7 Springs Mountain Bike Trails

Map of the Subaru 24-Hour Champion Challenge Race Loop. This loop is about 12 miles in length. Other trails and mountain biking opportunities exist in the area including the 7 Springs lift serviced downhill mountain bike park.

North Park 18 Mile Outer Loop

Figuring out the mountain bike trails at North Park can be a little daunting. There's a lot of single track out there but good bit of it is spider webbed. It's hard to tell if you are on the main route or just another spur. The recent marking (blazing) of some of the trails in the park have done a lot to make navigating them easier and if you know how to piece it together, it's easy to make one giant 18+ mile loop of single track around the park. You can ride this loop and at most only travel less than half mile a mile of road to piece it all together. (If you are really clever you can piece this together with barely any road all but I want to try and make the route as simple as possible).

It's going to take a lot of effort to explain this loop in the detail that I'd like, so for now I'm giving an overview and with a little investigation this should be enough to go on if you want to give it a go. The route is roughly outlined on this map:




North Park Outer Loop Map


1. Start at the intersection of Kummer and Lake Shore Drive just off of Ingomar Road. There is some parking along Lake Shore right beside this intersection.

2. Head up the grade on Kummer and find the horse trail that parallels the left side of Kummer. Take this climb up to the golf course.

3. Cross Kummer and find the orange trail that goes right along the edge of the golf course and enters into the woods.

Take the orange trail counter clockwise half way around the golf course.

4. Before the church cross Walter Road and get on the green loop passing Flag Staff pavilion and the park administration building.

5. Cut across the lawn by the bathrooms and find the green trail trail head.

6. The green loop empties you out into the pavilion lawn after this you'll want to hook back up and finish the orange loop.

7. Make a right head down Walters Road and find the jeep track immediately on your left.

8. Make the climb and before the top make a right joining back up with the orange loop. You'll continue around the golf course counter clockwise.

9. Staying on the orange loop travel on the edge of the golf course around the cyclone fence

10. The trail ends dumping you onto McKinney Road.

11. Head up the hill and pass Pidgeon Pavillion and find the trail to your right just past the intersection of Kummer and McKinney.

12. As you travel on the wide trail skip the first right with the white arrow and then take the next right down over the hill.

13. In less than a mile look for a trail off to your right. Before the gas line make the right down the steep down hill. If you come to the gas line you've skipped a part just take the gas line down to the raod.

14. Take the gas line down to the intersection of Lake Shore and Brown.

15. Make a right on Brown travel a short distance to a T at the intersection of Brown and Pearce Mill. At this intersection make a right on Pearce Mill

16. Bike down Pearce about a 1/4 mile to North Ridge Road across from the Hockey rink.

17. Find the trail behind the Olympia shelter. Here you'll enter several miles of fantastic single track on the red dotted trail commonly reffered to as North Ridge Bypass and the Bypass Extension.

18 Following the swich backs and climb towards the top.

19. After you climb a while you'll join with another trail. At the T make a right away from the road. If you go left it takse to a clearing beside North Ridge Road and you'll need to turn around.

20. After a couple miles and two bridge crossings you'll climb up to the lookout tower where the trail runs by North Ridge for a few yards. The trails takes you down a desent across a gas line and immediately across your 3rd bridge. After the switch backs you'll meet North Ridge Bypass, make a right. (A left will quickly take you to the trail head on North Ridge Road.)

21. This meanders for a quite a ways over roots and rocks on some of the best single track in the county. After several climbs it empties out at the Wisconsin shelter along North Ridge Road.

22. Cross North Ridge road at the Wisconsin shelter and make a right onto the bridal trail (solid red) and follow the red squares down to the spill way.

UPDATE: A new section of has been added. At this point continue on the Pfundstein trail. Eventually this will take you back to the spillway adding a another two or so miles of great single track onto your route.

Cross Babcock at the Pearce Mill Road intersection at the spillway. You'll find a trail that follows and crosses Pine Creak and eventually lets out behind the ice cream stand at the intersection of Wildwood and Old Babcock,

Cross Wild Wood and head up Old Babcock.

Cross the small walking bridge across the ditch head up hill across the lawn and find the muddy trail off to your left. Wooden Bridge

Take this trail clockwise and eventually up a long climb. A network of single track circles the road around S ridge drive. Use your best instinct to keep yourself up top taking the trails that parallel the road.

