Mountain Creek

Mountain Creek

	Mountain Creek
Location:	New Jersey
Nearest Town:	Vernon
Directions to Trailhead:	Check out our current website for directions http://www.mountaincreek.com/dire.html
Trail Description:	Starting this June Mountain Creek will be opening up 50 miles of mountain bike trails with lift access. Trails will range from hardcore single track to light/moderate trail riding. For more information please call 973-827-2000.
Trail Length:	Varies
Trail Type:	Singletrack & Fire Roads
Skill Level:	Trails for all skill levels
Web Link:	http://www.mountaincreek.com
Submitted By:	Vincent Kunz

City Kid from NYC Date: July 7, 2003 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: See Website Other recommended trails in the same area: Allways looking for downhill opportunities. Have seen Plattekil (insane downhill) and Hunter (Fun) And now Mtn Creek. I look forward to going back to the creek!
Review: Lots of Fun. Extremely challenging. With all the rain there is rutting all over. Hard to belive the track was bone dry after all that rain. I enjoyed all the trails but would have liked more downhill cruiser single track without so many large rocks. Fire roads are boring but a meandering downhill trail with tight turn and few fat rocks would have been nice. Signage could be better but the trails are damm good. Each trail has it's highlights so ride'm all and find out for your self.	Overall Rating:

Mike from Vernon, NJ Date: July 5, 2003 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: Diablo Loope Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: The guy who says that the xc trails at diablo arent well kept is hilarious? I was just there and the trees that are down all have log crossing built over them. They are down to create some challenge. Ive been riding wawayanda for years and the loops at mountain creek are way more challenging. Waywayanda has way too many fire roads. Diablo has none. 100% single track.	Overall Rating:

Tom from Vernon, NJ Date: June 14, 2003 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Diablo circuit. Other recommended trails in the same area: Wawayanda State Park is the place to go. Miles and miles of fireroads and single track- I've been riding there twice a week for a couple years and still haven't hit every trail. And the park entry fee is cheaper. And you can swim. Go check out some of the Wawayanda reviews now.
Review: Diablo XC stuff is mostly winding single track with a few interesting obstacles. Unfortunately, I found the marked trails I was on to not be too well-kept- a lot of downed trees on the trails, poorly banked corners, not a lot of engineering to prevent erosion. The paying customer may be a little disappointed. Target XC audience I guess could be the Bergen/Passaic County folks who tend to get a little lost in the woods when trail routes are not obviously marked. Can't speak to the DH stuff, though, hardtail and a big mortgage are my deterrents. Hopefully for MC's benefit the place will take off & they'll be able to invest more time/energy/money in engineering the XC trails.	Overall Rating:

Mike from Hardwick Date: May 10, 2003 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: WOO Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: HOO!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOOO WOOO HOOOOO FInally !!!!!!!!!!!!!! OPPEN AGAIN ITS BEEN SO LONG>>>>SO EXCITED>>>>time to un burry the rig and get ridin...dman this is gunna be expensive. 30 bucks a ride or almost 300 a pass....pluss...damn now i gotta get my bike ready for a new season....hmmmm and a roof rack....and damn....and new shoes!!!! woo hoooooo	Overall Rating:

Seth from Chestnut Ridge, NY Date: May 3, 2003 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Mountain Creek Other recommended trails in the same area: Not Enough
Review: They are back this season. www.mountaincreek.com has all the details. Its about time; $28 a day or $289 for all season. :)	Overall Rating:

Ian F from Philadelphia, PA Date: March 6, 2003 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: hoax Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: This is a hoax, don't get your hopes up...	Overall Rating:

angelo gallo from port washington new york u.s Date: November 16, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: need more jumps Other recommended trails in the same area: the sandpits in port washington ,New York longisland
Review: i've been rideing thair for 3 years and i think that its th most best thig ever the trails are net lik the new one its good cuze its jumps and outher crazy things.	Overall Rating:

Don from Vernon Date: June 21, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Mtn Creek backside sold to State. Other recommended trails in the same area: Connect into Newark watershed, and the southern areas of the wildlife mgt area around Silver Lake. Access those trails from a fireroad which meets 515 from the west about 2 miles north of 23. Lots of miles. More traffic from quads and dirtbikes on southern side. Watch out for those rocky, ripped up parts they have loosened up.
Review: Good news. The state has bought back the land at the top of the mountain. It is now a part of the Hamburg Mtn Wildlife Management area, as it was before 1986. It is saved, no new development above the valley. All those sweet backside trails are safe for good. Come in through the top at 515 /resort club entrance and ride around, it's good.	Overall Rating:

Rafal from Hillsborough,nj Date: June 12, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area: Waywayanda-it's great place
Review: don't go there!!!!!!!!!!!!! you can't ride there on this season	Overall Rating:

Don from Vernon Date: April 18, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Mountain Creek is full of crap Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: They say the lift is closed for maintenance. Yea, OK so it is. THEN OPEN THE DAMN TRIPLE CHAIR! The real fact is they are in a big fight over development on the mountaintop, and some Mtn. bikers are vocal opponents. Now NO ONE is allowed on the mountain to see what they are up to. They are so pissed at a few people that they just blew off a whole class of clientele, you downhill guys, so they can keep everybody out of there. They also fired the guy that managed Mt Biking, Jonah. Also, some local environmental nutcases are on their backs so much that every tree hugger from the Sierra club to Greenpeace is foaming at the mouth trying to shut them down and get the credit for it. Those nuts are whacko about the downhill trails getting beat up and eroding, and Mt Creek doesn't want to give them any more reasons to complain. I know you guys need a lift to get to the mountaintop. How about car commuting to the top using 515 to the resort club entrance? Yea, somebody has to drive back down, but take turns. Its free! and its closer than Plattekill. Just stay clear of security when driving in there. If they harrass you tell them you belong to the resort club. They have no legal right to kick you off the top of the mountain when your not using a motor vehicle. It used to be state land and the state said it has to remain open to public access. So tell security to go take a hike if they bug you, you know your rights. Don't ever expect them to open the lift again for riding. Not next year, not ever. Too much crap is going on in this town to let that happen. Too bad, I rode this place all the time when the lift ran.	Overall Rating:

mike from clifton Date: April 15, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Any where but Bear Creek. Other recommended trails in the same area: Platt
Review: I agree Bear Creek sucks big time. Everything RED TMX said is true. You can ride a bmx bike down the trails.	Overall Rating:

REDTMX from JERSEY Date: April 14, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: I KNOW THAT I WROTE THAT THERE ARE TWO PLACES TO RIDE FOR US SOME WHAT CLOSE, BUT FORGET THAT. BEAR CREEK SUCKS ! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ! SAVE YOUR 17 DOLLARS ! 40 MINUTES FROM THE LINE TO THE TOP OF THE HILL, 2 MINUTES DOWN. (CHECK THE RACE TIMES IF YOU THINK IM JOKING) Other recommended trails in the same area: FOR DOWNHILL RACING DONT YOU NEED A MOUNTAIN?????????
Review: THATS RIGHT PEOPLE, THIS PLACE BLOWS. FIRST OFF, THE LIFT IS SUPER SLOW. PEOPLE THAT WERE PUSHING UP THE HILL BEAT US TO THE TOP. I SWEAR TO GOD. ONCE AT THE TOP THERE ARE LIKE 4 SKI TRAILS TO THE BOTTOM. NO TECH STUFF, JUST GRASSY FIELDS TO THE BOTTOM. THE RACE COURSE REMINDED ME OFF HARTSHORN WOODS DOWN BY THE SHORE, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS HARTSHORN IS STEEPER AND HAS NO CHAIR LIFT. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, NO OF THE TRAILS ARE MARKED. WE ASKED THE LIFT GUYS WHAT TRAILS WERE GOOD AND THEY POINTED US TO THE DIRECTION. "HEY, THIS TRAILS ISNT THAT BAD" I THOUGHT. LOTS OF ROCKS AND SPEED. NOW FOR THE KILLER, WE ENDED UP IN THE BACK OF A FARM. WE GOT OUT FRONT TO THE ROAD, BUT WE WERE TOTALLY LOST. WE ENDED UP HAVING TO PEDAL A MILE DOWN THE ROAD. MAKE A RIGHT AND PUSHED OUR BIKES ABOUT 2 MILES UP THIS STEEP ASS ROAD JUST TO GET TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE MOUNTAIN. NOT FUN WITH 65 POUNDS OF BIKE. THIS PLACE WILL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN. PEOPLE THAT THOUGHT THIS PLACE WAS GREAT NEVER RODE PLATTEKILL. THE BEST PART OF THE DAY IS WHEN I GOT HOME.	Overall Rating:

REDTMX from YOUR SISTERS WINDOW Date: April 3, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: NEED A NEW PLACE TO RIDE? BEARCREEK P.A. IS THE CLOSEST PLACE TO RIDE FOR THE NY/NJ METRO AREA. IT OPENS APRIL 14. 1.5 HOURS FROM NYC. Other recommended trails in the same area: WWW.SKIBEARCREEK.COM / WWW.PLATTEKILL.COM I GAVE THEM 5 TIRES FOR TRYING TO HELP. FU MC!
Review: FROM WHAT I HERE, SOME TRAILS ARE GOOD AND SOME ARE NOT. WE WON'T KNOW FOR SURE UNTIL THEY OPEN. IT IS THE SAME KIND OF TERRAIN AS MOUNTAIN CREEK BUT WITH A BICYCLE SUPERCROSS TRACK. JUMPS ARE A GOOD THING, BUT ARE EVEN BETTER WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE IS BUILDING THEM. WE'LL SEE, MABEY I'LL BRING MY BMX BIKE INSTEAD TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING. BUT REALLY, WHO CARES? YOU CAN BE RIDING WITHIN HALF THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE YOU TO GET TO PLATTEKILL. THE QUESTION IS, DOES IT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO REPLACE PLATTEKILL AS THE EAST COAST MECCA? MABEY WITH YOUR SHIT BIKE, BUT HARD TO SAY WITH MINE.	Overall Rating:

Clay Parker from Campbell hall, New York Date: March 30, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Take the New York State Thruway and go to Plattekill. Other recommended trails in the same area: Plattekill
Review: If anyone cares at this point, I emailed Mountain Creek about being closed to Mountain Bikes this year. I asked them 'is it true' 'why' and 'for how long'. Here's the letter I got back from them: Hi Clay, Yes it is true Mountain Creek will not be open this season for mountain biking our primary lift the Cabriolet gondola, will not be in service this summer. Since the cross country trail system originates on the top of our mountain plateau;and for downhillers the lift access is a necessity, we regret that we will not be able to access the trails this season and are unable to offer the program we developed in the course of the past two years.Please keep in touch and check our website for any special events that may develop. pat	Overall Rating:

