitely ride many of the trails here (I started here as a novice too) but there are also a lot of sections that will be a real challenge to intermediate and advance riders as well. A lot of rocks, roots, stream-beds, loose-rock climbs, a couple decent technical downhills, and the occasional drop or jump. The area is pretty big and there are countless miles of trails to ride, and it's not too bad as far as getting lost- the main fire road runs from one end of the park to the other so you can find your way back without too much issue. Parking lots are big and can seem crowded when you arrive, but once you get out onto the trail, there's no traffic at all. Just to contrast, Stewart State Forest, which as I mentioned is my alternate riding spot, is less technical and has less elevation changes i.e. few climbs or downhills. But you'll have more of a fast and smooth ride then at 909 and you'll cover more miles.

Plenty of stuff to ride. There are a couple decent climbs but that means there are some nice downhills.

Ever go rock scrambling? Course you have. Can be pretty challenging but you'll be fine if you just focus & keep yr balance, especially in the slippery jagged rock sections.

Now come here and try it on your mtn bike.

There are some trails here that are just straight singletrack with no obstacles, a la Stewart Airport. And there are some with short sharp climbs over rocks that are testing

great trails, much more than 15 miles. thing more like 30 miles. fire roads and singletrack. some new singletracks add last summer. rocks, roots, stones. classic northeast trails