Mountain Biking at Harris Lake County Park

We use a scoring system to determine the status of the mountain bike trails. Ten separate sections are evaluated and assigned a score ranging from 0 (dry) to 3 (standing water). If the total score is 13 or less, the trails are open. If the total is 16 or more, the trails are closed. A score of 14 or 15 means the trail status does not change. Trail conditions are checked between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and status updates are posted directly to trianglemtb.com.

We manage our trails to be good stewards of the environment here at the park.

• Humans have a tremendous impact on their surroundings, and the mountain bike trails are no exception.
• Rain turns our trails into mud, and bike traffic in such conditions compacts and tears up the soil.
• When trails stay open while muddy, many users ride around wet areas, which widens the trail.
• Riding on wet trails or around muddy areas accelerates negative impacts on natural resources, harms plant roots, encourages erosion and can render the trail unusable or undesirable.

We want the trails to open as much as you do. There are conditions that affect the opening of our trails:

• Our bike trails are very close to the water table. When the lake level is high, it takes much longer for the trails to dry because the soil is already saturated. In some cases, sections of the trails may even be underwater.
• Low nighttime temperatures freeze water on the trails. The trails must thaw before they can dry, and repeated freezing and thawing slows or stops the drying process.
• In winter, when plants are dormant, there is less water absorption, so the soil stays wet longer. In spring, summer and fall, trees and other plants help remove moisture from the trails.
   

When bikers ride on closed trails, it takes even longer before we can reopen them. Damage from riding in wet conditions traps water, worsens erosion and delays recovery. Please encourage fellow bikers to stay off the trails when they are closed.

0.7 miles

The beginner loop is marked with blue blazes (markers). It can be accessed from the Cypress parking lot or the Hog Run parking lot for and is one-way counter-clockwise only.

2.9 miles

The fastest access to the intermediate loop is from the Hog Run gravel parking lot and is marked with yellow blazes.

7.1 miles

The advanced loop is marked with red blazes and consists of an outer and inner loop. The outer loop includes the East, North, West and South sections.

The fastest access to the advanced side is through the intermediate loop. Enter through the opening in the split rail fence along the Hog Run Parking Lot entrance drive, then follow the intermediate trail section that parallels the park road until you reach the road crossing.