MIKE from CLIFTON Date: March 29, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: MOUNTAIN CREEK MADE PLATTEKILL OWNER VERY HAPPY Other recommended trails in the same area: PLATTEKILL
Review: I RODE THERE EVER SINCE THEY OPENED. IT HAD A GREAT LIFT,NEW TRAIL ALMOST EVERY WEEK. NICE TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK OF THEIR COSTOMERS. I GUESS I'LL BE RIDING AT PLATTEKILL. PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER TRYING TO CONVINCE HIDDEN VALLLEY TO OPEN TO BIKERS. IT HAS THE SAME VERTICAL DROP AND IT SOULD HAVE THE SAME TERAIN SINCE IT'S ONLY ABOUT 1 MILE AWAY.	Overall Rating:

CocoLoco from Long Island, NY Date: March 25, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Totally upset with Mountain Creek closing their trails for mountain biking and racing. I agree with AS in trying to get mountain creek to reopen their trails. Everyone please see AS's trail review and send an email. Other recommended trails in the same area: If someone knows of any, please post!
Review: Great trails and alot of technical stuff, better and closer than Plattekill but Plattekill is 2nd and I guess will be seeing my dirt this year more. C'mon Mountain Creek, you are losing customers and reconsider opening the trails. I give it 4 stars when it is open!!!	Overall Rating:

Mike from hardwick Date: March 24, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: it dont matter cuz guess what Other recommended trails in the same area: how can the do this to mee.....
Review: mountain creek will be F***IN closed to biking this season whhyy whyyy whyyy whhyyyyyyyyy i am so frickin pissed its the only place around to go and its gone.... please....if anyone knows another lift access area to go...tell me please with in reason from creek....please!!!!!!	Overall Rating:

blue tmx avalanche from brooklyn usa Date: March 9, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: xxx Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: i could go on and on about how good mtn creek is but im not . not after the way they left us hangin. yeah they have slammin trails but what good are good trails if you cant get to the top. the decision to not run the lift for 2001 is a poor and inconsiderate choice to all loyal mc riders . dont get me wrong , if they still open i will stay loyal , otherwise plattekill will be seeing my ass all summer .	Overall Rating:

AS from NY / NJ / PA / CT Date: March 2, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: HELP US GET THE MOUNTAIN OPEN TO BIKERS AGAIN...! Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Send an Email to savemtncreek@yahoo.com and include the following in the subject line: 1. First name, last initial 2. Email address 3. State or Province Please no text message, just the above info. You will be included in a petition to show the owners just how many people support keeping their lifts open. You will also be added to a national support registry to help keep trails open all across North America. Thanks for your support!	Overall Rating:

CAT YELLOW TMX from MOUNTAIN CRREK LOST Date: February 27, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Where oh where has my Mt. Creek gone...As many of you,i am quite disappointed that my Mt creek will not be opening.I have asked for reasons,but none are forthcoming.It is quite disheartening to hear this news,especially after purchasing a New BROOKLYN TMX. Other recommended trails in the same area: .....WHO KNOWS MAYBE A BIT OF POSITIVE THINKING.The riding up there is great.
Review: This ride does not come cheap. After saving and scrimping i finally get it....just to get kicked in the NUTS.Me and da' boys ride every weekend both days, and all summer holidays. This is what you get for "loyalty". Thank you MT. creek. I suppose places like Plattekill and white tail are the place to be.Mt. creek was the best deal going...right in my own back yard. I know i am going to keep trying to get some kind of answer. KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN....C'YA AT PLATTEKILL....	Overall Rating:

red tmx from jersey Date: February 27, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: closed for this season Other recommended trails in the same area: Plattekill here we come
Review: i was given many reasons for the mountain closing, but nobody has given a real answer. lets just remember the good times we had there. My favorie was the jump that we built on the last weekend at the top of the alpine slide. concrete parking dividers under this big ass piece of plywood. just start at the hay bails up top and rail it. I was jumping onto the trail about 20 feet before the rock ledge section. I could go on and on but whats the point. Its over Johnny! Brooklyn's rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!	Overall Rating:

xxx from xxx Date: February 23, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: closed this year............... Other recommended trails in the same area: NY,PA
Review: NO more Mountain creek,at least not this year 2001 ....... Who knows why if anyone knows post some reasons this news is the last thing I needed to hear after investing in a new rig, oh well Platekill here we come..	Overall Rating:

gingertooth from ringwood, NJ Date: February 20, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: assripper Other recommended trails in the same area: All
Review: mountain creek rules. It is widely known for it's downhill trails which all experienced mountainbikers should be able to ride. These place has very technical trails and does have a tremendous amount of xc singletrack as well. I race xc and have to say that the singletrack there is the best you'll find anywhere on the east coast. Some of it is not marked and most of it is. So for those who bad mouth this place either can't ride a mountain bike or should be sitting at home with there girlfriends. MOUNTAIN CREEK IS FOR REAL MOUNTAIN BIKERS.	Overall Rating:

Chris from Deptford Date: November 24, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: I drove 3.5 hours(one way) to get to this place and was in a very bad mood upon arrival. When I got my bike onto the lift my spirits lifted. After the second ride down I was in heaven. This is the best trails I have ever ridden. I have ridden AZ, UT, KY, and well all over the place. This place was great no pedaling, just hope on the bike and grab the brakes. There were awesome dropoffs and the trails were HARD. I haven't felt that good or challenged about a ride is years. My bike is a Gary Fischer joshua and I was wishing for more suspension, don't recommend the downhills with a hardtail. If I lived up there I would have to invest in a DH bike but for know I will just have to deal with mine. I was watching everyone else ($5000 bikes) and seeing the suspension work makes you realize why they are so expensive. Also if you go you might want body armor. You hit speeds of up to 50mph on fireroads and your on rocks/gravel with washouts. My friend who is fairly new at biking crashed 6 times throughout the day and believe me he was wishing he had armor. I recommend this place to anyone who likes to be challenged and likes to downhill. I can't comment on the cross-country riding but the downhill is awesome. We are scheduleing rides once a month when the season opens back up, and this time we are staying the weekend. 7 hours of driving in one day got on my nerves but well worth it.	Overall Rating:

Mike from CT Date: November 11, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Any steep downhill. Other recommended trails in the same area: Plattekill
Review: This place is really really fun. I think they just started getting into the bike scene. I still like plattekill more because it is all biking. Not 100000people there for the waterpark just staring at our bikes. They need to mark there trails more better. Also for their racing. It is really fun, not enought people though. Get out and RACE! They dont really tell anyone during the race whats going on. They keep talking about how u should come and buy there ribs. When you win they dont really care either unless ur pro/expert. They need to copy plattekill for the racing. Then that place would kick ass. Its closer to most areas so its a quicker ride than plattekill. So hopefully next season they will work out the few problems and get it going.	Overall Rating:

Foolishhuman from North Jersey Date: November 7, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: First, the GOOD: This is one of the best DH rides in Jersey! The trails are pretty sick and challenging, with plenty of drops and steeps. I used to go to Mt. Snow but now i can skip the long drive and get almost the same thrills! It's a downhill park right in your back yard, what more can you ask for? And the ticket prices are pretty damn cheap too. Now the BAD: DON'T LISTEN TO THEIR COMMERCIALS!!! This place is NOT for beginners. Everytime I go there I see people on their huffys and K-Mart bikes, not knowing what they're getting into. One time this whole family arrived in the parking lot asking us where the trails are. We told them they shouldn't ride here, but the mother insisted the radio commercial said there were trails for beginners. Yes there are beginner trails, but they're in the back of the mountain, meaning they have to ride down the expert trails to get back to the base of the lift. That is simply retarded. Another gripe is poor trail marking. The mountain bike trail signs are so tiny most people don't see them, instead they follow the large ski trail signs. Most beginners there follow the green ski signs and end up riding down the loose gravel ski runs. most of them just walk down the mountain and go home. Mountain Creek needs to put up some larger and more visible signs!!! Also the trails are kinda short compared to other DH parks, but this is NJ so its not really their fault. Overall this place has great potential and I can't wait for next year!	Overall Rating:

mike from belleville, NJ Date: October 25, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: fr. rt. 80W to 23N to 515N to 94S Other recommended trails in the same area: Ringwood
Review: I found out about Mt. Creek late this summer, so needless to say, I won't be able to go as much as I wanted to before winter. I find the trails to be challenging expecially since things come at you faster due to the gravity. I'm an XC / Freerider guy for the most part, but being a former BMX'er, I love jumps, drop offs and the like. This place had me push my Intense Tracer to it's limits. You see mostly Downhill bikes with upwards of 8 in. of travel. It seriously makes me want one of those to just blast past any of the singletracks through the woods. Some trails are just littered with huge rocks. This place humbles you until you get to know it. I've saved a lot of skin by wearing arm and leg armor. It is however addictive. Also after riding here, your skills definitely pick up a couple of notches. It is easy to get lost due to unclear trail markings, and also late in the season there's a lot of snow making equippment on the trails which could really leave some permanent marks on you if you run into it.	Overall Rating:

Don from Vernon Date: October 16, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: New XC trails behind granite peak Other recommended trails in the same area: Waywayanda and High Point are great options close by.
Review: Having been in business for just about 2 seasons, Mt Creek has become THE place to go for metro area downhillers. Unfortunately it has not pleased XC riders as well. Yes, signage is poor on those backside XC trails. Signs were put up, but were ripped down by locals {I assume} who want the place kept to themselves. Intrawest is in a fight to develop the area the XC trails go through on the mountaintop which has the locals angry. I guess this tactic will discourage repeat riders, which is their wish. I like the new trails cut behind Granite peak, Sally's singletrack, and others are great. My buds and I go out there and have a great time looping around. The current map does show these new trails, some still have signs on them now. If you follow the map, looking at the topo lines and intersections you should be able to find your way around. For XC riders the best way off the mountain is to go down to the south lodge by way of the many singletrack options or the ski trails. Unlike the lift serviced side, the trails over there get far less use and consequently are not like the wickedly beat up, loose dirt and rocks trails that are on the Vernon side. Leave a car there to get back to the lift serviced side, it is a 2 mile road ride to get back.	Overall Rating:

phil from trenton Date: September 8, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Unfortunately legible trail markings are nonexistent, beware of what is labeled pro-expert and novice. Don't bother asking for the trail map, it's worthless. If there's one complaint about this place it's navigation, good luck getting around. I took a trail marked novice and had to walk half of it after I burried my head into the dirt at the bottoom of a 3 foot drop-off. Left off the gondola onto main chute stay right. Follow path into woods and find trail on left. Once in the woods there are countless trails, make sure to keep track of distance in relation to the gondola and main chute. If not, plan on hiking when you end up in someones back yard. To the right there are some XC trails which lead into downhill runs and good single track. Try and find "end over end" Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: This review is for XC riders looking for something more technically challenging, downhillers probably would disagree with most of this. Been there once but there are two types of trails, that I rode at least. The wide chutes are loose rock and dirt, some mild some super steep but mostly straight forward. Watch out for snow making equipment, some of the pipes are hidden in the grass. If riding the trails to the right of the gondola, pay attention to the large signs made for skiers, always head towards Vernon! If not you'll end up in Granite Peak with a long walk since you can't ride through the water park. The trails in the woods are sweet. Scary if you're not used to the steep grade and speed but real nice. Tight single track with lots of rocks of all sizes. Plenty of trees and man made obstacles to jump or crash over. If you plan on riding the inside trails, this is what you need: Platform pedals and proper shoes. Leave your clipless at home, trust me my first and almost only run of the day was wearing them Shin/knee pads minimum. Elbows wouldn't be bad idea as well as a full face helmet. You will not look like a clown in full armor at this place. Soft tires or air down what ever you have, pinch flats are well worth the benefits. If you have a pretty bike, don't bring it. It'll get trashed, especially the big ring and pedals. Rent theirs. Strong brakes. Get them serviced before you go. Even if you're a great rider, you'll use them all day. A riding partner and a cell phone (and video camera)with 911 in the memory. Common sense! Everything looks doable at first( and it would be if it was broken down into individual sections) but once you get moving stuff just hits you left and right. Don't get carried away and hit a jump without knowing what you're landing on! You might end up off your bike for two weeks with bruised ribs. With good trail designation and a place to get decent food and drinks, this place would get a five. Lots fun just use your head. Well worth the 20 bucks.	Overall Rating:

Alex Hernandez from Bogota, NJ Date: September 2, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Starting from Route 80 or Route 287 South from NY, take Route 23 North. A shortcut is Route 515 (signs for Mountain Creek at intersection) and make a left at Route 94. MCreek is on the left a mile down. Other recommended trails in the same area: Ringwood, Patriot's path, Lewis-Morris Park, MANY IN AREA TO NAME.
Review: Great place for \x-country and downhill. Trail maps are very poor. Some trail markings were removed the last few times I have went. Mostly downhill near the lodge at the base of the lift, and mostly fireroads and some hidden singletrack going away from that lodge. Great trails once you find them. Ask at the bike rental center for suggested trails. Those guys are usually hardcore bikers.	Overall Rating:

Atom from Long Island Date: August 30, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: www.mountaincreek.com Other recommended trails in the same area: Plattekill, Central Park, Shoream, Stillwell
Review: I f#ckin' love this place. Until I hit Mountain Creek, I was only into XC riding and occasionally some urban riding. Now, I am a DH/freeriding fanatic. I was sh!ting myself the 1st time I went there. I have a hardtail, w/ clipless pedals...HAHAHAHA. Do not attempt to ride these trails w/ clipless pedals, I learned that the hard way. The trails are steep and rocky as hell. You will be spending more time getting in and out of your pedals then enjoying the trails. There are jumps everywhere (mostly built from the pipes that are running all over the mountain). If you love drop-offs, this place has tons of em. You dont need a trail map for this place... just ride down the god damn hill...everything comes out to the same place. It is rarely crowded, and so far I have never waited more than 30m sec. to get on the lift. I met alot of cool people up there that I see everytime I go. I recommend at least some elbow, knee/shin guard when riding this place. On my last visit I broke my wrist...which SUXXXX cuz now Im laid up for a few weeks. Oh well... And to all you XC puss!es that dont like this place.....go ride rocky point on LI...thats a nice, flat faggotey a$$ trail for all of you scared of some real trail riding.	Overall Rating:

Dave from LongIsland, New York Date: August 23, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Great ride, look out for Rocks and Pipes. good idea to wear armor. Great rush, cant wait to back for more.	Overall Rating:

April from New York city Date: August 18, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: If you can find it... Other recommended trails in the same area: Ringwood
Review: It's been a year since I last rode and reviewed Mountain Creek. I was lucky the first time I went there last year, I stumbled upon some really nice, connected x-c loops. But even after riden it a couple more time, I still find it difficult to navigate around the back, where the mojority of x-c trails are. There hasn't been too much improvement there. This year, I found many more technical downhill trails right off the front side of the mountain. Most of them are rocky, some steep. It's no Platterkill. But for its location (1 1/4 hrs from NYC), it's much more pratical. It's enough to keep this weekend worrior happy. Until they improve the trail maintenance and marking, it'll only appeal to a hard-core minority crowd.	Overall Rating:

Rich from Long island Date: August 1, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: go to mountain creeks web page and get directions Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: ok, first, i am not a downhiller. that said, this place scared me right off the bat when i got there and you see people with full body armor walking all over the place. perhaps this is a great place to ride if you love downhilling, but not for xc...we tried to follow the map of the trails that they give everyone, and ended up lost and looking at the map more times than not...the trail markers are non-existent and just downright suck! we complained and they gave us free passes to come back another time... perhaps next year, but not unless i hear they have improved the xc trails. i think i will stick to stillwell woods and rocky point on long island.	Overall Rating:

RkFast from Long Island Date: July 24, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: On the trail map they provide, stick to the blue and green for cross country riders, black trails for the downhill riders. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Intrawest is starting to build a nice place to bike in this area. Facilities are nice. The terrain is geared more towards the downhill crowd, however. There is plenty of technical singletrack for the cross country riders, but if you like FAST singletrack and dont have four inch wide tires and body armor, go somewhere else.	Overall Rating:

Mike from Northern NJ Date: July 8, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Around the lakes. But don't get lost. The trails are poorly marked, and you can end up in someones back yard. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: DO NOT rent from Mt. Creek. After riding one of their Specialized FSR's, and smacking the front tire on a rock bed, the tire blew out, and shock blew. That's not the bad thing. The bad thing is, they wanted to charge me $150 to buy a new shock! They seem to be severely under-staffed, and under-knowledged. I managed to get out of this one. The physics of the trails are good - plenty of challenging rocky downhill, and a couple of nice winding singletrack. But the maintenance is Atrocious - poorly marked trails, poorly marked guides, no mountain creek employees to help you out. Many times I have come upon an intersection, and there is simply no trail marking! I have also ridden trails that simply stop! Ending up in bushes. Also, there is NO wilderness feel whatsoever. Rusted tractors, pipe lines, garbage... eveything. If the rental shop was better supplied (with employees, that is) and the trails were better maintained, I would've given Mt. Creek 4 stars. But, as it is, one is all it gets.	Overall Rating:

kerouac from nyc/vermont Date: July 3, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: over the river and through the baby heads Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: I never realized how many whimps there are around here!! Unless mt. creek has changed in six months! I've ridden everything from Platakill me to Mt snow to Killington to Bomb roads in North east vermont. Vernons mecca that is Mt creek is the sickest east coast solution to British Columbia Canada. And any one says other wise has not followed Team Brooklyn Down rock drop narley steep wooded madness...period	Overall Rating:

paul s. from highland lakes Date: June 21, 2000 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: Ihave a new e-mail adderss please respond to pauls@warwick.net nocan use old one Other recommended trails in the same area: e-mail me so we can eat dirt ps. ill ride with new to old . try weds night at the top of skyline drie with us 5:00 to5:30 is start time oyt of woods around 8:00pm its tuff so act tuff.
Review: ride fast take chances	Overall Rating:

Antonio Sini from NYC Date: May 9, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: THIS IS A REVIEW OF MT. CREEK'S DOWNHILL FACILITY... Other recommended trails in the same area: There's nothing else in this area. Plattekill is the only other DH spot around and it's way better than Mt. Creek - for now.
Review: Remeber that I said this - "In two years, this place will be one of the top 3 bike resorts on the East Coast." They have BIG plans for Mt. Creek and you can start to see the beginnings of something great. I was there on 5/7/00 with some friends. They were building a BMX/DirtJump park off to one side and had at least a dozen DH trails open at the top of the mountain. From what I rode and saw, there were about 3 trails which you could clssify as Expert and the rest were sport and beginner level stuff. But, although there were alot of mellow trails, they all had plenty of places to catch nice air. Overall, not a bad place to have 3-4 hours of fun. Wait till they open the water park in June...! Now the bad things - There was no place to chill out. The lodge (actually big top tents), had no air conditioning and it must have been 100 degrees inside. The area at the base, by the gondola, was all concrete and blacktop which ment no grass to plop down on after a hard run. There was minimal food and bike services available. The Place is pretty big but only a small area is being used for downhilling AND that area is right next to the water park. Don't be surprised in the Summer when you come flying down the final fire road and have to slolam around little kids in there bathing suites! I just hope the owners of this place know what they're doing.	Overall Rating:

paul s. from highland lakes Date: April 22, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: at mile 6 off 515 drive or better yet ride .in alocal bike club cut some nice trails(thanks iron pony)ride down to lake and explore left to watershed .right to ski area straight to south ski area Other recommended trails in the same area: wawayonda state park
Review: good stuff ihave been rideing the mt. top for 8+ years and seen it all from previous owners (dirt bag) to new interwest (so far so good ) when you ride you need to bring tools tubes ect. lots o rocks lots o fun rember dont be a sally or ride a huffy fire jannet reno peace out paul	Overall Rating:

J from New Jersey Date: April 11, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: For a XC Loop: Get off the lift at the top and go straight back. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: I rode here only once but I was pretty surprised by how fun it could be. There is stuff here for most everyone.. The downhill is pretty short but I found the xc trails to be exiting. We just basically got lost on purpose. We ended up doing about 20 miles of varying terrain. All I can tell you is dont be afraid to try new trails. Just bring some food and tools. And for the price.. Not bad considering the insurance costs that interwest must have to front to cover the yahoos on huffys blasting down the hill with no brakes to speak of.. That was the biggest trouble I could see there. unexperinced riders bombing down the hill! Dont buy crappy bikes .. Support your local bike shop and spend the money once. Buy a bike better than you think you need. You will grow into a better bike and you wont be constantly upgrading.. (AS MUCH) Have fun...	Overall Rating:

Mountainbiker from Bound Brook, NJ Date: April 5, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area: Any other trails in NJ, NY, and PA are fine. I have ridden most trails in NJ and most in Westchester County, NY.
Review: I was the first one to be there on opening day, and yes the lifts were not working but they did provide us rides to the top, which was a good customer service move. During the first year there were a few new trails that ranged from intermediate to extremely difficult. The existing ski trails are exactly that, ski trails, what else would you expect from a ski resort. Some of the complaints from below are the pipes, machinery, snow making equipment, and other items left behind from its former usage as a water park. That is what it used to be a water park and now a ski resort. Imagine that, ski equipment and pipes at a ski resort, how unusual. Let's look at it from a global perspective. If you take a look at the location for most of us in NJ, PA, and NY, it is closer than Plattekill. The resort is multi use and is for primarily downhill use. The XC trails are new and will probably take another year or so before they become really cut trails. With the opening on April 15th for it's second season the standard users of this area should be excited. I know the 20-dollar lift fee may seem outrageous but you have no problem paying 30 dollars or more for your ski lift tickets. Just enjoy it, I know it's not free but where else in NJ can you get this kind of DH excitement. For XC, we will have to wait and see this year	Overall Rating:

Brian T from Middlesex Date: March 15, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Follow road signs Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: First realize it's $20 for what you can get anywhere for free, unless you are a full body armor, 8" suspension travel downhiller. Watch out for construction eqiupment, water lines for snow making, atv's and 'English as a second language' people who ride Huffys and Union Pacifics. The trails are poorly marked and the trail under the lift is probably too much for anything less than a real downhill rig (more than my 3" of travel Dakar Team could handle). Still it is nice not having to pedal up the hill. By now they should have a lodge, but when I was there it was just a pile of ashes.	Overall Rating:

macgrath from wayne Date: September 5, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: In your car and away from the resort. Other recommended trails in the same area: Wawayanda, Mahlon Dickerson
Review: Mtn. Creek added a few trails to a good network that already exsisted, probably for years. The trails that Mtn. Creek made were poor and a lot of the cheesy trail signs had fallen down. One was ok a blue trail on granite peak that lasted but 60sec. The rest were lame ski slopes with junk in places ie. contruction equipment, old snow equip. and old pipes. Others were impossible technical descents. The good pre-existing trails can be accessed for free from local roads in vernon and I would rate them good. The new trails that intrawest built are poor, although the ride to the top was kind of cool. Back to the drawing board...	Overall Rating:

ED from NJ Date: September 1, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: UP LIFT AND PICK A TRAIL Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: HAS POTENTIAL. PEOPLE ARE PRETTY COOL AND HELPFUL. BIKE SHOP NEEDS TO STOCK MORE STUFF. YOU CAN'T SELL IT IF IT ISN'T THERE. BIKES, GEAR, TIRES, YOU KNOW BIKE STUFF. TRAILS ARE COOL. IF YOU LOOK GOOD YOU'LL FIND SOME SCARY ONES.WITH MORE TRAILS AND A FULLY STOCKED BIKE SHOP COULD BE 5 STARS.	Overall Rating:

April from New York Date: August 23, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Down the hill or out the back Other recommended trails in the same area: Ringwood, Wawayanda
Review: Lots of single track all over the mountain. Does require some minimum technical skill, or you'll be hiking. There're many more trails than those shown on the map. Stop at the shop for the tip of the day, you might be lucky enough to ride a brand new trail! The trail map has contour lines on it, the first I've seen. Really helpful when you're tired and trying to find the flatest way home... I'd give 5 stars but I had to wait for an hour while they fix the lift. Worth the wait though.	Overall Rating:

D.E.C. from NJ Date: August 21, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Down the hill Other recommended trails in the same area: Mahlon Dickinson Ringwood
Review: They've got everything up there. Every type of trail. Check with the guys in the bike shop and get trail recommendations for your type of riding. The guys in the bike shop are great and are constantly going out of their way to help the riders. Fast wide downhill ski trails and singletrack downhill if you know where to find them-some major technical, some smooth like a roller coaster ride. If you like cross country you can do it there. If you like downhill, this beats the drive North. The downhill ski trails right now aren't super long, but they are constantly cutting new trails and have taken recomendations and have worked their butts off expanding. If you were there week one like me you'll see a big difference. Kudos to the bike shop crew.	Overall Rating:

chris from Date: August 15, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: only did the race course Other recommended trails in the same area: i will give 'em 2 for effort
Review: the people there suck the race cousre is a hike and bike i finished 4 but it sucked	Overall Rating:

peter mcpherson from whitehouse sta Date: July 9, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: to hear whats going on the NJ trials go to: www.homestead.com/njr/enter.html	Overall Rating:

Uncle Kevin from Sayreville, NJ Date: July 1, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Went to Mountain Creek on opening weekend. Place has a lot of potential. As of this writing THIS IS NOT A DOWNHILL RIDE!! I saw a guy in the parking lot with a downhill rig putting it back on the rack complaining that he had to haul his 40 pound monster up htis big hill. There is a nice downhill section but be warned, you have to pedal to get to it. Jorge from Fastrack MTB club was there and he was setting up a meeting to cut some downhill specific trails. I don't know the outcome of this meeting but you can contact Fastrack off their website at www.fastrack.net On to my review. Like it was mentioned in the other reviews, the lift was not open on opening day so we were shuttled to the top in a van with the bikes on a trailer. We started at the radio towers at the top of the mountain and went down the black arrow trail. Technical and rocky but rideable. We then went through various singletrack that was very ggod and finished with the fireroad coming down to the parking lot. Real fast and rocky but fun. Give it time. I think this will be a great place once they get a feel for what we the bikers want and what mountain biking is all about. Added Bonuses- They have pretty decent full suspension Giant bikes for rent,also this is a waterpark so you can cool off after the ride or hang out and watch bikinis.3 chilis but will be 5 soon	Overall Rating:

