Quail Hollow State Park
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Rider Rating
I'm an avid rider from the Cincinnati area and frequent several trails in southwest Ohio – Harbin Park, Caesar’s Creek, East Fork Lake, Landen Park, and England Idlewild in northern KY. I try to get out of the city at least 5 to 10 times a season to hit the various trails since there are no trails in close proximity due to Hamilton County Park District’s distaste towards mountain biking and the supposed damage to the land, ecology, etc.
That being said, I really enjoyed my ride at Quail Hollow. Being a little out of practice having not mountain biked this year, this trail was a nice cardiovascular warm up as well as a good chance to practice some technical rock sections, tight turns, log jumps, and quick hills.
The trail, listed at 4 miles, proved to be closer to 3.4 or 3.6 miles depending on if one is more apt to trust the GPS or the bike computer. It is in very good shape with only a few spots of deep muddiness – it hadn’t rained there in probably 4 days and most of the trail was nice and dry. There are a lot of nice rolling switchbacks at the beginning and much care has been taken to maintain this trail and fix some areas that were worn. I enjoyed the climbs through the pine tree section after the field crossing - a very scenic albeit hot/sunny change from tree-covered trails. Even more fun was the technical rocky sections of the last mile or so.
The main worry on this trail, besides wondering if your rear derailleur is going to rattle off crossing a log jump or rocky stretch, is the infinite sea of poison ivy. It is unreal that so much can grow unabated throughout this trail. I’d say close to 50% of the ride time you have to be aware of your legs and in some cases trees covered in vines. I will have to see in 3 days how well I did avoiding the stuff.
I would most compare the trail to that of East Fork Lake near Cincinnati with its nice flow but lack of extreme technical sections yet still giving a slight technical edge to Quail Hollow.
Overall I greatly enjoyed the scenic drive to the park from Akron, the length of the trail (doing two laps gave me the best workout), the speed and condition of the trail, and it’s moderately challenging obstacles. This trail is highly recommended for both beginner and intermediate and I hope to ride it again soon while getting some sweets in Hartville.
Current Trail Conditions
May 24, 2008: Trail is in pretty good condition, with the few usual wet spots here and there. Have a great ride!
Quail Hollow State Park
Quail Hollow is a landscape of rolling meadows, marshes, pine and deciduous woods surrounding a 40-room manor. Scenic woodland trails, gardens and the house offer a variety of natural and cultural experiences for visitors.
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Location and Driving Directions
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Trail Maps
Description and Review
This is the best trail around for beginners. No major climbs and no steep descents. Also no technical sections. Just a nice, flowing four mile single-track trail.
Overview: The new trail is about a 4-mile loop, starting at a small parking area about a half-mile after the park entrance. There's a kiosk with trail information and restrooms at the trailhead. The trail is well marked with arrows directing the flow; always stay to the right when starting from the trailhead.
Trail description: The trail is geared at all different levels, but mostly beginner to intermediate. In the first forest section, there's a lot of turns and a real smooth flow with many 'contour lines', with no serious climbs (anywhere). The first section dumps you out to an old farm field of double-track down the middle. The trail packs pretty hard in the summer, so it's easy to ride.
After the open field, you're headed back into a pine forest of rolling zigzagging lines, with a few short (and mild) climbs. Eventually you'll encounter a 20-ft bridge to the right, that crosses over a river. You'll continue on through the pine forest for another ½ mile where the new trail section picks up and steers you to the left. The new section is pure rolling single-track, with no climbing, and just your momentum to keep you moving. In this section there are a couple of small log piles to break up the action and challenge some riders. The log piles are very deceiving to the inexperienced; although they look intimidating, they're all very rideable...for any skill level. The key is to keep your momentum going prior to and going over the log(s).
After the pine forest, there is a creek crossing, then the trail darts through a small tree section, then back through a tight technical section. The last forest section will challenge you with some short climbs and a log pile.
Please be advised that no horses are allowed on the mountain biking trail. Currently, the park has numerous trails and acreage designated as horse-specific trails. If you encounter anyone riding a horse on our trails, please stop and carefully, politely explain that the trails are for bikes only, and that the park has assigned user-specific trails for safety reasons only, in an attempt to minimize user conflicts. Keep in mind that you will probably encounter horses at some time, and to be very careful when navigating some of the blind turns.
If foul weather has caused wet or muddy trails, we strongly advise against riding them. The amount of damage inflicted by muddy riding is very difficult to recover from, requiring a lot more on-going maintenance. It basically voids all of our original efforts to build an appealing, sustainable trail. Please be particularly careful during the spring and fall when the trails are more likely to be wet.
Also note that this park is notorious for lots of poison ivy. Please be sure to avoid the vine leaves dangling from some trees, or the hairy vines wrapped around many of the trees next to the trail. We strongly encourage you to cover up your arms (if the weather allows), or using ivy block (available at most drug stores).
Difficulty Level
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Photos