Where S. Ridge divides into a single lane one way cross the road find the trail and make a left. This takes you behind the swimming pool and back onto south ridge.

Make a right on Hemlock at the intersection of S Ridge and Hemlock

Cross Babcock onto West Ridge Road. You'll find the trail on your left after you pass Koto Buki.

A mile or so later, you ride a fantastic downhill and then his trails dumps you across the street from the Police training center. Cross West Ridge road and find the trail to your left.

Finish up taking the trail from the training center to the intersection of Ingmar and Kummer.

Roaring Run Apollo

Intro

Roaring run is a great place to ride. There are at least 15 miles of trail in the Roaring Run area with a ton of fantastic single track. The trails run along side the steep and rocky slopes of the Kiskiminetas River and offers a challenging as well as scenic ride. Zig Zag Trail the start of the Blue loop is one of those trails and offers miles of technical and challenging terrain.

This trail is not for the faint of heart; Roaring Run features one of the most rugged single track loop in the region only rivaled by the mountain bike trails at Moraine. The loop trail at Roaring Run does not let up. It's an unrelenting eight mile mountain bike slug fest.

When I say technical I'm not talking about five foot drops or ultra steep slopes; ! though there are a few cliffs along the trail !The best way to describe RR's technical nature, is just rugged. Tough sections of trail that require good bike handling skill coupled with strength and endurance. Lot's of interesting features to steer your bike up over and through; Roaring run is my favorite trail system in the area.

Roaring Run Apollo should not be confused with Roaring Run in Champion Pennsylvania near 7 Springs. Roaring Run in Champion is a protected watershed and designated wilderness area and is closed to Mountain Biking.

Roaring Run Park is managed and owned by the Roaring Run Watershed Association. A non profit group that oversees the park.

Getting There
Roaring Run is along the Kiski River about two miles outside of the downtown area of Apollo. If you are coming in via route 66 North, cross the bridge into Apollo make the first right onto Astronaut Way. If you are coming in the other direction make a left on the last street in town before you cross the Kiski River bridge. After a mile the road will veer left up the hill and become Cherry Lane Road, instead of going up the hill keep right and go along the river merging onto Canal street. Canal street continues for another mile and ends at the Roaring Run parking area.

The Blue Loop
Roaring run has some the most well marked trails in the area so it's easy to come out and find a great ride even if you are not familiar with the park. The most well marked and easiest to find is what's know as the blue loop, as it as well as other trails in the area are demarked with little plastic blue squares and flags.

Getting to the blue loop is easy, follow the rail trail up river for about one mile, cross the bridge over Roaring Run and turn left. The first thing you'll see is a trail off to your right. This is where the blue loop ends; continue past this and you'll find the well marked trail head straight ahead of you. Though it might be compelling to just jump on the trail off to your right and ride the loop backwards, the signs posted recommend riding the loop clockwise the way it was designed.

The ride starts off on Zig Zag trail and starts out climbing a set of switch backs.

After a few miles a climb takes you up to Red Town Road. Across the road is Cave Bear trail. This is marked expert. There is a marked bypass that takes you around this section but I recommend you check this trail out. Even if you walk your bike don't miss this section. The trail weaves between rocks, boulders and along cliffs and is quite scenic. It's a very neat kind of place.

After about 300 yards the bypass trail meets back up with you. Another quarter mile and the trail doubles back and begins a downhill taking you back down to the rail trail. Take extreme care and resist the urge to bomb this section. In places the rocky trail runs only a couple feet from a cliffs edge.

At the bottom of the downhill, take a right on the rail trail and start heading back down towards the parking area. Look for a dirt road entering the trial trail and make a right. Look for a trail on your left. From here on out, in several places the blue loop will join back up with the rail trail and then divert back into the woods.

The Trail Leading to the Loop
If you head straight up the rail trail to the blue loop you'll be passing up a great trail. There is great trail that takes you right up to the blue loop trail head. This trail runs parallel to the left of the rail trail and heads for the blue loop trail up the left of the rail trail.

