Mountain biking is a popular sport in Alabama. From young to old, singles to families, mountain biking gains more and more traction by the minute here. So, where are the best mountain bike trails in Alabama?
Some of the most popular mountain biking trails are located in the central and northeastern parts of the state. The stunning scenery and well-kept routes make Alabama a world-class destination for beginners and experienced riders. The nice year-round weather is also a plus.
Read Also: The Best Mountain Bike Trails in The US
I put together the following list of the best trails in Alabama in order of difficulty. The short descriptions and vital stats will give you a general idea of what you’re in for before tackling each ride. I also listed a website for each trail that you can go to for more information.
TL;DR – The Top Mountain Bike Trails in Alabama
Want to get straight to the point and find out what the best mountain bike trails in Alabama are? Below are the top mountain bike trails in Alabama organized by difficulty.
Easy Trails (perfect for beginners and families)
- Beaver Tail Flats, Forever Wild Trails
- Retreat, Fort McClellan Mountain Bike Trails
- Jeep Hill, Black Creek Trails
Intermediate trails
- Creekview Trail, Chewacla State Park
- Rattlesnake Ridge, Oak Mountain State Park
- Bomb Dog Loop, Coldwater Mountain
Difficult trails (perfect for experienced riders)
- Tiger Woods, Chewacla State Park
- Jekyll and Hyde, Oak Mountain State Park
- Lightning, Oak Mountain State Park
Easy Trails
Easy trails are typically marked with a green circle at the trailhead sign. As the name suggests, it is primarily designed for children or beginners.
But not all easy routes are created equal. They can vary slightly from each other, which is why I recommend reviewing the specifics of each trail feature below before you head out.
For example, some trails may be flat while others have inclines. Some may have no obstacles, while others may have rocky terrain or sharp turns within the course. The following information will help guide you in making the right choice based on your abilities.
Beaver Tail Flats, Forever Wild Trails
This pleasant, serene route offers the beginning rider an opportunity to build skills while taking the family on a relaxing, peaceful outing. The four-foot-wide dirt path connects by bridges to other trails in the park. The nice thing about it is, you don’t have to go far to scale up.
- Website: http://www.dothan.org/
- City: Dothan
- Distance: 1 mile
- Climb: 164 ft
- Descent: -165 ft
- Surface: Dirt, no features or obstacles
- Configuration: Singletrack and doubletrack
Retreat, Fort McClellan Mountain Bike Trails
Retreat trail is a soft, comfortable choice for beginners. It has a mild, green slope that fades into an even gentler downhill.
The great thing about the routes at Fort McClellan is that they are wider than most singletrack trails. Getting a slower rider to pull over to let you through is much easier as a result.
- Website: https://www.annistonal.gov/
- City: Anniston
- Distance: 1 mile
- Climb: 221 ft
- Descent: -397 ft
- Surface: Dirt, gravel in some spots, few features or obstacles
- Configuration: Singletrack
Jeep Hill, Black Creek Trails
There’s no better trail than Jeep Hill to transition the rider from beginner to intermediate. It offers just enough challenges to test your skills without running into any real danger.
It starts with a gentle incline for about 100 feet, then descends at a greater angle. The flow is excellent, with some flat turns and an occasional rock garden to traverse.
This path follows along a ridge in a series of gentle inclines and declines. After a challenging final ascent to the top, you are met with an optional, standing A-frame, which you can either go through or around.
The final descent offers a fun mixture of speed and obstacles as you twist and turn down the mountain. Jeep Hill is almost certainly one of the best mountain bike trails in Alabama.
- Website: http://www.greatergadsden.com
- City: Gadsden
- Distance: 1 mile
- Climb: 157 ft
- Descent: -158 ft
- Surface: Dirt, rock gardens, one optional A-frame feature at the top
- Configuration: Singletrack
Intermediate trails
These routes typically have more challenges than easy trails, such as:
- Boulders
- Rock gardens
- Berms
- Obstacles
Intermediate and difficult trails also have technical trail features (TTF) that easy trails typically don’t. These technical challenges can be either human-made or natural. Here is a short list of examples:
- Berms
- Jumps
- Skinnies
- Drops
- Log rides
- Roller coasters
- Bridges
Creekview Trail, Chewacla State Park
I believe this is truly one of the most scenic trails in Alabama. It offers a balanced combination of technical challenges and beautiful vistas.
