Looking fwd to visiting this this season. Not too far away from Buffalo (couple hrs).
Jake's Rocks Epic Trail System
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Bizman, If this is your summer mountain biking vacation, its really worth going up to Ellicottville, NY to ride the trails out the back of Holiday Valley Ski area in McCarthy Hill SF after you ride Jakes Rocks. Its a large system of hand-built single track, +30 miles of it, and some sections are very challenging, but it is a well traficed system, so the trails are worn in and well maintained. (Its listed as an IMBA Epic). With that said, on a weekday or even a weekend, if you are deeper in the system, you won't see another soul. Good food and beer in town make it a great stop. You head toward Bradford and go north on 219. Probably an hour, hour and a half to get there. Local bike shop and businesses sell very good map and i think there are some online.
Thanks very much for the info on the trails in Ellicottville NY! We have been through there before, but have not rode the bike trails. We are staying over in Russell and they say it's only 5 miles from the NY border from our cabin. When you say local bike shop and businesses, is that in Ellicottville or somewhere else? I know we would want a map for the trails if one is available. When I get a minute I will google this trail area and see what comes up, thanks again for the tip on this!
Heading up to amp and ride at Jakes Rocks for the first time. We will be camping at Dewdrop campground and hoping to ride our from there. For anyone that has ridden there do you have a good loop?
From eyeballing a contour map of the trails was thinking of a mostly ccw loop along the lines of Grouse - Laurel - Dewdrop - Volpes - Ohio Way - Blacksnake / Devils Drop - Deerfoot - Seneca - Tuttletown / Coal Knob - Elijah - Ursus. For one day of riding up there would that hit the major trails? Any feelings on Devils Drop v Blacksnake or Tuttletown v Coal Knob or other suggestions? Thanks.
From eyeballing a contour map of the trails was thinking of a mostly ccw loop along the lines of Grouse - Laurel - Dewdrop - Volpes - Ohio Way - Blacksnake / Devils Drop - Deerfoot - Seneca - Tuttletown / Coal Knob - Elijah - Ursus. For one day of riding up there would that hit the major trails? Any feelings on Devils Drop v Blacksnake or Tuttletown v Coal Knob or other suggestions? Thanks.
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Save Laurel/Grouse for the end you will be muddy. I wouldn't go up Ohio Way, it is narrow and loose, try Cornplanter and Three Sisters. If you like speed, Blacksnake and Coal Knob, more flow Devil's Drop and Tuttletown.
Fantastic input! Looking forward to getting out there.
2019 Jakes Rocks Mountain Bike Vacation Update
https://wccbi.org/trails-jakes-rocks/
Monday we parked at the Kinzua point information center on the west side of the Morrison Bridge, this day was real good conditions. From the parking lot we rode the Kinzua point trail (green) east to west (a very nice flowing trail) to Devils Drop. This was a pretty good climb and gets the blood pumping till you get to the top, more so for my wife than me, non the less gets you warmed up!
Once reaching the top we took Seneca trail to the right to Tuttletown (South) to Elijah. Elijah was a real nice trail leading us to Ursus. Ursus was an awesome trail and mostly down hill, definitely ride it this direction as I wouldn’t want to not do that. There were huge rocks that you ride between and just a very fun trail!
After Ursus we picked up Dew Drop (north) which is another climb but not to bad. It’s either ride this down and Ursus up or vice versa, I would rather ride Ursus down the way we did and climb Dew Drop. Dew Drop will take you to a section of Long house and then to Vulpes and up Corn Planter. By then my wife was shot and we hit the short section of Seneca (we did not do earlier) and down Devils Drop (allot of fun going down) to the Kinzua Point Trail and back to the parking lot. I don’t have an odometer but wrote it down as 12 miles total.
https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8018754/rock-city-and-mccarthy-hill-state-forest
Tuesday we went to Ellicotville to the bike and bean bike shop to get a map. Just in time as they were closed and the guy said he could sell us a map for $10.00 and give us 1 minute of his time to tell us where to ride. This was the McCarthy Hill area and conditions started out pretty good. We parked on Forrest road just past the School about 2 miles from the bike shop heading south on 219.
Starting out through a grassy area to Eagle Trail which was a good climb. Allot of roots and a bit slippery due to rain the day before. This brought us to Sidewinder then to Dead Dog Loop to Big Merlin (which was a nice trail). We had to cut Big Merlin short because it started to rain steady and we headed back to the parking lot soaked. Once back the sun came out for a bit while we got the bikes and ourselves cleaned up and back in the van just in time as it started a torrential downpour for at least a half hour or more as we sat there and waited for it to stop. I wrote this down as 7 miles. NOTE: The map we bought looked like a very nice thick weatherproof map (we felt it should have been for $10.00), once it got a little wet, the ink ran and it disintegrated into pieces.
https://enchantedmountains.com/downloads/map/allegany-state-park-visitors-map
Wednesday and Thursday we went to the Allegany State Park. Take exit 19 of of I-86 and park at the Bova camping area at the end of the dirt road. There were nice trail maps at the trail head (nicer than the one in the link above) and the trails were well marked. The riding here was not technical but it wasn’t necessarily easy either as it was a mountain and you had to go up and then trails that you could come down on. It was a solid track surface washed out in some areas about what I would call double track. There was a $7.00 charge for your vehicle to get into the park per day.
From the trail head we went up Patterson to Snowsnake trail to the left and a couple other trails once at the top and to the stone tower and fire tire. I would not do the Snowsnake Trail going up as the surface is not the best and this trail would be much better to ride down from the top. Instead ride Patterson to the top and then the out lying trails back down to intersect with Patterson toward the bottom. I wrote this down as 15 miles.
