Spring Mountain
Photo: Cbarth, trailforks
Overview
Spring Mountain is definitely a unique trail. It first popped up back in 2010 and was called Launch Bike Park. There was a chairlift, trail crew, and it even got ranked as the fifth best bike park in the Mid Atlantic region. Unfortunately, it stopped receiving enough funding and had to close down in 2015. However, almost all the trails and features are intact, and properly maintained so the only difference is that you have to pedal to the top for free. There are about seven or eight trails that I often ride there, all of which have a unique old-school trail building style that’s hard to come by these days. Recently, this place has started to blow up again, and new features and signs have been added. I don’t think this is the last we’ll be seeing of Spring Mountain.
Pros
Since this place was formerly a downhill park, it offers plenty of big features that are usually hard to come by in a typical trail system. There are also a lot of wooden features and a few skinnies to hit which showcase the old-school nature of this place. Another very strange positive is that somehow the climbs feel far shorter than the descents despite being up an old double track. The trail quality is also superb. The trails are jam-packed with features top to bottom, no matter what line you take. This might just be my favorite local trail.
Cons
Spring Mountain is probably the most technical place I ride. While there is a work road to bomb down, that’s pretty much it for beginner riders. The trails here are also plenty tight, making it not the best place if speed is your thing. There is also a trail here called Walt’s Erecter Set which is extremely difficult. It’s packed with tight drops and awkward skinnies, all of which I try to avoid. Beginners stay away. Also, they do have some cross-country trails which are completely overgrown and a total slop fest. Avoid this area for sure.
Rating: 7.5/10
Despite its few shortcomings, Spring Mountain is still such a sick place to ride for most people. As long as you know which trails to avoid, and whether or not you’re ready to ride here, you’re bound to have a good time.