Beginner mountain bike trails near Reston, Sterling, Ashburn

[PotomacCyclist]

Someone asked me about a beginner trail in that area, to ride with his grade-school daughter this weekend. I don’t ride in that area too often, and I don’t go off-road that often, so the only answer I had was from researching online. Colvin Run Trail near Reston looks promising. Would that be appropriate?

I know that some areas were icy this week, but I think most of that should be gone by tomorrow. Or maybe not?

Topic

[jabberwocky]

Lake Fairfax always sustains a lot of damage this time of year. The first few workdays of the year are generally “repair the damage done by all the inconsiderate people riding it in the mud”. Which sucks, because there are big plans for trail expansion there, and its much more fun to cut new trail than it is to patch up ruts and cut nicks to get water off the newly depressed trail.

[jnva]

@jabberwocky 77197 wrote:

Lake Fairfax always sustains a lot of damage this time of year. The first few workdays of the year are generally “repair the damage done by all the inconsiderate people riding it in the mud”. Which sucks, because there are big plans for trail expansion there, and its much more fun to cut new trail than it is to patch up ruts and cut nicks to get water off the newly depressed trail.

I haven’t been to fountainhead for a while but there used to be a gate at the trailhead to notify people the trail was closed. Is there a gate at lake fairfax?

[jabberwocky]

@jnva 77209 wrote:

I haven’t been to fountainhead for a while but there used to be a gate at the trailhead to notify people the trail was closed. Is there a gate at lake fairfax?

No. It would be almost impossible to gate, since a lot of the trailheads are through adjoining neighborhoods and such. The main trailhead is actually at skatequest, on private property (they can’t even have a trail kiosk there).

[jnva]

@jabberwocky 77210 wrote:

No. It would be almost impossible to gate, since a lot of the trailheads are through adjoining neighborhoods and such. The main trailhead is actually at skatequest, on private property (they can’t even have a trail kiosk there).

That sucks – there’s a perfect spot for it in that corner of the parking lot.

[jabberwocky]

@jnva 77211 wrote:

That sucks – there’s a perfect spot for it in that corner of the parking lot.

Even if they put a gate there, people would ignore it. They’d ride around it, or park in one of the apartment complexes and ride in from there. Fountainhead (sorta) works because they can gate the only parking lot anywhere nearby, and its easy to patrol. Lake Fairfax just has too many access points to block off.

[jnva]

Wow, I went running on the lake fairfax trails today. Total mud pit. I did see a couple of mountain bikers. I bet they regretted it..,

[DaveK]

@jnva 78745 wrote:

Wow, I went running on the lake fairfax trails today. Total mud pit. I did see a couple of mountain bikers. I bet they regretted it..,

Tell them to go home. People riding trails like this are destroying them for others. It’s going to be a while before any of the trails in the area are fit to ride.

[hozn]

Yeah, a friend out there also reported seeing riders. I have to assume it is ignorance [of the damage it causes] since anyone with half a measure of common sense would know the trails would be mud bogs. To that end some signage might help …

[Author]

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