When GORP set out to uncover emerging mountain biking hot spots in our "Meccas Beyond Moab" series, we knew we risked treading on hallowed ground. Mountain bikers can be a very cagey lot, obstinately protecting "their" trails from the onslaught of the masses. "British Columbia is flat. There are no mountains here!" one GORP reader assures us. Which only begs the question: what's he hiding?
But if the articles created some enemies, it also gained us a loyal following: "Meccas Beyond Moab" quickly became one of GORP's most popular biking features, spawning the companion piece "Meccas Beyond Moab II". Beyond the success of the article, many of our mountain-biking readers broke rank with their reticent brethren in GORP's Meccas Beyond Moab forum, sharing inside info on their favorite rides in our user-driven discussion arena for nearly a year.
What became clear is that a lot of fat-tire folks are eager to sing the praises of that trail, that park, that classic terrain that gets them back in the saddle again and again—everything from Rocky Mountain rapture in Alberta to unexpected off-road action in Philadelphia to a downhill shot straight to the Red Sea. Rather than let all these great suggestions simmer quietly, we decided to highlight the best reader suggestions from GORP's Meccas Beyond Moab forum.
Sawtooth National Forest—Ketchum, Idaho
"Ketchum, Idaho! Oh yeah!" Michelle McTamaney is psyched about her favorite mountain biking spot in the Sawtooth National Forest. She reports great camping along the Big Wood River and recommends that no one miss the natural hot springs after a long day of riding."The best trail by far—and the most "zen"—is Fisher Creek," she says.
She's not alone in that opinion. "I'm with Michelle," Mr. Marmot says. "The Fisher Creek trail is my favorite. The smoothest, fastest single-track ever."
Virginia Creeper Trail
The Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail is a multiple-use rails-to-trails conversion through Virginia's Appalachian highlands, and, according to Wayne, it's
"simply the best ride in the East!" As the trail travels along the White Top Laurel Creek in the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, you're keeping company with deer, beavers, and bears, not to mention through-hikers on the nearby Appalachian Trail (sorry, no bikes allowed on the AT). "The White Top to Damascus section is a mostly downhill, 18-mile, easy ride," Wayne says. But, he adds, "getting UP to Whitetop is a rather tough uphill ride with some fairly steep grades." If that doesn't sound like your idea of a fun weekend, there are shuttles available in the nearby town of Damascus—"shuttle to the top at 3500 feet, then enjoy a leisurely ride down."
• More on the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail.
Myakka River State Park—Sarasota, Florida
"Try Myakka State Park for a little flat-land biking," says Lee, citing "miles of gorgeous scenery" and varied wildlife as the major attractions at Florida's largest state park. Along with rideable nature trails through wetlands and a rare dry prairie ecosystem, there are also "plenty of service roads and adjacent country roads for roadies or for an easy ride at the end of the day." You might see wild turkeys, ibis, and deer somewhere along the Myakka River, and an array of waterfowl calls the park's floodplain marshes home. "If you think it's too easy a ride," Lee says, "try some of the sandier areas." There are numerous camping options at the park, including log cabins built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
White Mountain Trail System—Pinetop, Arizona
"The White Mountain trail system in the Pinetop, Arizona, area has about 70 miles of challenging trails," says off-roader Michael Strohm, "but for the best riding, look at the
White Mountain [Fort] Apache Reservation." Here, he says, you'll find "literally hundreds of miles of old dirt roads that cover everything from desert to 10,000-foot alpine forests. No trails marked, but get a good tribal forestry or BIA map of old logging roads and you're set for pure bliss!" Another thing the White Mountain region has going for it, Michael says, is that it's virtually unknown (at least until now). "You will not see anyone else," he says, "except me. Money back guarantee."
• More on the White Mountain Trail System in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.
Kananaskis, Alberta
"Having moved from California to the Great White North," Robert reports, "I've discovered a huge expanse of trails that beg for attention. Just west of Calgary, Alberta, is Kananaskis Country—a wilderness area with over 1000 miles of mountain biking trails." Most trails, Robert says, "are true single-track, ranging from gentle family trails to demanding technical trails that will challenge and eat the best. [I] have done
many rides (including multi-days) [here], [and] I think I could spend the rest of my life here just exploring. The best things are no crowds (especially compared to SoCal) and no land access problems. The biggest worry is running into the wildlife!"
• More on mountain biking in Alberta.
from Away.com
