Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Eagles Mere, PA

12K views 42 replies 17 participants last post by  rob1035 
#1 ·
Going to be heading there this weekend for my wife and my anniversary. There supposedly some decent bike trails around the lake, not to mention World's End State Park, but I was wondering if there's any other must-ride trails in the area that I might be over-looking. Open to suggestions :thumbsup:
 
#28 ·
Regarding the map posted up by gaginwood 2 years ago... it appears to still be accurate so far...

I parked at Shanersburg Rd and rode from 1 to 2-total slopfest. It is called the bridal trail and I felt like I was riding through a horse's latrine. Seriously, do yourself a favor and don't bother with this trailhead. Poor drainage and full of nasty puddles. I am pretty sure when I was here several years ago this was designated no bikes, but it has multi-use signs now. This was very slow-going and my bike picked up more mud than ever before (I tried not to think about what was in it). It took a hard 1st gear grind just to pull out of a few of the puddles.

2 to 4 to 5 was a little better, but still lots of muddy spots.

I swung around south, then west on the trail past the golf course property. Now things weren't so sloppy-I went all the way out to the road to see where it came out-right where the power lines run through.

I doubled back and took the unlabeled left, heading north back towards 4. This was singletrack, mostly pretty nice.

Back at 4, I was hearing thunder, so I didn't want to head to 6, 7, 8, etc (also afraid it could be swampy). I also didn't want to ride back down to 1, so I went out to 3. 3 is a gated 4wd rd and the trail there was mostly grassy (and slow). You will know 3 because there is a little place to pull off and park near the gate.

Down the road back to Shanersburg intersection. The thunder was still a bit off so I went to look for the next trailhead on shanersburg (9?) and it is another 4wd road at the start with a gate, but didn't look as grassy as 3.

So that was about it, drizzle was setting in when I got back to the car, probably only got about 7-8 miles and part of that was on the road. Judging by what I saw, I will probably stay away from any swampy areas on that topo. The rotting wet horse manure was just about too much to bear. Maybe a week with no rain would be different, but I'd much rather check out other areas.

Next time out, I'd like to ride from one of the trails near Eagles Mere lake or maybe something further out shanersburg rd. The trails to the far east have me a little intrigued as well, they run along near and through some VERY steep terrain. I'd also like to save time to hit one of the vistas-they are both beautiful.

From what I saw yesterday, I assume the rest of those trails show state forest access roads, snowmobile trails, and only some singletrack, but still worth exploring.

Wish I had more to say. Will post back with any more info I can find.
 
#29 ·
Again, regarding the map posted up by gaginwood 2 years ago...

I got a little "lost" yesterday... not like I couldn't find my way out of the woods, but like the map just seemed off.

I rode down Shanerburg Rd and took the first right, which I was expecting to lead me to the intersections labelled 6, 7, 8....

Well there is a swamp on that map that is now a POND-a waterfowl restoration area. I kinda hit a dead end (or maybe missed a turn, will have to check it out again sometime).

I bushwacked around a bit and got onto another good trail that led around the area and dumped me back onto the bridal trail-so maybe the first road I was on was just an access to the waterfowl restoration area??? And now I was where I was supposed to be???

Anyway, from there I doubled back because I didn't want to ride that again and hung a right which I imagine must have been 6 or 7, but can't say for sure, then I made a left or two and headed back towards the pond.

Then I got caught up in a really cool singletrack that was not on the map marked with a black blaze. The black blaze was rather ominous, maybe a tribute to all the derailleurs and spokes claimed here. It was a very curious trail, not maintained recently, challenging enough to keep my attention, very cool and worth doing again.

Then I was dumped back onto another road that took me back down to the same wetlands and it was getting late already so I headed out and came back to Shanerburg at what I think must have been the second gate on the right.

So it was much more fun, but I ran out of time before I ran out of trails. Most of the roads have a single-tracky feel to them since they are rocky and overgrown, but obviously travelled by mtbers.

The frustrating thing is that this map doesn't seem to correspond with some of the hidden singletrack and some of the roads may or may not have been changed or added since.... to top it off, there are so many different damned colored blazes on some of the trails, but the map has no correspondence as to where a particular blaze is heading.... then there are vinyl sign posts with random numbers like 28, 27, 26 and there are old sign posts with signs removed, but other numbers painted on.... and then there is like a sign out of nowhere that says "railroad grade" or "loyalsock trail" and that doesn't correspond with anything on the map for sure.

So I have a little more HW to do. Anyone else having any luck? Would like to ride there sometime with someone with GPS to nail these things down. Would also like to know what other secret singletracks are hidden around.... there are obviously some other people biking there.
 
#30 ·
heads up

Again, regarding the map posted up by gaginwood 2 years ago...

I got a little "lost" yesterday... not like I couldn't find my way out of the woods, but like the map just seemed off.

I rode down Shanerburg Rd and took the first right, which I was expecting to lead me to the intersections labelled 6, 7, 8....

Well there is a swamp on that map that is now a POND-a waterfowl restoration area. I kinda hit a dead end (or maybe missed a turn, will have to check it out again sometime).

I bushwacked around a bit and got onto another good trail that led around the area and dumped me back onto the bridal trail-so maybe the first road I was on was just an access to the waterfowl restoration area??? And now I was where I was supposed to be???

Anyway, from there I doubled back because I didn't want to ride that again and hung a right which I imagine must have been 6 or 7, but can't say for sure, then I made a left or two and headed back towards the pond.

