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Getting the most out of Rocky Neck

1K views 9 replies 3 participants last post by  thomllama 
#1 · (Edited)
was starting this discussion in another thread and figured I'd start it here instead of Hijacking that one ;)

how many miles can you get out of the comparably small area of Rocky Neck?
Place is kinda fun and though there isn't a lot of any super features, there are bits and pieces here and there that can be challenging even to a more expert rider with nice single track mixed in to get you from one to the next.. The biggest problem is,... how to get a decent milage out of the place if you want to?

So what's your loop? how much over lap?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Here's the Loop I've found to cover 90% of the place .. Starting up at the Devine Wine Parking...

Start to #1 go through the field on the right and down the mini switch back then left through the ShipYard Field (If wet I avoid that section of the Blue trail)
#1 to #2 through the Shipyard Field and up the hill, at eh top take a hard left and up the grade..
#2 to #3 take trail/road back toward the fields and take a hard right staying on the red trail, at the balance rock take left up to the rock and right to go down the "Mini Roller Coaster"
#3 to #4 Mini Roller drops yo back on the road, (watch for other trail traffic :eek: ) cross the tiny bridge and take a right up the Un-marked Trail,
#4 to #5 few little semi-tech features on the unmarked trail plus the cliff side section and over the little nose drop. which brings you to the intersection of the White trail
#5 to #6 Take right on the white trail down the hill and through the "Pinch Rock" at the bottom.. just before the river go up the hill on the short section of the Blue/White Trail, crossing the river (becarful the rock is slime slippery!) to the paved road
#6 to #7 maybe a 100 yards up the paved take a right through the wood gate
#7 to #8 go up the hill on the red trail/road and when you hit the intersection keep going straight for a few 100 yards and hit the little unmarked trail on the left...
#8 to #9 travel down this short but fun little chunk that brings you up to the fire road/blue trail
#9 to #10 travel up the fire road, (there is a trail right where the ridge line starts but it's near impossible to get up it, and there are a few pretty deadly spots on it once you get up it so I avoid..up to you..[/I)], continue on the road and up the hill, just as you crest the top there is a trail with the Over Look Spot.. ride that
#10 to #11 Ride down the River Ridge (few options here and there, have fun with it!) which will bring you out the the Pavilion parking lot.. go up the little paved walk.. (usually go to the corner of the pavilion there, just remember though, we're not supposed to cross the tracks this time of year so if the Rangers are around stay in the woods ;) )
#11 to #12 or #13 you can cruise down the fire road and turn right up the hill which adds a 1/8th mile or just go up the red/white trail like most people do direct to #13..
#13 to #14 cruising down the hill to the parking lot is fun!! with the tree down at the top of the hill the trail has been moved around and it's sorta technical now.. not REALLY hard (as I can do it) but diff.. though I think I'll clear the tree as I liked the rocks and such before..:idea:
#14 to #15 I turn around and head right back up the hill.. really the only place I over lap.. 2/3rds of the way up take a right onto the Blue/Red trail
#15 to #16 Blue/Red trail brings you basically to the bottom of the 5 Finger Fields.. there are a couple option but they both bring you into the Blue/White trail
#16 to #17 Blue/White trail which I take a right on and do that small flowy section with the rock ledge on the left.. brings you out to the paved, Pavilion access road.
#17 to #18 you can cross over the road and over lap the small section of trail, take a right back over the river on the skinny (white trail) there and cruise that to the picnic/Beach Parking or just take the road.. cut left as the picnic area starts and keep to the edge of the swamp where the Red trail starts and you cross the Swamp Bridge...
#18 to #19 cruise the trail/Fire Road up to the corner where the White trail cuts to the right and down along the swamp
#19 to #20 Just cruse down the "Swamp Side Trail" section of the white trail, nice flowy XC type stuff with it getting really bouncy/ rooty toward the end
#20 to Start/finish pedal your butt up the old Rest Area hill to the parking lot.. it's not all THAT long but the grade continuously getting steeper it can put a mild hurt on ;)

You can add a few 10ths of a mile at #17 by crossing the road and traveling up to #5 then back down to #19, plus you hit the mini Rock Garden right at the end.
Can also add a 1/2 or so at the end by taking a left 3/4 of the way up the hill of the Old Rest Area there is a trail there that will bring you to the Balance Rock and ride the Mini Roller Coaster a 2nd time ;)

Well, that turned out to be pretty detailed LOLOLOL
 
#4 ·
Holy crap Thom, this is epic. As someone who rides here ~3days a week, I am extremely grateful for your work.

My most common route is:

#1-#2
#2-P
Halfway to #20 I take a right and head towards "balance rock"
#4-#5
#5-#6
#17-#16-#15-#13
Up the steep rock formation (RY I think)-#11
Over the tracks, across the pavilion, around back and out towards the where it says "State-owned" on the map
Turn around, back towards the pavilion, down the rock formation towards the sound
Back up the rock formation towards the pavilion, back over the tracks
#11-Tony's Nose Overlook-#10
#10-#8 by way of the purple trail
#8-#2
Then I take the red trail out to the green trail right before the parking lot, then take Green to Blue to #1

Then I ride back to my house.

Total ride for me, including on the road from home, is 7.8 miles.

I really like your route, and will try it soon. We should meet for a ride a sometime.
 
#6 ·
Holy crap Thom, this is epic. ....
ya.. couple a Sam Adams and going over the trails .. kinda carried away :crazy: lOLOLOL

Ya.. took me some trys to figure out a loop without any over lap (cept the hill at the parking lot.. ) you'll probably add a mile or 2 this way over what you're doing...

that and traveling down to the pavilion parking lot from point 10 is awesome.. got the big bank rock you can ride like one of those board bank corners you see in the parks.. :thumbsup: jts be careful of the rock at the bottom.. it'll throw you over the bars if you hit it wrong... I did.. it hurts :rolleyes: few other features that are more fun going down that section than going up. :p
 
#5 ·
Oh, I should mention that I usually get to the trail head on week days around 5:30pm. The pavilion is for the most part deserted when I get down there. If it is real busy, and I feel like I'll get someones way, I don't go cross the tracks either. Climbing up the rock formation in front of the Pavilion is one of my favorite parts of the ride though.

There is also a third trail that intersects at #5. It's a bit tight, but kinda cool. It ends up at a steep 6' roller on Red between Blue and Orange. The trail is marked at the roller. I haven't rode down it in a month or so, so it may be pretty overgrown at this point.
 
#8 ·
Hey Thom I rode your loop on Monday. I really liked it. The loop was 8 miles, including the travel from my house and a couple of short woops wrong trail moments ;)

This is definitely my go to loop now. Thanks again!
ya.. I think it comes in right around 7 miles, it's about the most you can get out of the place... I often cruse over and do the camp loops too.... adds a couple a miles, there is also a trail right at the south end of the camp sites that loops the pond, it's kinda over grown and has a few bridges that are hike-a-bike onto but it was a fun little loop.

Glad you liked it.. change it up now and again and do it backwards ;)
 
#10 ·
ya, If I remember correctly, that's actually the Old "light Blue Trail" it was actually a State trail and was marks WAY back in the 70's early 80's I believe... others have added/changed it over the yrs. actually comes out on the red trail just north of the #2 marker I have on the map. Used to be one last marker still on the red trail there up until the storms this time last yr when a tree fell on it an snapped it off.
 
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