Jul
31
2009

Great Places to Ride Your Bike in Alabama

Much of the biking in Alabama involves rocky hills, steep mountains, and thick forests. This can make for some challenging riding, but equally thrilling. Theres a little bit of everything here, so you should be able to find the perfect trail to match your skill level. Here are some of the best bike trails Alabama has to offer!

Mobile has the South Alabama Trails which are perfect for all skill levels. You can pick up speed on one of the many rolling hils or check out the technical switchbacks, whichever better suits your skills. The trail is over fifteen miles with a smaller seven mile connected. It is very well maintained and popular with the locals so it can get pretty crowded in the summertime months.

Oak Mountain State Park has some of the very best riding in the state of Alabama. Theres something here for everyone. Its located near Birmingham and does require a small admission fee. There are lots of trails ranging from tight and technical to roller coaster downhill sections in the parks 20 miles of track. Advanced riders will want to look for Blood Rock. This is the most technical part of the track.

The Swayback Bridge Trail near Wetumpka is approximately a 12 mile loop. It gets steep at times, but is quite a fun ride. There are lots of roots and rocks to keep you on your toes. The best time to ride is later in the morning, so that other bikers will have already cleared out all the spiders and spider webs that are strung across the trails! Have your camera handy for some great views of Lake Jordan.

Near Cullman is the Hurricane Creek Park which is only eight miles of trails but they are all technical and steep. Bring your full suspension bike for these bumpy advanced trails. The deep canyon provides a lot of freestyle opportunities and will be worn out after a day in Hurricane Creek. If you need a break during the day the landscape scenery is enough to rejuvenate anyone, just bring lots of water.

Huntsville, Alabama has the Montesano State Park. This state park is over thirty miles of bumpy, twisting trails. The trail follows the mountain so some are pretty dangerous with big drops. If a trail isn’t designated for bikes, that do not go on it. These trails should all be pretty well marked. There are trails for easy family riding too but most trails expect you to have some experience.

The Colonial Hills ORV is also near Huntsville and is for the extremely skilled biker. It is well-loved by dirt bikes especially. There are several long climbs in the 15 miles of track, but you are then rewarded with the most incredible descents youve ever experienced! Keep a watch out for the stumps at the bottom though. There are also some rocky, technical sections as well.

These are a few of my favorite trails in Alabama. Thanks to the mild winters of the American south, you can pretty much ride these trails all year long. The summer will be a little more crowded, humid and buggy so I recommend the fall for conquering Alabamas trails. Remember the water and to have a good time.

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Written by PJ Walker in: cycling | Tags: , , ,

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