Columbus mountain bike trails

Gnomewood Skills Park

Difficulty: Beginner
Kids will beg to visit this park over and over again. It might be because of the comicallyadorable garden gnomes tucked away in surprising places. Or because it’s just a reallyrad place to ride. The park consists of a loop with a pump track, banked curves, rumblyrock gardens, drops, and wooden bridges. Nothing is too gnarly—each element isdesigned with learning in mind—but the faster you go, the more challenging it gets.The park is adjacent to the two-mile Alum Creek Beginner Trail (aka Gnomewood Trail),which offers a taste of the local terrain and is an ideal spot for developing riders toput their new skills—and stoke—to use.

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Alum Creek Beginner Trail

Distance: 2
Difficulty: Beginner
This compact trail at Alum Creek is an excellent spot for new mountain bikers to hone skills and build confidence. Yes, it serves up plenty of central Ohio’s trademark rocks and roots, but at just two miles, the trail doesn’t require the big commitment of the other Alum Creek options. Ride the lollipop-shaped loop multiple times to work on proficiency, or use it as a warmup for the Phase 1 trail across the parking lot. The trail is also adjacent to the recently built Gnomewood Skills Park (see page 92), where novice riders can develop mastery on features (jumps, a pump track, etc.) purpose-built for practice.

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Alum Creek Phase 1

Distance: 6
Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate
Phase 1 of a two-part trail system in Alum Creek State Park offers six miles of rocky, rooty, singletrack fun. The trail, which is maintained by Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization, is meant to be ridden counterclockwise. You’ll encounter plenty of ups and downs, swooping turns, and raised wooden features as the trail snakes through the woods and along the creek’s edge. There’s even a water crossing or two. Because of its creek-side location, the trails drain poorly so check conditions before heading out. Newer mountain bikers can hone their skills on the clockwise beginner loop across the street (see page 94), a two-mile lollipop with some rocks and roots, before committing to the longer P1 trail.

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Alum Creek Phase 2

Distance: 5.4
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
Phase 2 is the second of the two-part trail system in Alum Creek State Park. On this thrill-packed trail, you'll encounter creek crossings, punchy climbs, log overs, jump sections, and lots of twists and turns. Test your mental finesse on multiple ladder bridges, including a curving elevated section, plus a magnificent banked wooden wall feature. This trail, a brainchild of the Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization, is among the most popular in the area, but it drains slowly so check conditions before heading out. It’s meant to be ridden counterclockwise for the best flow.

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Horns Hill DH Park

Distance: 2
Difficulty: Advanced
This small-but-thrill-packed network in Horns Hill Park offers several downhill runs for gravity fans. Drop in on one of these obstacle-studded descents and you’ll encounter arange of features including some big jumps, a wall ride, steep berms, and a multi-tiered wooden drop. If you’re not quite ready for full send, most of the elements have alternate lines and you can roll many of the jumps. Locals agree that it’s a great place to develop DH proficiency at speed. Climb back to the top or plan for a shuttle. Either way, grab your full-face helmet and protective gear and get ready to go big.

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Star Hill

Distance: 4
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
This out-of-the-way spot is one of the area’s best-kept secrets, according to Licking County locals. The entrance is tucked away off Buckeye Scenic Trail between Heath High School and Amber Mobile Home Park. From there, it’s a long grind to an underground water tank at the top of a hill before looping around and ripping it back down. And that’s the appeal: the climbing is sustained, and can be steep, for a solid two miles of hard work beforethe fun starts. If you like to take flight now and then, you’ll be rewarded on the way down with several jumps (with optional ride arounds).

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A.W. Marion State Park

Distance: 8.5
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
Test your climbing endurance on the multi-use trail that meanders around Hargus Lake in A.W. Marion State Park. You’ll encounter classic central Ohio terrain—rocks, roots, stream crossings, and plenty of flow in between. But according to trail users, the distinguishing feature here is the ascending: “The climbing is no joke,” says one. “The hills are killer,” says another. Decide for yourself, though, because everyone knows the more you climb, the fitter you get. And the fitter you get, the more fun you have. Plus, all that uphill means you get to fly downhill afterward.

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Chestnut Ridge

Distance: 9
Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced
In Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, southeast of downtown Columbus, you’ll find a pump track with an adjacent wooded trail network that offers some of the best mountain biking in the area. Start clockwise from the trailhead on the beginner/intermediate loop and about halfway through, either continue back to the trailhead or bear left onto the advanced trail, which eventually rejoins the easier trail. Expect some steep ups and downs. There’s a big climb early with tight switchbacks that leads you to a relaxing place to pause, refuel, and enjoy a spectacular view of the surrounding lowlands from the Apple Barn. For expert riders, a gravity/flow trail called More Cowbell offers big drops and steep berms, plus a steeply banked wooden wall ride.

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Dillon State Park

Distance: 11
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
This flowy singletrack network in the 2,285-acre Dillon State Park will challenge your legs, your lungs, and your sense of direction as it undulates along the shores of Dillon Reservoir. (It twists and turns so much that locals recommend printing the color-coded map, see link below, to stay found.) From the trailhead, the green loop starts out super chill. Once you’re on the yellow trail, expect fast, flowy singletrack with tricky rock sections and tough climbs, plus several wooden features, including a narrow, elevated ladder bridge. Expert riders can test their skills on the optional advanced offshoots (marked red) with seemingly endless rock gardens and steep, technical ups and downs.

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Mohican State Park Mountain Bike Trail

Distance: 24
Difficulty: Advanced
An IMBA EPIC trail. Ohio’s longest continuous singletrack. Site of the Mohican MTB 100. Gnomes. Those are just four good reasons to make the trip out to Mohican State Park. Some others: A covered bridge. Sweeping valley views. Multiple scenic overlooks. Oh, and then there’s the riding. This trail treats you to classic central Ohio terrain—rocks, roots, long climbs, rollicking descents with swooping turns. At 24 miles with few bailout options, it’s a commitment. But for a full memorable day of riding, Ohio doesn’t offer up much better, plus the park has campsites, cabins, and comfy rooms at the Mohican Lodge and Conference Center.

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Gators Bike Park

Difficulty: Beginner
This neighborhood gem, which is billed as a community bicycle playground, is the brainchild of a phys ed teacher at Granby Elementary School. It consists of a short loop (a kid with skills can ride it in a minute or less) carved out of a wooded lot adjacent to the school, and offers a number of purpose-built elements—a low skinny, a rock garden, a log over, a double roller, berms—along with ride-around options, so even the littlest shredders can build confidence with each lap. The park hosts events like Strider Fast Lap races, a costume-themed bike fest, and skills development days. There’s even a Gator MTB Kidz Race Team

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