Don S from Vernon Date: June 14, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: on the trail map --- go to location markers 11 to 13 to 14 to 15 to 17 to 10 -- this is mountain creek's newly cut NORBA race loop plus some extra miles Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: --a super loop without huge climbs and nice lakes -- most technical loop in the system-- has the least doubletrack mileage-- best part of the ride is the downhill from the com towers on trail 10 -- since my last review the singletrack trails, and especially this loop becuase it was raced on, have gotten worn in nicely-- the mud has dried out -- steps have been taken to keep out those pesky atv's and motorcycle guys that rip rocks out of the trail and they actually blew leaves off the trails in the woods-- these folks are serious about keeping us happy and they deserve a look see -- come and try the $15 half day pass and do this 1-2 hour super loop to check it out-- full suspension bikes are mighty handy here also, many gnarly rock sections-- also a great idea is to park a car at the great gorge south base lodge-- this way you can do stuff on the Vernon lift serviced side then take a ride out to the Great Gorge side using singletrack trails 27 to 28 then bomb downhill on ski trails and work roads to your car and shuttle yourself back to the Vernon side	Overall Rating:

Vlad from Hackensack NJ Date: June 7, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Rt23 to Rt94 to Vernon Other recommended trails in the same area: Ringwood remains king with the best rides in the area.
Review: Moutnain Creek has the potential to make a pretty good center. Opening weekend went without lift service but the riding was still great. Anyway, even when they do open the lift, the best signletrack will require some climbing on the hills behind the main resort. Still, they have some rad trails and potential for much more. Chek out the singletrack marked 27 on their map. Tight, not too technical but really fun (Just be ready to climb back via 12 (the winter time connector trail between Granite Peak and MC South). Check out the singletrack from point 14 and around Stewart Lake. More than enough bombing potential for any downhiller all over the mountain. Finally, with the waterpark in full swing, the main lodge deck becomes the greatest attraction for some seriously skimpy apre-ride action. P.S. all you Intrawest people, you need to set up a bikewash.	Overall Rating:

ANONOMUS from CLIFTON NJ Date: June 6, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: STRAIGHT TO THE TOP Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: WE WAITED SEVERAL MONTHS FOR OPENING DAY, WE GOT THER EARLY REGISTERED TALKED TO EVERYONE GOT REALLY SIKED .THEN WHAT HAPPENS THE LIFT DOESN,T OPEN. STORYS ABOUT STATE INSPECTIONS AND A PARTS GUY THATS ON THE WAY TO FIX IT.WE GOT THE RUN AROUND.THEN THEY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO PUT THE BIKES ON A TRAILER A PULL THEM TO THE TOP.BAD IDEA! WE GET TO THE TOP A THE VERY NICE GENTLEMAN WHO DROVE THE BIG SUBERBAN SAID STRAIGHT DOWN THIS TRAIL ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE YOU WILL FIND A BLACK ARROW AND MAKE A RIGHT.THAT 1ST.3/4 OF A MILE WAS STRAIGHT UP. THE POOR DOWN HILL GUYS WITH THERE 40LB BIKES WERE DYING. WE NEVER FOUND THE BLACK ARROW BUT TOOK THE ORANGE INSTEAD. NOT TO BAD. WE WHOND UP GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE SKI SLOP. VERY FAST.BUT IT DIDNT LEAD TO THE LODGE INSTEAD WE WOUND UP CLIMBING ANOTHER MILE TO THR LODGE.WE LEFT AFTER THAT. WE DIDNT GO THERE TO PEDAL. I WANT TO SAY THANKS TO THE GUY WHO LOADED OUR BIKE ON THE TRAILER HE DID IT WITH CARE AND HE DIDNT EVEN WORK THERE. HE SAID HE WORKED FOR JAMIS BIKES. THANKS AGAIN.	Overall Rating:

brian behrmann from rumson nj Date: May 17, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: only rode here once during a race. Other recommended trails in the same area: allamuchy, ringwood, mahlon dickerson
Review: as far as the race course there was a nice meaty climb all the way to the top to start things off (approx. 700 ft.). after that i was suprised to find such rocky technical singletrack. i would recommend some good bike skills to ride here, simply because of the climbs and the rocks in the singletrack. a beginner rider can have some major fun here though if you take the lift to the top and ride the ski trails and fire road. overall a very fun place to ride with some really fast and really technical downhills. from the limited amount of trails that i rode i would say this place could definitely be outstanding if there are more trails like it. we'll have to see when it opens up for good in june. so far i give it 2 thumbs up.	Overall Rating:

Marcus from Newton Date: May 4, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: From Granite peak ride down souther sojourn trail to South Area. 2.5 miles of heart-pounding downhill. overall sweet terrain. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: I heard this summer they will be operating the cabriolet lift at Vernon peak. This will make it a 5 Star place to ride because riding the ski trails down is an adrenline rush!	Overall Rating:

Don S from Vernon Date: April 20, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a week
Recommended Route: go off backside and loop around lakes behind lift. Other recommended trails in the same area: A few State parks nearby- High Point- Stokes- Waywayanda
Review: consists of mostly ski trails and work roads for the ski area. Some new singletrack has been cut that is not worn in yet- so slippery leaves, moss and gooey mud are the main surface now on those. Bring extra brake pads for those wild, big vertical, descents on fast packed out work roads. Better yet get some disc brakes. Watch out for water bars, snowmaking pipes, motorcycles and atv's!	Overall Rating: