Mountwood Park

Trail Map

With Trail Descriptions

And Some Suggested Rides

 

Proudly Provided by

River Valley Mountain Bike Association

 

Listed by Trail Number

 

1.      Copperhead:  Length 1 mile.   Gently rolling trail with only a few technical sections.  Best access for Trip to the Moon Trail.  Begins as a gravel path across Volcano Rd. from the Marina and soon takes hard right into singletrack.   If you just want to do a 1.2 mile loop you can go either way at the first stream crossing.  If you want to add most of Copperhead to your ride stay left at this point.  At 2/10th mile Copperhead goes right, up the hill.  At 9/10th mile Trip to the Moon intersects.  To complete short loop go right, to continue on Trip to the Moon stay left. 

2.      Trip to the Moon: Length 2.5 miles.    A real singletrack showcase with technical sections and some great downhills.  Fun ridden in either direction.  Access from Copperhead Trail then continues for 1.4 miles to Quick Out then another 8/10th mile to Savanna to the Moon.   Trip to the Moon goes right here and then left in a 1/10th of a mile up a very steep rocky climb (better downhill) for another 3/10th mile.  Best route to the Moon is up Savanna for ½ mile and pick up Trip to the Moon to ride down that rocky downhill section to Apollo 13.

3.      Savanna to the Moon:  Length ½ mile.  Awesome singletrack climb to the Moon or and interesting downhill.  Has switchbacks and log crossings and a ride through a jungle like area.  Best access to the Moon.

4.      Apollo 13:  Length 7/10th mile.   Can’t quite make the final climb to the Moon?  This trail will bypass it.  Connects Trip to the Moon with Games Road close to Dark Side of the Moon.  Also provides access to Bail Out, a 2/10th mile long escape route down to Volcano Rd. 

5.      Dark Side of the Moon:  Length 1.3 miles.  Singletrack at is best.  This trail will take you from Games Road up a climb through a beautiful section of timber, and a steep climb to one of the higher points in the park, then dumps you into several flowing downhill sections and brings you out at the picnic shelter at Gary’s Grind.

6.      Gary’s Grind:  Length 1 mile.  A classic switch back (grinding) climb to White Oak Ridge Trail or awesome fun downhill if ridden in the opposite direction.  From the picnic shelter, cross the stream onto Gary’s Grind enjoy a gradual climb along the stream for 4/10th mile.  Gary’s Grind will go left into singletrack for the next 6/10th mile climb to White Oak Ridge Trail.

7.      White Oak Ridge:  Length 1.3 miles.  A fun and flowing mixture of singletrack and very old two track from the top of Gary’s Grind to the crossing on Volcano Road.  9/10th mile from Gary’s is the blacktop road leading to the horse camp.  (Hikers / Bikers mail bail here by following the blacktop road to Volcano Rd. and back to the parking area if needed.  The trail crosses this road and continues the remaining 4/10th mile to Volcano Road and Power Line Trail.

8.      Power Line:  Length 1.3 miles.  Great connector trail from Volcano Road to the intersection with Walter Taitt Trail at Four Corners which follows the power line (hence Power Line Trail).  From Volcano Rd. to the top of Haystack is ½ mile of great singletrack with some switch backs.  Stay left at Haystack up a short fairly steep climb and down the other side you will pass a connector trail to Haystack on your right.  Continue across the power line right of way up a steep sandy climb.  The trail goes into the woods for a couple hundred feet and goes right at the first intersection.  Hunter’s Roost continues straight.  After going right the trail takes you back into the right of way in about 400 feet.  A short distance into the right of way you will notice a trail on your right (connector to Log Jam / Collar Bone). Power Line goes up a steep climb here or you can take the two track fading off to the left in the right of way and follow it to the next tower.  Go left at that point and follow the trail down the ridge for another 3/10th mile to Four Corners.  Note; you will pass Mansion Trail in 2/10th mile on your left.

9.      Haystack:  Length 1.7 miles.   Tight and technical with some rocky sections.  An easy climb or a screamin’ downhill ride.  For mostly downhill, begin off Power Line not far from the power substation.  In 7/10th mile Log Jam will go left, Haystack stays right.  The next mile is awesome with a boardwalk, big bridge, rocks, jumps and flowing singletrack at its best.  You are near the end when you pass the old hay stacking machine.

10.  Log Jam:  Length ½ mile.  The section off the upper end of Haystack is fast flowing singletrack.  Then from the connector trail over to Power Line the trail gets a bit more technical with two larger log crossings, several smaller ones and a short very steep climb up to Collar Bone at intersection with Collar Bone Cutoff.

