A ten-mile dirt trail – built by volunteers from the Central Ohio Mountain
Bike Organization, more commonly known as COMBO – opened in July 2001. The
trail is the result of a partnership between AEP and COMBO.
AEP Approached COMBO in the spring of 2000 to see if the area would be suitable
for mountain biking. After a tour of the lands, COMBO’s answer was an emphatic
yes. The trail was designed with intermediate to advanced riders in mind and contains
long climbs, technical rocky sections, fast downhills and numerous creek crossings.
The trail also takes advantage of numerous highwalls left behind by 1940s surface
mining. The trail often winds along the edge of these highwalls passing along numerous
lakes and streams, providing excellent views of the countryside. COMBO members built
the trail using techniques learned at trail-building schools presented by the International
Mountain Bicycling Associations, a non-profit group dedicated to educating riders
as well as trail builders.
James Buratti, author of “Mountain Biking Ohio” and one of the trail’s
designers, said information taught during the school was the key to building this
trail correctly.
“When you ride a trial, you don’t realize all the work it takes to build
it right,” Buratti said. “You have to build trails within a certain
grade and in the right places, so they will shed water, dry quickly and not cause
erosion. We built this trail to last but also built it to challenge a rider’s
skills. We hope it will set a new standard for Ohio mountain biking.”
More than 180 volunteers donated in excess of 1,800 hours to build this trail, which
was constructed by hand. Volunteers represented cycling clubs from around Ohio and
West Virginia, including the Athens Bicycle Club, Cincinnati Off Road Alliance,
Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association, Wittenberg Cycling Club and the River
Valley Mountain Bike Association. Morgan High School student volunteers built the
many bridges needed to span the deep valleys the trail encounters.
While riding the mountain bike trails in the ReCreation Land, remember safety is
an important part of having a good ride. Helmets are required while riding on the
trail. Also, during deer-gun season, the trails are off limits for riding.
The mountain bike trailhead is located near Campground C in Sand Hollow, which is
off Township Road 944, west of State Route 284. To obtain a permit, please
visit here. For more information, contact Dave Dingey at 740-962-1205.
