Mountain Bike Trails, West Branch State Park, Ohio

West Branch State Park is situated around Michael Kirwan Reservoir in northeast Ohio, between Warren and Ravenna.  The park has facilities for boating, as well as camping, hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

West Branch State Park information

The mountain bike trails are laid out on either side of an abandoned stretch of Cable Line Road, with the easier 'lakeside trails' on the north, and the more difficult 'gorgeside trails' on the south.  A third area, located off of Porter Road, has the 2.5 mile long Quarry Trail, which is another more difficult trail.

Looking down the abandoned section of Cable Line Road.

Lakeside Trails.

Lakeside Trails.

Lakeside Trails.

 

  

Lakeside Trails.

Trail ending on Cable Line Road.

Snake on the trail.

Lakeside Trails.

Lakeside Trails.

Some typical Lakeside roots.

2x4 Root..

 

West Fork Trail, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia

The West Fork Trail is a rail trail in the Monongahela National Forest that runs between Glady and Durbin.  It's a fairly rough ride for a rail trail, and very remote, with challenging access at some points.

West Fork Trail info

The trail at the Wildell access.

Looking north from the Wildell access.

Map board at Wildell.

Not quite accurate sign post at Wildell.

If the sign is so old it has red cap soldier moss growing on it, you might question the info.

The directional sign heading south out of Wildell said the next access was 6 miles away, which would have been at May.  Unfortunately the bridge between the trail and the road at May is long gone.  Who knows how long that sign has been up, but it's not really accurate any longer.

Private drive at Wildell access.

A grassy section of trail.

With the Greenbriar River alongside.

Slightly better trail conditions here.

Crossing the Greenbriar River.

Grassy trail near May.

Sign post on FS road 44 at May.

If you're paying attention you may notice the grassy track leading 50 yards east from the Trail at May.  The bridge has been removed, but at normal (low) water levels it's a quick and easy trip to wade across the river with a bike.  There are roadside campsites near the crossing, so a base camp could be established here.

Spring Creek Horse Trails, Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania

There is a network of old roads and trail in the Spring Creek area of south eastern Allegheny National Forest.  The campground at Kelly Pines makes a great place to start - either at the gated road in the campground, or on the trail across the road from the entrance.  Note that Kelly Pines is a good place to camp as well.  It's an equestrian campground with two sites reserved for non-equestrian campers (which often go unused).

Kelly Pines Campground info

The trail system encompasses quite a few old roads, linking to the dead end FS 130, and others near Duhring.  There are also singletrack trails, including the one opposite the campground, which leads up the hill and to an amazing area of HUGE (building sized) boulders.

Gated entry road from Kelly Pines Campground.

One of the non-equestrian campsites at Kelly Pines.

Getting ready to ride.

Typical abandoned road heading east from Kelly Pines.

Intersection.

There are abandoned roads in the area that intersect with the designated trails, but are not part of the system - leaving room for additional exploration.  The photo above has the horse trail to the right (see the sign with the painted horse?) and a seldom used abandoned road dropping off to the left.

Watch for snakes.

Active oil well along the route.

Moraine State Park mountain bike trails, Pennsylvania

Moraine State Park is located about 5 miles east of New Castle, Pennsylvania.  The North Shore area features a paved bicycle path and dedicated mountain bike trails.  These mountain bike trails are some of the more technically challenging trails in western PA, with many difficult rock features.

Moraine State Park information

Map of the mountain bike trails at Moraine SP.