Beginner mountain bike trails near Reston, Sterling, Ashburn

[jabberwocky]

I’m going to give you some trail suggestions, but preface it by saying that everything in the area is going to be far too muddy to ride this weekend. Riding in the mud tears up the trails and causes a lot of damage, especially as the then-depressed tread channels water and creates more erosion in the future. Please ask him to either wait until things are frozen, or we get enough warm dry weather that they dry out (or just stick to pavement or gravel).

Candidate number one is my local trail, Lake Fairfax. See: http://www.logoffrideon.com/trails/index.php?title=Lake_Fairfax (I maintain a current trail map, which is linked there). Trails there are generally easy, slightly hilly and decent fun. You can also cross Hunters Mill road at the edge of the park and connect to the CCT (which then heads north to Great Falls park or south to the W&OD and beyond).

Number two would be the freedom center trails up in Lucketts. I’ve not ridden it but I’ve heard good things. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Freedom-Center-Mountain-Bike-Trail/282289711884615

Past that you start having to drive a little ways. Wakefield park in Annandale is a good one, as is Laurel Hill down in Lorton. Both are excellent and beginner friendly.

[PotomacCyclist]

Thanks for the advice, including the caution about riding in muddy conditions.

[Phatboing]

@jabberwocky 76286 wrote:

Riding in the mud tears up the trails and causes a lot of damage, especially as the then-depressed tread channels water and creates more erosion in the future.

Speaking of this, is there anywhere in the area where it is possible to ride in the rain without ruining things for everyone? I love me a good summer thunderstorm, and I’d rather be off-road than on, and I’ve wanted to combine the two for a while now.

[jabberwocky]

@Phatboing 76399 wrote:

Speaking of this, is there anywhere in the area where it is possible to ride in the rain without ruining things for everyone? I love me a good summer thunderstorm, and I’d rather be off-road than on, and I’ve wanted to combine the two for a while now.

There isn’t much around here that can be ridden in the wet without damaging it. You might be ok on some of the rocky trails, like Gambrill State Park (near Frederick), at least in terms of not damaging the trail. Riding that terrain in a thunderstorm might damage you, of course .

[kcb203]

@Phatboing 76399 wrote:

Speaking of this, is there anywhere in the area where it is possible to ride in the rain without ruining things for everyone? I love me a good summer thunderstorm, and I’d rather be off-road than on, and I’ve wanted to combine the two for a while now.

The C&O Canal Towpath is fine in the rain, but it’s not really a mountain bike trail–just 184 miles of flat gravel with pretty but unchanging scenery.

[Phatboing]

@kcb203 76416 wrote:

The C&O Canal Towpath is fine in the rain, but it’s not really a mountain bike trail–just 184 miles of flat gravel with pretty but unchanging scenery.

Yeah, I figured that’s the closest to “off-road” I’d get in the rain.

I did those 184 miles in May in a Pittsburgh – DC extrrrrrrrrravaganza. The “pretty” gets old at mile 10.

[Phatboing]

@jabberwocky 76401 wrote:

There isn’t much around here that can be ridden in the wet without damaging it. You might be ok on some of the rocky trails, like Gambrill State Park (near Frederick), at least in terms of not damaging the trail. Riding that terrain in a thunderstorm might damage you, of course .

.. yeah. Lake Fairfax is close to the top of the difficulty range I want to deal with. (Also, I like biking to my bike rides, and Frederick is way out of range)

Oh well.

[hozn]

I know Fountainhead used to have a reputation for drying quickly, but that is in the summertime. You basically have to write off mountain biking for the next couple/few months unless we get more well-below-freezing stretches that will harden the very soggy ground. (Given winter so far, I am sure there will be another opportunity.)

[jabberwocky]

Fountainhead has never really had a reputation for drying quickly. Maybe you’re thinking of somewhere else? Laurel Hill (nearby) is by far the best NoVA trail system for quick drying, but even it would have been a bog. Fountainhead has undergone a very major redesign over the last few years, and while it is somewhat better its still pretty bad in the wet.

When you get into some of the rocky stuff in Gambrill, the Frederick Watershed or the GW forest they do a whole lot better. Its hard to tear up rock. But those trails are 1: highly technical, and 2: at higher elevations, so they probably still have significant snow on them at the moment.

[Dirt]

Parts of Laurel Hill hold up VERY well in the wet. There are a few areas to avoid. Most of Laurel Hill is also a great place for beginners.

[Phatboing]

@Dirt 76448 wrote:

Parts of Laurel Hill hold up VERY well in the wet. There are a few areas to avoid. Most of Laurel Hill is also a great place for beginners.

And accessible from the CCT, too. I may have to try this some time. Thanks!

[DaveK]

Meadowood is an excellent trail for beginners (and everyone else). It’s flat, fast, and fun. They added a jump line with tabletops and bankings but it’s optional, beginners can stick to the loop.

[hozn]

Hmm, I guess I was wrong about Fountainhead. I know it dried out better than LFP or Wakefield, but that isn’t saying much. Lake Fairfax is one of the worst. I used to ride Fountainhead regularly but haven’t ridden the new trails (kids…).

Definitely agreed on Gambrill etc. That is a fun destination, but certainly quite technical / not good for beginners. Out in WV the loamy trails in Canaan Valley do fine in the wet too; it is always wet. But again not great beginner trails — and quite a drive.

[roadfan]

@DaveK 76499 wrote:

Meadowood is an excellent trail for beginners (and everyone else). It’s flat, fast, and fun. They added a jump line with tabletops and bankings but it’s optional, beginners can stick to the loop.

+1 for Meadwood. Awesome beginning trail.

[hozn]

BTW, Lake Fairfax Park was *awesome* this AM It is sad, though, how rutted it has become [from people riding it while wet]. And it’s gonna take a long time for it to dry out when things do warm up, because there is a lot of standing water (ice).

Riding frozen singletrack is such a blast, though. So fast. Running lower tire pressure (somewhere in the 25-30psi range for me) was the ticket.

[Author]

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