MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS
Here’s a list of trails maintained for mountain biking by SORBA-Chattanooga. Look for more at www. sorbachattanooga.org.
Booker T. Washington State Park: A 5.6-mile intermediate loop, recently expanded.
Harrison Bay State Park: A 4.5-mile trail that is wider than most single tracks, smooth and ideal for beginners.
Cherokee National Forest Chilhowee Trail System, Benton, Tenn.: On Chilhowee Mountain, a mostly intermediate single-track trail system.
Cherokee National Forest, Brush Creek Trail, Copperhill, Tenn.: A 7.5-mile beginner-friendly single-track trail. Advanced riders will like the speed and short climbs.
Cherokee National Forest, Tanasi Trail System, Copperhill, Tenn.: Thirty-two miles of some of the region’s best singletrack.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Ride Raccoon Trail with SORBAChattanooga at 6 p.m. Thursdays. All abilities welcome. Free. See www. sorbachattanooga. org.
Cyclists from around the country are rolling onto a new trail near TVA’s Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant in the Tennessee River Gorge. “It’s a big tourist draw. You see tags from all over on weekends,” said Alan Johns, trails director for the Southern Off-road Bicycling Association, Chattanooga chapter.
More than 10,000 people visited the Raccoon Mountain trails over the past 18 months, said Philip Pugliese, bicycle coordinator for Outdoor Chattanooga.
“We hope we’ll create a critical mass of single-track trail and Chattanooga will be a major attraction for mountain biking in the United States,” Mr. Pugliese said.
The Raccoon Mountain network is now listed as one of 14 “flagship” areas at the International Mountain Bike Association Web site (www.imba.com).
“Chattanooga is leading the way in having high-quality trails close to a population base,” said Mark Eller, communication director for IMBA.
In 2004, SORBA-Chattanooga launched its Singletrack Mind Initiative to create 100 miles of mountainbike trail within 10 miles of metro Chattanooga by 2010. Constructed by volunteers, the Raccoon Mountain Bike Trail Network offers about 17.5 miles of intermediate and advanced single-track trails. The network now totals about 22 miles, Mr. Johns said.
“It’s got a lot of features packed into a little area,” Mr. Johns said, “and it’s just nice to come home and ride your own trail.”
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