11.  Collar Bone:  Length 6/10th mile.  Great somewhat technical climb or screaming technical downhill.  Intersects with Haystack near Walter Taitt Trail and with Log Jam / Collar Bone Cutoff on the upper end. 

12.  Collar Bone Cutoff:  Length 2/10th mile.  Not extremely technical and best ridden downhill from Power Line to Collar Bone:  Good connector to create different loops with other trails.  Should be cleared soon.

13.  Hunter’s Roost:  Length ¼ mile.  This is sweet singletrack trail with some obstacles.  Gradual climb following the contour of the hill from Mansion Trail to Power Line Trail.  Fast and flowing when ridden in opposite direction.

14.  Mansion Trail:  Length 7/10th mile.  Begins on the left near the end of Walter Taitt Trail and connects just past Hunter’s Roost with Power Line.  From Taitt Trail you will pass connector to Caretaker Trail on your left in ½ mile.  This portion of Caretaker will take you back to Four Corner’s.  In another 1/10th mile Hunter’s Roost will fade off to the right over some big roots.  In another 1/10th mile intersects with Power Line.  Fun in either direction.

15.  Caretaker Trail:  Length 6/10th mile.  Begins at Four Corners and will take you to Mansion Trail in 2/10th mile.  About 100’ before Mansion, a section going from that point toward the Mansion Trail / Taitt Trail intersection has been closed for a while due to many fallen trees and undergrowth.  We will work hard to have it back open in the spring 2008. 

16.  Walter Taitt Trail:  Length 1.5 miles.  A gently rolling wide gravel trail providing access to several other trails and the Stiles Mansion ruins.  The first intersection on left off Taitt is Haystack / Collar Bone.  The next trail access is 7/10th mile out on the right (Prolog).  At 9/10th mile is Four Corners and the intersection of Caretaker, Power Line, Four Corners Trail and the east section of Warrior Ridge.  Mansion Trail will go left at the end of Taitt.  If you wish to bypass the ruins, go left on the connector to Mansion (marked with a sign).

17.  Prolog:  Length 3/10th mile.  Connects Taitt to Lake Trail.  Fun downhill section from Taitt Trail to Lake Trail; however is not a bad climb.  Can be used to make different loops.

18.  Four Corners Trail:  Length 4/10th mile.  Provides access to the lake and the wild side of the park.  From Four Corner’s it is an awesome, mostly downhill singletrack ride connecting to Lake Trail at the bottom.  Easily ridden in either direction but most often ridden from Lake Trail to Four Corner’s.

19.  Lake Trail:  Length 1.8 miles dirt.  Great access for the fisherman.  Not an easy ride for bikers in some spots and mostly used as a connector in other places.  Can be a 2.9 mile loop if you add the blacktop roads to completely circumnavigate the lake.

 

 

20.  Tecumseh:  Length 1.6 miles.  Sweet singletrack with a few technical features.  Begins near the beach house on Lake Trail takes you up on and out a fun ridge and then down and back to a point back on the Lake Trail near the primitive campsites.

21.  Medicine Man:  Length 1.6 miles.  A technical trail with some quite steep downhill sections.  Starts with a 4/10th mile climb off Lake Trail, then follows the ridge and in 8/10th mile begins downhill and comes back out on Lake Trail at the dam. 

22.  Warrior Ridge (West Section): Length 1.5 miles.  Not for the faint of heart or the inexperience rider.  Tough climbs and very steep downhill’s with a short but fun ride out a ridge.  Will bring you back out at the spillway at the dam.                                       Warrior Ridge (East Section): Length 1 ¼ miles.    Absolutely not recommended for inexperienced riders.  Great hike but not the best bike route at this time.  Mostly old two track and best if starting from Four Corners. Climbs on old two track to the top of a high peak.  Then it is a very steep downhill covered with tree limbs and briers at the time of this printing.   This section of Warrior Ridge is quite difficult and has not been cleared well. 

23.  Rat Snake:  Length 3/10th mile.   Connects Copperhead Trail to the blacktop road near the maintenance building.  Added to eliminate some road travel if riding around the lake to Tecumseh and Medicine Man.

24.  Little Gnarly:  Length 1 mile, if using the very steep downhill to Gary’s Grind.  Not recommended.  At this time this trail is a good connector from the public hunting area over to games road.  Mostly old two track with fun ups and downs around the ridge.  Comes out at the beginning of Dark Side of the Moon.

