With so many mountain biking trails so close to downtown Chattanooga, it is sometimes easy to overlook some equally special trail systems just a few miles further down the road.
In 2013, the International Mountain Biking Association recognized the Coldwater Mountain tract near Anniston, Alabama as a Bronze Level Ride Center and inducted the mountain bike trails at Oak Mountain State Park into its Epic Ride Hall of Fame.
“Alabama is one of the fastest growing states in terms of mountain bike trail construction and ridership,” Alabama State Parks director Greg Lein said in a released statement. “With dramatically varied terrain throughout the state and weather suitable for riding year-round, Alabama as a biking destination makes perfect sense both economically and geographically.”
Currently, nine of Alabama’s 22 state parks have mountain bike trails, as well as trails on some of the Forever Wild Land Trust properties in the state.
Cheaha State Park near Talladega has eight miles of mountain biking trails and Monte Sano State Park near Huntsville has developed 14 miles of trails that range from moderate to difficult.