Is the Marrienville/Timberline trail system open?
Lookin to do some riding/camping this weekend.

 

Opened on friday the 26th. Have fun.

 

I stopped there Saturday after the Crosby dice run. I rode the marienville ATV trail but when I got to the bike trail it was closed. A sign was posted they are making repairs to it and it will open next month. I have done this trail for many years and they are making it smoother and more easy every year. It is so wide you can drive a car on it.
Husky410

 

Somebody refresh me, A few months ago on this site there was a big article about how there going to expand and possibly build new trails in Pennsyvania State lands.

I was the first to applaud them on designating NEW trails, Not makeing existing trails Wider.

The Bike Trail was a Difficulte ride.
It was a challenge and a fun to ride.

There idea of trail is a path thats almost completly strait that a car can drive on.

Thanks for the response, i'll be in Marienville this weekend.

 

Husky, what did you think of Crosby? I went to Dillonvale and was disappointed. How was the trails, hillclimbs, etc... and when is the next run?

 

Crosby had some new trails. No two-way trail to get back to the fire hall now. The trail was 30 mi. long. I don't think as many people came as last year maybe because the holiday weekend. I did it in under 2 hours so there were some wide dirt roads I was in 6th gear. No bottle necks and no step hills to climb. I got out in front and nobody was in front or behind me for most of the ride. You are only aloud to ride it once around because they close the gate and sweep the trail. Not as much mud as Dillonvale. We had trouble following the markers at Dillonvale because the rain took some of the arrows down. Crosby was well marked with ribbons and arrows. I asked when the next run is but nobody knew. Sometimes they have one in the fall. I can post it if they mail me again.
Husky410

 

3Cross,

The Marienville, Timberline, Rocky Gap, and Willow Creek trails are all National Forest trails, on National Forest land. They were refering to the State trails on state land.

I don't think that the ANF rangers will be completely ruining the bike trail at Marienville. Just smoothing out the more muddier spots to prevent erosion. When done, I'm sure that it'll still have enough rocks to make a neophite run home to mommy or try an easier trail.

 

The Marienville bike trail is suppose to be narrower than the atv trail, which would make it more challenging on a quad. Now they are making it so easy,there will be no challenge in doing it. I heard they are taking out the rock garden. I hope that's just a vicious rumor.

 

I went back and read the article, it does say state goverend lands. Which include the national forests. It does state that in the article.

Isn't it ironic, You make the trail wider,
People move faster! <<novice and expert both>>
More people get hurt.

If the trail is difficult, rough, Tough obstacles. Does it not keep the speed at a lower rate. As well as everyone is more aware of the trail and other riders. Less people get hurt. More machine might be damaged.

Personally i like the challenge of obstacles.
I hope they don't take out the rock garden..
Any idea when the Bike trail will reopen?
I gotta know what there doing there for sure.
Thanks for the response!

 

NetFishing,

I doubt if they will remove the "Rock Garden" from the trail. Rocks are one of the few things that DON'T erode when ridden on. Even as a 2x4 rider I would hate to see them smooth out the bike trail, it weeds out the chumps and wanna-be's from the real riders. I talked to an ANF ranger last year and he said that if they didn't smooth out the trail, then no one would ride on it. I, of course, explained the error of his thinking in telling him that if people want smooth, non-challenging trails they should stick to driving their cars on roads or to ride the Timberline/Marienville ATV trails.

3cross,

As much as I would like to see MORE trails up in the ANF (we have a camp up there), I just don't think it's in the cards. The Forest Service maintains that area by using state ATV registration money, but still, it is the Feds "turf" and not the states.

What we have to hope for now is for the state to get off it's collective butts and find some state forest land that is destroyed to the point that riding an ATV on it won't ruin it more than it already is. This is, oddly enough, one of their criteria in looking for new trail areas. In other words, they want it to be like the Sproul riding area, F.U.B.A.R. if you will. The Commonwealth surely won't be making any trails in unadulterated wilderness areas.