I was just typing this... I love the WMA but it is definitely missing the downhills...
Mahlon Trail Directory
- Thread starter Jason
- Start date
Ghost is awesome, and that white trail after it is the best in the park, but they're a bit out of the way. I do ride them sometimes, but there's too much filler hitting them from the park and ride.
Downhills are overrated.
I just started riding this, (it is friggin awesome) and noticed That segment is called four birds in Strava. There’s a sign where it crosses yellow saying “you are now leaving Mahlon..” and I assume that is the start of Rockaway WMA... does this somehow tie into your four birds or is this totally separate? Also... is it worth following into the Rockaway WMA? Anyone ride back down there?
That Strava segment is erroneously named. That white trail has nothing to do with Four Birds.
If you go across yellow and stay on white into the WMA, it's good for a little while. When you come out to the first woods road crossing, make a right to get back to yellow. You can follow that white blazed trail (pretty sure it's called the Beaver Brook Trail) all the way down to Taylor Rd near Berkshire Valley Rd, but it gets pretty terrible. I rode the whole thing back in like 2016 and there were a million trees down.
There's a maze of woods roads, and there used to be a pretty cool moto trail, but I would need to search my Strava for it. I also don't know if it's still there. You can also tie into the old Snow Bowl area and come down the ski hill. I'd be down to re-explore some of that with you sometime.
mntal
Active Member
I am out of shape and at best, slow on the bike but would be down for exploring that as well. I have gone south for a while after the bottom of stone gate and per review of strava was actually closer to the main woods road in Rockaway WMA than I thought I was. Seems to be a maze down there of ATV trails and such and not mapped (as far as I know)
Compton Goble Rd by the gas station on 15 to the Snow Bowl:
Full Beaver Brook trail and some exploring:
www.strava.com
This route has that cool moto trail on it:
www.strava.com
You would need to do a bunch of exploring to put together a worthwhile loop, and there is a gun club that owns or leases some of the land down there. Probably not a big deal outside of hunting season. There is a pretty funny sign that says something about you being on camera and they are gonna confiscate your dirt bike/ATV or something like that. It's literally right next to the moto trail.
Full Beaver Brook trail and some exploring:
Finally got around to exploring some of the WMA area south of Mahlon - Jim N's 21.6 mi mountain bike ride
Jim N rode 21.6 mi on Oct 24, 2015.
www.strava.com
This route has that cool moto trail on it:
Wet and lazy Sunday exploring Mahlon WMA - Jim N's 15.9 mi mountain bike ride
Jim N rode 15.9 mi on Dec 27, 2015.
www.strava.com
You would need to do a bunch of exploring to put together a worthwhile loop, and there is a gun club that owns or leases some of the land down there. Probably not a big deal outside of hunting season. There is a pretty funny sign that says something about you being on camera and they are gonna confiscate your dirt bike/ATV or something like that. It's literally right next to the moto trail.
SpartaBard
Well-Known Member
The gun club land is for sale, or at least used to be... Maybe MTBNJ should look to make a purchase?
A Potted Plant
Honorary Sod
If we all chip in how much, will form a trust and ban hikers and roadies
wood have to sell the team yacht first
A Potted Plant
Honorary Sod
Just hit refresh a lot and get that ad revenue
Now that I’m living over here I plan on doing much more exploring....hence all the south Mahlon rides lately. Like you said, if you come up here for the WMA this stuff just seems out of the way, but now that I live right down Weldon I’m more game to go get lost in the woods. Hell, I might even break down and buy a garmin...
A Potted Plant
Honorary Sod
let me know if you want company of the slower persuasion
I gotta start waking up earlier for that
A Potted Plant
Honorary Sod
...ooofff.
I got roped into exploring this with @soundz today. It was pretty cool when it didn’t completely suck. Beaver Brook down to Lost Lake was cool aside from a good bit of down trees. Everything after that was pretty shitty, with a few cool spots mixed in. I want to explore that moto trail some more... we rode a really cool section at the southern tip that went along a ridge and had some exposure. Need to figure out how to connect that with woods roads to avoid the Beaver Brook hike a bike.
https://strava.app.link/CJcn8SdHj7
Yeah, I rode the whole Beaver Brook Trail in 2015, and there were tons of blow downs. This spot is cool though.
And this was interesting:
After that split rock is where it started to get dicey. Looks like you were there during fall... it’s super overgrown right now. Didn’t find the creepy mailbox site.... we stopped just shy of the end to catch the woods roads.
Was it a fun trek? Absolutely. Would I do it again? Nah dawg.
Yeah, it was late October.
Yeah, I've explored the WMA south of Mahlon a few times and there is good stuff, but I only rode that white trail in its entirety once.