Featured Ride: Bomb Dog Loop – Coldwater Mountain, Alabama

Alabama might not be the first state to come to mind as a mountain bike destination, but Coldwater Mountain near Anniston, Alabama, is positioned to change that notion. Coldwater Mountain has earned Bronze-level status as an IMBA Ride Center with 25 miles of newly constructed trails already on the ground. Plans are in place to increase the trail offerings to 75 miles by 2017.

Coldwater Mountain’s trails range from rocky and technical to beginner singletrack to a 2-mile downhill flow trail with tons of opportunity for air time and black diamond line options. The city of Anniston takes the trails seriously and is improving its downtown to support incoming mountain bike traffic. Speaking of which, you can ride your bike to the trails from town and get to Anniston via Amtrak train.

The Bomb Dog Loop, named for a local bomb detection canine who is believed to have died on the mountain, clocks in a tick over 10 miles. It gains just shy of 1,300 feet of elevation and should be ridden in a clockwise fashion to maximize your downhill fun. Speaking of fun, the videos below showcase just how much of it Coldwater Mountain offers.

Thanks to IMBA and the Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association for making the Coldwater Mountain trail system a reality.

Coldwater Mountain, Alabama | 2013 from IMBA on Vimeo.

Trail Heads | Coldwater Mountain Alabama from IMBA on Vimeo.

Photos courtesy of MTB Project.