 

Our Favorite Rides

 

Indian Trails Loop:   9 ½ miles.   Take Copperhead Trail for about 2/10th mile where the trail turns hard right up the hill.  Go straight through onto Rat Snake Trail.  Follow Rat Snake across a gravel road and watch for it to turn down hill to the road.  Follow blacktop road around the lake past the torpedo to the beach house.  A short distance past the beach house go right on Tecumseh Trail.  At the end of Tecumseh go across the road, then across a bridge and then follow two track to the first entrance to Medicine Man.  Take Medicine Man till you come back out on Lake Trail at the dam.  Stay right and ride across the dam and spillway.  Continue to follow Lake Trail till you see Lake Trail go hard left into the woods by the lake.  Go straight at this point, which is Four Corners Trail.  Follow Four Corners Trail to the Gravel Path (Walter Taitt Trail) and go right and ride approx. ½ mile watching for trail sign “To Mansion Trail” on the left.  Follow Mansion Trail for about 6/10th mile and take Hunter’s Roost on the right.  Take Hunter’s Roost to Power Line.  Ride across the power line right of way down a sandy hill and then left at next intersection to Haystack.  Go left and follow Haystack till the next intersection at least 7/10th mile.  Where Haystack goes right, take the left up a short steep climb and then another right in about 2/10th mile, where connector to Power Line and Log Jam meet.  Stay right on Log Jam and ride over a few log crossings and then up a short very steep climb and go right immediately at the top onto Collar Bone.  This portion of Collar Bone is a great downhill.  When you reach Haystack Trail stay left and then right onto Walter Taitt Trail to the blacktop road.  Go right on the blacktop and back to the parking lot. 

 

 

East West Loop:  11 miles.   Begin at the Marina parking lot and follow Copperhead Trail for 9/10th mile then left on Trip to the Moon.  Follow Trip to the Moon to Savanna to the Moon.  Go left onto Savanna to the Moon.  As you ride across the Moon you will see the singletrack (back part of Trip to the Moon) go to the right and down hill. Follow this trail through an old clear cut area and as it enters the woods be careful.   CAUTION should be used in this section due to a steep rocky downhill and shortly after that rocky section there is about a four foot drop (easily ridden down on the right).   At the end of a fast flat the trail takes a very hard left toward. Follow till you come to Games Road (blacktop).  Go left on Games Rd., in 2/10th mile Dark Side of the Moon will go right.  In about 200 feet up Dark Side the trail will go hard right at the sign for Little Gnarly.  Stay right on Dark Side and follow it to the picnic shelter and Gary’s Grind.  Take Gary’s Grind all the way up “The Grind” to White Oak Ridge Trail (just fades in).  Ride White Oak Ridge Trail across one blacktop park road and on till it ends on Volcano Road.  Cross the road onto Power Line Trail and follow for at least ½ mile to Haystack.  Take Haystack Trail and stay on it till Walter Taitt Trail.  Then go right and back to parking lot.  This loop can be added to the first loop to create a 21 mile loop.

 

Hikers/Bikers can shorten any loop by taking the closest trail to the main road and taking it back to the parking area. 

 

 

Good Beginner Loop:   5 Miles.

This loop is great for introducing beginners to true singletrack with some obstacles, log crossings, stream crossings, and smooth flowing singletrack with enough technical stuff to assist in the learning process.   From the Marina parking lot, ride up Volcano Road away from the lake to the first blacktop road (Games Road) on the left. Go around the gate and up the hill for 3/10th mile to Apollo 13 on your left (watch for sign). Take Apollo 13 and at the first intersection, in a sharp right hand turn, stay right.  (If you find the need you can Bail Out on the same).  Ride up a short flat and up over a rock ledge using the trail on the left side.  Approximately 100 feet after that rock ledge, take the trail on the left.  Do Not Keep going up the real rocky section unless you want to push it for a while.  After taking the left you will come to a narrow bridge (Use Caution).  Go across the bridge and take the trail to the left.  There are two short boardwalks, a rocky section on this portion of trail and a nice stream crossing. At the next intersection, stay right toward Copperhead. (If you need to bail, go straight on Quick Out).  After topping the ridge you will travel down through a series of switchbacks to the intersection with Copperhead.  At that intersection stay hard right up a climb. (If you have to bail, go left here).  However, it’s worth the climb for the best part of the ride, down Copperhead.  After a smooth fast downhill section be aware of the very sharp left turn at Rat Snake intersection and then finish the ride out across a couple stream crossings.