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Brown County: First trip

13K views 95 replies 27 participants last post by  roknfnrol 
#1 · (Edited)
Going to check out brown county tomorrow, super excited.

Was wondering what a good place to park and start, by North Gate maybe?

Is there a Gas station close by or something where i can get some energy if needed?

I am going down with a friend and her kids and was wondering about things they can do and check out while I am riding so they stay entertained?

Any cool restaurants in the area?

I really want to plop a tent down and stay but i can't, however i want to later this month. Any recommendations for a good small tent?

EDIT:
I'm also curious which trails may be too technical. I feel at disadvantage at times with obstacles since i am on a 26er lol.
 
#2 ·
Nashville is actually a real touristy type of town. Lots of shops and galleries. Plenty to keep non riders occupied.
The main starting point is the trailhead at the Rally Campsite. In your situation, starting at the North gate might work out well. It's right at the pool so, again, the non riders can hang there if you want. Another plus for the North Gate start is that you'll do most of the climbing on the way out. Coming back will be far more downhill oriented.
 
#3 ·
- Park at the north trailhead, which is on the right side just past the pool. Remember that when you enter the north gate, there's a covered bridge and it only has a 9' clearance!

- If you head a mile or so west on 46/135, there'll be places for you to buy food and drinks.

- There's a little (and I do mean LITTLE!) waterpark inside the Abe Martin Lodge that I'm sure your friend's kids would enjoy! There's a big pool outside, that I mentioned above, too.

- We drove into town (which is not even 10 mins away) and ate at a place called Big Woods Brewing Co. Overall, pretty decent!

- As far as the trails... I was told by a local that Schooner Trace Trail is pretty difficult, but we didn't get a chance to ride it. All the other trails weren't too techy at all, but fast & flowy with some good climbs to make your legs burn...:thumbsup:

Enjoy your ride...!
 
#4 ·
Schooner is a madman. I LOVE technical trails and I can't begin to ride that trail without several hike-a-bikes. I also wouldn't consider it without knee and elbow armor.
 
#8 ·
Start by the pool and ride out and go left. Each trail section is like a loop. If you stay left and ride the whole way there is a small shop to get snacks at the end of the trail by the camp grounds. When returning stay left and you will hit everything you missed on the way out. That should get you roughly 25 miles.
 
#11 ·
Haha awesome.

Well I found a walmart and scored one....albeit quite a cheesy one compared to LBS models lol.

Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2
 
#14 ·
Killer ride, "staying left" was an awesome tip. 15 miles out so I could do 30 round trip, wow. Not used to all the climbing, great ride.

I really like setup where u can start at north gate and ride to the camp ground that has a store where u can get energy and water, nice!

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#15 ·
#16 ·
Looks like you missed the Green Valley Trail! We missed it too, but it might have been a good thing, since my one buddy (who we like to call "crampy") was already *****in' and moaning about his legs being sore! Next time, we're not bringing him with!:madman:
 
#20 ·
I'd say make a weekend trip out of it! That way, if there's sections of the trail you missed the first day, you can go back and ride them the next. Or, there are other trails within an hour's drive from BCSP that you can hit on your way home. Just don't ride Nebo Ridge! Way too many downed trees killed lots of the flow (and the fun!), so my buddies and I ended-up turning around after about 3 miles in and called it a day...!:madman:
 
#22 ·
It looks like a 6 hour drive so you'll definitely want to make a weekend trip. You can camp at Brown County, or there are a few other places to stay in the area.

If you too worn out for other trails, Indy is also a cool place to ride around and have fun. They have a nice bike path system and places to hang if you are into urban/bike path rides.
Thanks for the info. It looks like Rally Campground is the closest camping to the trails. Does Rally campground have bathrooms and showers? I don't mind primitive camping, but if I'm going to be biking all day I'll definitely need a shower!
 
#21 ·
It looks like a 6 hour drive so you'll definitely want to make a weekend trip. You can camp at Brown County, or there are a few other places to stay in the area.

If you too worn out for other trails, Indy is also a cool place to ride around and have fun. They have a nice bike path system and places to hang if you are into urban/bike path rides.
 
#23 ·
Well the Rally Campground might be preserved for large groups of people. The regular campground has a store, showers, restrooms and one of the MTB trails starts/ends there and is generally close enough so I wouldn't worry about it.

Also, you can ride on the park roads to whatever starting point you want (hesitation point, north gate) from the campground or use them to commute to wherever on your bike and it's no biggie. I was wowed about how many roadies I saw riding all over the area so you won't feel out of place...and you'll get some mega speed!

I rode from the campground store to West Lookout Tower on the road to meet up with my party and it was about 4.5 miles and fun!

This place is a giant playground for us since we can ride both MTB trails and tour around on pavement.

I mean, i do plan on camping down here this season, I scoped it all out and that is what I am gonna do, just ride from the campground on the road to whatever starting point i want :)
 
#24 ·
Rally campground is primitive and located just outside the actual campground. I would expect that you probably could sneak in for a shower and no one is going to stop you if you're not stupid about it, making it obvious.
Otherwise, the standard campsites are all close enough that riding to the trailhead is not a problem.
 
#26 · (Edited)
In Brown County State Park, check out the Raccoon Ridge Campground. It offers primitive electric and nonelectric sites. There are showers, flush and pit toilets and a camp store. The Limekiln and Walnut trailheads are just outside the campground. If memory serves, the sites cost about $25 a night and you have to reserve two night over the weekend. Be sure to make sure no race or special event is planned on the trails for the weekend you're considering, and reserve your campsite well in advance. They fill up quick. Check out Hoosier Mountain Bike Association for lots of good info on the trails and park.

By the way, there were lots of roadies in the park last weekend because of an event for which the park served as a central SAG. It's not usually like that.

ETA: Here's the website to reserve a camping space at BCSP.
 
#28 ·
Yes. However you will run into "T"s where the is a marker, but all it says is what loop it is and that you can go left or right :) So for your first few times out you will want a map to know where you are etc....unless you like not knowing.
 
#34 ·
Hey, I think I met you. I was walking my shiba up near the north gate parking lot. I didn't race the Super D, but maybe I will next year. The course seemed like it would have been super fast and the weather was perfect. I rode the north half of the park on Saturday and the south half Sunday morning while the race was going on.
 
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