Then I got caught up in a really cool singletrack that was not on the map marked with a black blaze. The black blaze was rather ominous, maybe a tribute to all the derailleurs and spokes claimed here. It was a very curious trail, not maintained recently, challenging enough to keep my attention, very cool and worth doing again.

Then I was dumped back onto another road that took me back down to the same wetlands and it was getting late already so I headed out and came back to Shanerburg at what I think must have been the second gate on the right.

So it was much more fun, but I ran out of time before I ran out of trails. Most of the roads have a single-tracky feel to them since they are rocky and overgrown, but obviously travelled by mtbers.

The frustrating thing is that this map doesn't seem to correspond with some of the hidden singletrack and some of the roads may or may not have been changed or added since.... to top it off, there are so many different damned colored blazes on some of the trails, but the map has no correspondence as to where a particular blaze is heading.... then there are vinyl sign posts with random numbers like 28, 27, 26 and there are old sign posts with signs removed, but other numbers painted on.... and then there is like a sign out of nowhere that says "railroad grade" or "loyalsock trail" and that doesn't correspond with anything on the map for sure.

So I have a little more HW to do. Anyone else having any luck? Would like to ride there sometime with someone with GPS to nail these things down. Would also like to know what other secret singletracks are hidden around.... there are obviously some other people biking there.
Hey uncle6pack,

Craig Shambuagh coming up tonight to ride up eagles mere for weekend. He's the one who put the map together that your using. He's stay here for weekend:

Keystone Mountain Park Trust

I believe he's showing Nembpta around the trails. If you hook up with him may help with some of the options.

BigE
 
#31 ·
I'm not doing Eagles Mere this weekend...
...wish I could but have other plans.

Looks like a few Sundays in October might work for me, and I'm bringing the GPS, gotta get back up there, still can't find my files from when I explored Sonesville, and the Kettle Creek area a ways back, just pisses me off, hoping they weren't in one of my computers that seized up...LOL
 
#32 ·
Found this searching for something else!

Paths & Trails of the Eagles Mere Area
A truly great experience in Eagles Mere is walking the old trails and
paths through the unspoiled forests and mountains. The Eagles Mere
Conservancy, Inc. has published this information sheet to update old trail
guides and to include new trails added by the Conservancy as well as
other trails between Eagles Mere and Worlds End State Park. Some trails
are not on public land, so no assertion can be made concerning legality
or safety of passing over them. Most of the trails have paint blazes. A
double blaze, one over the other, indicates you are at an intersection or
point where an abrupt change of trail or direction may be required. Where
signs are provided at trail junctions, visualize them pushed over and lying
flat on the ground to determine trail directions. No vehicles including
snowmobiles, ATVs, four-wheel drives, or trail bicycles are permitted
on any of the Eagles Mere Paths.
Do not camp or have open fires on
Conservancy land. Please be considerate of your fellow nature lovers, and
do not litter or disturb the environment.

Lots of these trails are ones mapped out previously by CS
 
#33 ·
"Some trails are not on public land, so no assertion can be made concerning legality or safety of passing over them."

If I get hurt can I sue?

"No vehicles including
snowmobiles, ATVs, four-wheel drives, or trail bicycles are permitted
on any of the Eagles Mere Paths.
"

I guess I'm bringing my "road bicycle" to ride these...
...can a lawyer please decipher this for me?
 
#34 ·
Interesting. I'm assuming you're talking about page two of this link on The Eagles Mere Conservancy Website?

Just for the hell of it, I took Craig's map and overlaid the Loyalsock State Forest map (formerly Wyoming State Forest) that can be found on the DCNR website. See below. The green area is all DCNR state forest land, the crazy purple area is all assumed to be private.

I find it a little hard to believe that DCNR would allow the Eagles Mere Land Conservancy any jurisdiction or rule-making capabilities within state forest lands. As far as I can tell, the only public trails that DCNR regulates as off limits to bikes is the Loyalsock trail itself (I think?), and of course Worlds End State Park. Granted this is conjecture - I really don't know for certain.

...and the mysteries of Eagles Mere continue....
 

Attachments

#35 ·
So I took my bike there in August and got a chance to hit some trails outside of Eagles mere. There are actually some pretty nice trails just north of the lake, but I am not 100 percent sure bikes are legal there, especially the parts maintained by the conservancy. As you get into the park, there are definitely some trails where bikes are legal, but the ones I rode were kind of so-so. If you like some nice isolation, you might dig them. Did not see another bike, or many people for that matter and this was on a Sunday.

So if you're gonna be in the region, by all means bring a bike. But it's not really worth seeking out.
 
#36 ·
Did not see another bike, or many people for that matter and this was on a Sunday.

So if you're gonna be in the region, by all means bring a bike. But it's not really worth seeking out.
Eagles Mere Wheelmen have a yahoo news group emwheelmen, more active in the summer seasonal months, the group is made up of road & mtb riders, this past weekend EM resident and the news group monitor sponsored an mtb weekend. In my opinion EM riding is extensive, very primitive, quietly remote and just a great change up from the heavily used norm,

I ride there often during the summer months and strongly rely on the local sherpas. Injured at the moment, received pics of last weekends mtb event, wish I was there.
 
#43 ·
I'm up here now, been up about twice a year for the last 3 years. From eagle's mere proper I have ridden tons of trails, some maintained (red trail, loyal sock trail), some totally primitive and awesomely technical. No clue where any of them go really since I ditch the GPS up here, but there are trails and they are fun. Some in Worlds End, some in other areas.

The weirdest thing is not seeing another soul for an entire 5 hour ride...majorly different from home (dc baltimore area)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top