To find this trail, start up the rail trail and look for a double track service road off to your left. Head up the road for about 200 yards and just as the grade begins to let off a little there will be a trail that cross over the road. Make a right onto this trail. It will take you down a very steep rocky section of trail; it's an intimidating slope, walking down this section is not a bad idea. This trail levels off about half way down and then runs along a bench between the rail trail and top of the river hill ridge.

This trail runs along the rail trail for about a mile until it enters the Roaring Run valley; at this point it turns left and follows the valley contours. It continues up the valley for about a 1/4 mile until it doubles back on itself on a steep down hill. After this it runs beside a paved chipped walking trail that runs down the valley, eventually dumping you out onto it. Continue down the chipped trail a few yards to where it intersects the rail trail. Make a left and cross the bridge over Roaring run to the blue loop.

Moraine Month of Mud #5

Last Sunday was the fifth and final race of the 2007 Month of Mud series. I made it out to all five (let me congratulate myself... ). For me it's been a short but fantastic season. I didn't start riding until end of June.

Moraine was an awesome course. Several long gradual climbs a few steep sections and then there were the rocks. Rocks, rocks, rocks and rocks, tons of creeping and pushing your wheels between rocks and boulders. There were too many to power through, after bouncing around for a bit you tired and had to slow down and pick your way through. It required strength, balance and lots of bike handling. It was like a trials course in the middle of a cross country race. A lot were getting off and pushing but walking my bike makes me so damn tired; I put it in the granny gear and worked my way through as best I could; stalling occasionally, but I felt everything there was very ridable you just had to relax, concentrate and take your time. I didn't find getting off and pushing was saving me any time or energy. This strategy apparently paid off. I did far better in the standings in this race than any others in the series.

So I road most of the rock gardens on the first lap but tired and not in top shape, I was forced to walk a few sections on the second . My favorite were the big rocks close to the finish, it's what I called the billy goat section. You had to scramble up and over one giant rock after another.

By the second lap for many of the riders fatigue set in and the silence of the forest was interrupted with shrieks and screams as tired riders lost balance and smashed down onto rocks. I've never experience anything like this in a race but the pain smashing against the rocks compelled people to vocalize. For the back of the pack riders it was like a war zone, riders going down everywhere, but they were the real troopers; they might not have had the endurance and the agility but they were out there in the rocks giving it everything they had going up against that trail.

Moraine was challenging but a great course to ride. For the squeamish, I would have to say go out and test yourself. This course will test you and you will be glad you did it.

So the racing season is over for me but not the riding. I bought a 15watt Nite Rider halogen to counter the short days and lack of day light. I have no plans of reverting back to my chair sitting, mouse pushing, keyboard tapping days.

One word about single speeders who rode this course. [Expletive] WOW! I wouldn't believe it possible to ride that trail but the rider with the best time was riding on one speed! He beat the top expert time. Can I shake your hand! Your are a !@##$# machine! Holy ---- !!!!! You can not be human! You are a freak of nature and a natural @$%@## wOndeR!!!! Damn!

Harisson Hills Park

Last month I did a little exploring, mountain biking Harisson Hills Park and put together a nice little ride:

Harrison Hills Park sits above the Allegheny River between Freeport and Natrona Heights with
it's main entrance along Freeport road.

Harrison Hills is a great place for beginners. There are many well maintained and groomed trails throughout the park that don't involve a lot of climbing. I'd like to put together a good beginner/novice loop but this ride was geared more towards bikers with at least a little riding experience under their belt.

There are a ton of trails in the park and they constantly intersect and intertwine which can be confusing but the trails are extremely well marked and the Friends of Harrison Hills Web Site provides this terrific map. [Link to the map]

We based our ride on the Boy Scout Trail. This trail is a five mile loop that follows the outer edge of the park. This is an outline of our route:

The route we took is outlined in green. Use this along side the original map to see the color coding.

We took part of the the Boy Scout loop and avoided the really steep section of the trail. The Boy Scout Trail contains some sections that are more challenging than other trails in the park. It's more geared for the intermediate rider but is also a great place for a novice who is looking for some challenge but still wants a fun ride. Challenges include some short quick climbs requiring momentum, a couple of longer more moderate climbs and steep sections, and a section of tight windy single track with some off cambers, logs, rocks and roots.

