Mountain biking in Indiana? Yes! It’s epic and not a secret anymore. Brown County State Park is a cycling paradise with extensive trail networks designed for mountain bikers of every skill level allowing beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert mountain bikers as well as weekend cyclists rides that are enjoyable and challenging.
The mountain biking trails of the state park were designed from scratch “by mountain bikers for mountain bikers”. Built and maintained by volunteers from the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association the mostly singletrack trails wind around hills, ravines and across streams. Named an IMBA Epic Trail System in 2011, the trails range from easy to extremely difficult. Other accolades include IBMA Bronze Level Ride Center in 2015 and in its March 2009 issue, BIKE MAG named Brown County State Park one of the 33 best trail systems in North America. In 2015, Singletracks picked Brown County State Park as one of the 10 best weekend mountain bike getaways in the United States.
Other places to ride include eXplore Brown County with 3 Downhill Courses designed for speed and a North Shore Course where riders can test their skills on a wooden path that narrows to a 2 inch wide challenge. Gnaw Bone Camp also offers private trail systems. Nebo Ridge Trail and Hickory Ridge Trail, both located in Hoosier National Forest, are other popular rides where riders get to travel through some serious back country. *Source: Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Indiana might not have the mountains of Colorado or Utah, but Brown County State Park trails make excellent use of the rolling hills throughout the area. A bronze-level IMBA Ride Center, BCSP has a range of singletrack from beginner to the better-have-your-health-insurance-paid-up level (even world-class trials rider Jeff Lenosky couldn’t clean the locally infamous Schooner Trail on his first visit).
Most of the 35-plus miles of BCSP trails resemble a dirt rollercoaster: fast, flowy, and full of thrills. Aynes Loop and Green Valley offer miles of punchy climbs and fast descents. But the trails can be deceptively technical as well. Bobcat Bowl offers plenty of challenging tight switchbacks and tricky rock drops for mere mortals to test their skills. The climb up Hesitation Point forces riders to conquer numerous and increasingly longer limestone rock gardens. Trails leading out of the park and into the neighboring Yellowwood State Forest have a more backcountry feel, with multiple log crossings and large rocky obstacles. For quick service and bike rentals, Hesitation Point Bicycles is located just outside the park gate.
Source: The Top 6 Secret Mountain Bike Destinations in the US
GET OUT AND RIDE!
| MTB Project Overview | |
| Pine Loop | Beginner |
| Limekiln | Beginner |
| North Gate Connector | Beginner - Intermediate |
| North Tower Loop | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Aynes Loop | Intermediate |
| Green Valley | Intermediate |
| Hesitation Point | Intermediate |
| Walnut | Advanced |
| Schooner Trace | Expert |
Resources
- Big Woods Brown County Epic Mountain Bike Festival
- Brown County Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Brown County Mountain Biking
- Brown Dog Mapping Services
- Central Indiana Bicycling Association
- Brown County Bikes
- Hilly Hundred
- Hoosier Mountain Bike Association