| SUMMARY | ||||
| Location | Trail Type | Difficulty | Length | Fee |
| Pelham, AL | Singletrack, Fire Road, Paved Road | Beginner - Advanced | 30 miles | $5 Adult / Day |
Oak
Mountain Trail Map - a simple black and white map
of the bike trail.
Locator Map for Oak
Mountain - a directions map of how to find the
park.
There is a $5 per day per person admission fee and less for seniors and children. Because of heavy road use by runners, walkers, cyclists, and animals, speed limits are 35 MPH and 25 MPH throughout the park, and are vigorously enforced.
The park opens at 7:00 AM. Gates to all Day Use areas, including side roads, the South Trailhead, picnic areas, etc. are closed AND LOCKED one hour before park closing. The park closes at various times during the year based on daylight. Closing times are always posted.
Detailed park maps are available at the main gate, at the campground store, and at the main park office on Terrace Drive. Maps are also posted at the North and South trailheads, and at the hikers shelter located on the ridge of the Red Road.
Depending on where you want to start, there are two main parking areas:
- South Trailhead: Once through the main gate, turn right onto Terrace Drive (approx 1.5 miles) and go to the end of the paved road (approx 1 mile). Peavine Road is a forest road that starts where the paved portion of Terrace Drive ends. Parking lot is on your right. Bathrooms, pavilions, picnic tables, drinking water, playgrounds, soccer/ultimate field all nearby. Trailhead is on left of paved road leading to picnic areas. Look for B.U.M.P. sign on sidewalk. Trailhead is about 30 yards up on the left, and is marked.
- North Trailhead: Travel approximately 5 miles from main gate on the main road. Lot is on left at the bottom of a relatively long hill. If you come in via 119 and Fishing Lake gate watch for lot about a mile from lake on the right. Gravel lot, port-a-potty. Trailhead (bottom of Red Road) is across the street from the parking lot. No drinking water available.
Approximately 16.5 miles long, the trail (red trail blazes) is one loop made up of about equal parts of singletrack and fire/forest/paved roads. Ride either direction on the trail. The former training grounds of the US Olympic Mountain Biking Team and the Russian Women's Mountain Biking Team, the trails are varied and are heavily ridden. Dedicated as multi-use trails, expect to see riders of all ages and abilities, as well as hikers, backpackers, kids, dogs, etc., anywhere on the trail. Recent trail changes have replaced some of the older, deteriorated sections with new ones modeled after the award-winning rides at Tsali Recreational Park in North Carolina. Please note that bikes are only permitted off road on the red trail. Fines are available from any park ranger for being caught on any other trail with a bike (whether you are riding or not!). More detailed ride description..........
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| North Trail Head | Bridge on the Trail | Another Bridge | View of Trail |
A few photos of the trail. Click the thumbnail for larger photo.
Oak Mountain is home to a ton of outdoor activities. Hiking, camping, fishing, boating, bird watching, golf (18 hole public course), R/C airplane and car facilities, picnicking, and just about anything you like to do outdoors. There is even a 50 foot waterfall at the far end of Peavine Road and within easy walking/hiking distance from several parking areas.
The Mountain Bike Trail goes near the Wildlife Center. This is a wildlife rehabilitation center and helps as many as 2500 wild animals mend each year. There you can see many interesting birds, mammals, reptiles and whatever that are recovering for various reasons. I have seen hawks, owls, snakes and other critters in cages there. After recovery the goal is to return as many as possible to the wild. For more information on the Wildlife Center visit their web site. The URL is: http://www.awrc.org
Camping is permitted in the State Park. A campsite for RVs and "car camping" is available, with showers, a camp store, fire pits, etc. Backwoods camping is also available with a permit from the Park Office.
There are several places to stay near the park. Here are some
which are on Hwy 119 and are less than one mile from the park
entrance road. I have no personal recommendation but these are
available: Comfort Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express,
Ramada Limited, Sleep Inn.
Many different restaurants, food shops and convenience stores are
also on 119.
There is a good bike shop located in a small shopping center on
the South side of 119 at the junction of Hwy 119 and Hwy 31..
Please send corrections, additions, or comments to
Aaron's
Alabama Mountain Biking