The Boy Scout Loop and Pink Trail

Take the main entrance into the park. At the first intersection take a right (uphill) this is Woodchuck Drive. If you go down a steep long hill you've taken the wrong road.

There will be paved parking spaces on the right and left of the road. A few yards down the road and to your left is the Baneberry Grove pavilion. The trail head is off to your right. Pull into a space and get ready to cycle.

If you pull into a space on the right hand side the boy scout trail will be up and to the right of the open area. The Boy Scout Trail is is demarcated throughout with red vertical rectangles and there is also a sign along this road marking it. The ride begins taking the Boy Scout loop counter clockwise around the park.

Begin your ride through some wooded single track after a half mile the trail will eventually lead into a field. The trail will go down across the field and you will come to a T. Make a left towards the pond. Follow along the pond and make a left around the end of the pond. At the corner of the pond there will be a track straight a head and one off to the right. Take the trail off to the right up over the steep climb.

After a short wooded piece you will emerge into a wide open area with a baseball and soccer field. Follow the trail to left and travel up around the baseball field. Travel across the lawn area and angle down and to your right across the lawn crossing the gravel road and heading counter clockwise around the soccer field. You might spy some of the red triangles that mark the boy scout trail.

As you cross the gravel road and head down around the soccer field you'll want to cross the lawn area and find the trail again as it travels through the field.

The trail goes through the uncut field below the soccer field and leads you into some single track.

This is classic single track with tight windy turns, roots, rocks and off cambers. For me it was the favorite part of this ride.

Eventually the trail will lead you to the closed area. A large white sign will read Keep Out Dangerous Area (or something to that effect). Though you'll see on your map the Boy Scout Trails travels through this section, you'll probably want to detour this because the trail looks overgrown and unmaintained.

After you make a left at the danger sign start looking for a trail off to your right that crosses a small valley and stream.

Head out across the lawn toward the observatory. Here at the observatory you get a relatively uninteresting view of the homes and golf courses that make up River Forest. This might be interesting if you were a golfer but being that you are out here mountain biking, you are probably not a golfer.

However much more impressive and more likely to hold your attention is the precipice your standing over and the knifes edge trail leading along the ridge line. This is where you pick back up the detoured Boy Scout Trail. Continuing: after cutting across the lawn area and reaching the observatory you make a left on the boy scout trail and follow the ridge line trail upriver along the cliffs. Do take caution!
Other trails will join this trail and branch off just keep right and follow the trail along the edge of the cliffs.
After a few hundred yards of following the ridge you will come to a very steep long downhill where a stream valley, the river valley and the corner of a field all intersect.

We decided to detour this steep section. I was with my girlfriend and she would not be happy pushing her bike out of this hole. Looking at the map there may be a reasonable trail that follows the contours up out of the stream valley but I'll leave exploring that to another ride.

Instead of heading down go to the fields edge and follow the trail right. This is a section of the Wetlands Trail and it's marked with the color green.

The trail goes along the edge of the field along the woods line and heads into the woods bordering along the field. A trail will branch off down to the right, keep left. The trail leads up and then out of the woods and down across the field. The trail will cross a gravel road. Make a left onto the gravel road.

Travel on this road past the construction area. This will lead to a barn looking structure which is the park office at this convergence the road turns to blacktop.

At the park office building head across the lawn off to your left and find the trail head for the pink trail. This is the 'Flag Staff Hill Trail' and is demarcated with pink rectangles. It is marked purple on the park trail map.

At this point the pink trail is a relatively fast double track along a ridge line and takes you back towards the observatory.

After traveling along the ridge line for a while the trail will quickly plummet down over a hill. Before the bottom of the hill make the sharp right and follow the the pink trail markers. If you end up at an open lawn area at the observatory you've gone just a little too far.

After the trail makes the sharp right, it heads across the paved road and runs up a valley between the stream and the road.

After running up the stream valley for a time the pink trail runs back across the road where it meets up with the green 'Wetlands Trail'.

As the trail heads up the valley you'll come to blacktop. You are actually just downhill from the park office. Make a left onto the blacktop you'll see a parking area on your left. After a couple hundred feet you'll come to an intersection. Make a right on the blacktop heading up a steep climb.

At the top of the climb you are near the park entrance. Hang a left at the intersection and this road will take you back to your car.