Featured Ride: Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama
Originally posted on February 10, 2016 at 6:00 am
In the foothills of the Appalachians, Double Oak Mountain lies at the core of the nearly 10,000-acre Oak Mountain State Park, located just 20 minutes south of Birmingham in Pelham, Alabama. The slopes and valleys of the parallel ridgelines serve up miles of blissful singletrack and technical diversity.
This 21-mile ride has been lauded as an IMBA Epic and is ranked the number two ride in Alabama on MTBProject.com. It is comprised of 80 percent singletrack and climbs a total of 1,422 feet.
The trails vary technically and range from smooth singletrack with minimal texture to those that might require a hike-a-bike for some riders. The full ride includes a pass on the Jekyll-n-Hide trail, featuring tight spots, big rocks, twisting berms and some of the fastest sections of the whole Epic. The bottom section (Hyde) is a series of white knuckle berms, dips and banked turns mixed in with some short climbs through some beautiful pine and hardwood groves. Enjoy.
With close access to Birmingham, expect to see riders of all ages and abilities in addition to other trail users like hikers, backpackers, kids and dogs. The Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (BUMP) along with Alabama’s State Park Division, Shelby County and the City of Pelham have worked hand in hand to elevate the caliber of mountain biking at this venue. If you like the trails, support BUMP!
Photos courtesy of MTB Project.