John Bryan Trail

There are about 11.5 miles of mountain biking trails at John Bryan State Park. The trails were built and are maintained by the Miami Valley Mountain Bike Association (MVMBA) in partnership with the Park. The first trail, Power Line, opened in April 2002. The other two trails, Abracadabra and Great Scott, opened in April 2003. More trail was added over the years and a Skills Park opened in 2006. A new 2.5 mile addition was added in 2009. These trails are multi-purpose and are open to hikers and trail runners. Please respect those on foot.

Power Line is about 2.5 miles with some tight twisty turns and long runs, a boardwalk, some creek crossings & a small ramp. Directly across from Power Line is Abracadabra which has about 2.5 miles of mostly flat and open easy riding. It has one medium-sized ramp (with a bypass around it), a boardwalk and small creek crossings. Directly across from Abracadabra is Great Scott. Great Scott is the longest trail at about 7 miles and has some small climbs, rocky creek crossings, bridges, boardwalks and the biggest ramp (with a bypass around it). All trails have some log jumps and the creek crossings may be wet or dry depending on the weather.

Trails are marked with signs and there are maps at the kiosk at the Arboretum trail head which connects all three trails. The Arboretum trail is 1.2 miles. The trails are contiguous. All users are asked to sign in at the kiosk which also contains the latest information on trail activities. Trails are open from sunup to one half hour after sunset.

Watch for arrows showing the recommended route at intersections. The recommended route is to start on Power Line, continue on Abracadabra and then finish on Great Scott. The map shows all trails.

The trailhead has a gazebo and a changing room both built by the Miami Valley Mountain Bike Association and the Friends of John Bryan. There is also a Portajohn at the trailhead financed by the annual 6 Hour Race for Relief sponsored by the Friends of John Bryan and MVMBA.

For more information about John Bryan State Park check: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/tabid/750/Default.aspx

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Location and Driving Directions

Follow US 68 to just north of Yellow Springs and then go east on State Route 343 (Yellow Springs Pike). Follow SR343 for about 2 miles and then turn right on State Route 370 (or Meredith Road). Follow SR370 for about a mile, turn left towards the park office and follow the mountain bike trail signs to the Day Lodge. Park in the small parking lot across from the Day Lodge or the bigger one just beyond it. The trailhead will be on your left between the small and the bigger parking lots.

This will show you the map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=john+bryan+state+park&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.440076,59.414063&ie=UTF8&ll=39.791275,-83.850715&spn=0.055662,0.116043&z=13

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Trail Maps

Here is the mountain bike trail map:

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Description and Review

These trails are great for beginners who want to cruise and enjoy the woods and great for advanced riders who know how to carve up the trail and still stay upright. For those who think these trails are easy, just go faster and see the workout that you can get.

The recommended route is to start at the kiosk by the Day Lodge and take Arboretum (the big gravel loop) to Power Line. Enter Power Line on the left which is 2 miles of some twisty stuff at the start and then it opens up. About 1/4 miles into the trail you will see the Skills Park sign on your left. The Skills Park has some practice ramps, skinnys and bridges in it. Continue on Power Line and you will come to Arboretum. Cross Arboretum to Abracadabra which is 2 miles of open flowing single track with some log piles, a nice boardwalk, fun ramp and a bigger ramp. Abracadabra is the easiest section and a nice place for kids and beginners to start. If you get tired halfway through, there is a bailout at the ramp (with the bike perched on it). Complete Abracadabra and cross over Arboretum to Great Scott. This is the longest trail at 4.5 miles and has a little bit of everything including a big creek crossing, big ramp (with a bypass), board walks and some nice log piles. When done, you'll exit Great Scott and find yourself back at the parking lot by the Day Lodge where you started. There are several bailout points on Great Scott since alot of the trail runs along side a park road.

There are yellow arrows at the intersections if you follow the recommended route.

At times, part or all of the trail may be closed due to wet conditions. Please respect the trail closures which are indicated by PVC fences with signs blocking the trail portions which are wet. These closures protect the trail tread as well as protecting riders against unsafe/slick conditions.

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Difficulty Level

These trails are targeted for beginner/novice riders with trail features for more advanced riders. Due to the minimal elevation, these trails are a great first time experience for kids and families.

No matter what your experience level, helmets are highly encouraged.

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