Don’t be fooled by the easy start to Creekview. It gets more challenging as you go long. Ascending the creekbed, you realize that there’s not much between you and a 50-foot drop to the jagged rocks below.
The descent is just as deceptive. You’ll swear that you’re back onto an easy trail, and then all of a sudden, you’re met with a downed tree or a giant boulder you have to go around quickly.
Sounds like fun!
- Website: https://www.auburnalabama.org/
- City: Auburn
- Distance: 1.3 Miles
- Climb: 107 ft
- Descent: -70 ft
- Surface: Dirt, rock outcroppings, rock gardens
- Configuration: Singletrack
Rattlesnake Ridge, Oak Mountain State Park
Like most trails at Oak mountain, the most formidable features to navigate are all the downed trees and roots in the middle of the riding path. It can make for a bumpy ride.
This one starts with some winding, flat turns at the top. As you come screaming down the hill, the trail narrows, and you find yourself navigating between two trees only a few feet apart.
Around the middle of the course, there’s an optional four-foot wooden jump for all the riders who are daring enough to try it. After that, you gradually increase speed right down to the bottom.
- Be careful not to lose control!
- Website: https://pelhamalabama.gov/
- City: Pelham
- Distance: 2.6 Miles
- Climb: 365 ft
- Descent: -379 ft
- Surface: Dirt, rocks, skinny, bridge
- Configuration: Singletrack, downhill
Bomb Dog Loop, Coldwater Mountain
This route is one of the local favorites. It’s not just a system of trails with a cute name. With its jumps, berms, roller coasters, and other tech features, it can even challenge some of the better riders out there.
It starts with a seemingly endless trail of jagged rocks lined with tall grass in the middle of a dense thicket of pine trees. The terrain smooths out a little as you descend and pick up speed.
Be sure and take a moment to view the memorial to Calhoun County Sheriff’s first bomb-sniffing dog, Deputy Floyd. After all, this is the beloved hero locals named the trail after.
- Website: http://www.annistonal.gov/
- City: Anniston
- Distance: 10.5 Miles
- Climb: 604 ft
- Descent: -1248 ft
- Surface: Dirt, Rock gardens, berms, jumps, roller coasters, walls, obstacles
- Configuration: Singletrack, primary downhill
Difficult trails
These are the hair-raising, teeth-clenching, white knuckle trails. Many of them are fast and require split-second decision making. They are not for beginning riders!
Tiger Woods, Chewacla State Park
The extension is the most challenging part of the trail. After a couple of hairpin turns, you can really turn on the heat.
The trees lining the course are the main obstacles. If you go far enough, you’ll eventually run into a skinny, which evolves into a bridge, and then a roller coaster.
Although the Tiger Woods trail is not the fastest in Alabama, it is one of the most technically challenging.
- Website: https://www.auburnalabama.org/
- City: Auburn
- Distance: 1.3 Miles
- Climb: 6 ft
- Descent: -38 ft
- Surface: Dirt, rocks, berms, tabletops
- Configuration: Singletrack
Jekyll and Hyde, Oak Mountain State Park
“Bone-jarring” may be the best way to describe Jekyll and Hyde. The jumps throughout the entire trail are plentiful enough to make you feel like you’re flying down the mountain.
You have to be careful around the slick corners. They look deceptively easy, but one wrong move and your bike can slip out from under you.
The last part of the trail is probably the hardest since it has the roughest terrain, and the final two tight turns will surprise you if you’re not looking for them.
- Website: https://www.birminghamal.gov/
- City: Birmingham
- Distance: 4.2 Miles
- Climb: 249 ft
- Descent: -91 ft
- Surface: Rocks, obstacles, berms, dips, banked turns, lots of jumps
- Configuration: Singletrack
Lightning, Oak Mountain State Park
This trail starts with a 20-inch drop, which tells you what you’re in for the rest of the ride. After a short roller coaster and a few jumps followed by a series of tabletops, the flow becomes increasingly better.
The speed you can pick up in the middle is insane as you hit the only four-foot drop. Thankfully, you can opt-out and take an easier path to the left, as most riders should.
The last part of the trail is the fastest, and scariest, as you barrel down the steepest part of the slope. The finish line is aptly marked with two orange poles, signifying you made it down the mountain alive!
- Website: https://www.birminghamal.gov/
- City: Birmingham
- Distance: 0.7 miles
- Climb: 40 ft
- Descent: -215 ft
- Surface: Dirt, rocks, berms, drops, jumps, roller coaster
- Configuration: Singletrack, downhill