On Thursday we rode to the top of Patterson and got to the warming hut just in time as there was a torrential down pour that lasted about an hour and a half. We were hoping to hit more of the trails and especially the only single track trail but things were just to wet at that point so we just rode back down Patterson to the bottom. I wrote this down as 7 miles.
Friday was a travel home day and we did 13 miles once home, me in my Quest XS Velomobile an my wife on her road bike.
Saturday we went to Raystown to the Alligrippis trails, conditions were very good and we had a blast riding 19 miles.
Sunday my wife was beat and wanted to take the ebikes on some back mountain roads. It was a great day and logged 17 miles.
All in all a good vacation logging 92 miles but unfortunate to have rain on three of our days away. We stayed at Deep Wood Vacation Rentals in Russell Pa at very reasonable pricing only 5 miles from the NY boarder. We saw a dog bear (dog face, real long legs, not very heavy) in the dumpster at the campground across from us when we took a 2 mile ride the first night we were there. Then on Thursday sitting in front of our only camp fire a big bear walked right past our cabin close to dark. From are cabin Jakes rocks was about 38 miles, Ellicotville about 40, and the Allegany State Park about 25.
Ah, now to start thinking where we shall we go next year.......
https://wccbi.org/trails-jakes-rocks/
Monday we parked at the Kinzua point information center on the west side of the Morrison Bridge, this day was real good conditions. From the parking lot we rode the Kinzua point trail (green) east to west (a very nice flowing trail) to Devils Drop. This was a pretty good climb and gets the blood pumping till you get to the top, more so for my wife than me, non the less gets you warmed up!
Once reaching the top we took Seneca trail to the right to Tuttletown (South) to Elijah. Elijah was a real nice trail leading us to Ursus. Ursus was an awesome trail and mostly down hill, definitely ride it this direction as I wouldn’t want to not do that. There were huge rocks that you ride between and just a very fun trail!
After Ursus we picked up Dew Drop (north) which is another climb but not to bad. It’s either ride this down and Ursus up or vice versa, I would rather ride Ursus down the way we did and climb Dew Drop. Dew Drop will take you to a section of Long house and then to Vulpes and up Corn Planter. By then my wife was shot and we hit the short section of Seneca (we did not do earlier) and down Devils Drop (allot of fun going down) to the Kinzua Point Trail and back to the parking lot. I don’t have an odometer but wrote it down as 12 miles total.
https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8018754/rock-city-and-mccarthy-hill-state-forest
Tuesday we went to Ellicotville to the bike and bean bike shop to get a map. Just in time as they were closed and the guy said he could sell us a map for $10.00 and give us 1 minute of his time to tell us where to ride. This was the McCarthy Hill area and conditions started out pretty good. We parked on Forrest road just past the School about 2 miles from the bike shop heading south on 219.
Starting out through a grassy area to Eagle Trail which was a good climb. Allot of roots and a bit slippery due to rain the day before. This brought us to Sidewinder then to Dead Dog Loop to Big Merlin (which was a nice trail). We had to cut Big Merlin short because it started to rain steady and we headed back to the parking lot soaked. Once back the sun came out for a bit while we got the bikes and ourselves cleaned up and back in the van just in time as it started a torrential downpour for at least a half hour or more as we sat there and waited for it to stop. I wrote this down as 7 miles. NOTE: The map we bought looked like a very nice thick weatherproof map (we felt it should have been for $10.00), once it got a little wet, the ink ran and it disintegrated into pieces.
https://enchantedmountains.com/downloads/map/allegany-state-park-visitors-map
Wednesday and Thursday we went to the Allegany State Park. Take exit 19 of of I-86 and park at the Bova camping area at the end of the dirt road. There were nice trail maps at the trail head (nicer than the one in the link above) and the trails were well marked. The riding here was not technical but it wasn’t necessarily easy either as it was a mountain and you had to go up and then trails that you could come down on. It was a solid track surface washed out in some areas about what I would call double track. There was a $7.00 charge for your vehicle to get into the park per day.
From the trail head we went up Patterson to Snowsnake trail to the left and a couple other trails once at the top and to the stone tower and fire tire. I would not do the Snowsnake Trail going up as the surface is not the best and this trail would be much better to ride down from the top. Instead ride Patterson to the top and then the out lying trails back down to intersect with Patterson toward the bottom. I wrote this down as 15 miles.
On Thursday we rode to the top of Patterson and got to the warming hut just in time as there was a torrential down pour that lasted about an hour and a half. We were hoping to hit more of the trails and especially the only single track trail but things were just to wet at that point so we just rode back down Patterson to the bottom. I wrote this down as 7 miles.
Friday was a travel home day and we did 13 miles once home, me in my Quest XS Velomobile an my wife on her road bike.
Saturday we went to Raystown to the Alligrippis trails, conditions were very good and we had a blast riding 19 miles.
Sunday my wife was beat and wanted to take the ebikes on some back mountain roads. It was a great day and logged 17 miles.
All in all a good vacation logging 92 miles but unfortunate to have rain on three of our days away. We stayed at Deep Wood Vacation Rentals in Russell Pa at very reasonable pricing only 5 miles from the NY boarder. We saw a dog bear (dog face, real long legs, not very heavy) in the dumpster at the campground across from us when we took a 2 mile ride the first night we were there. Then on Thursday sitting in front of our only camp fire a big bear walked right past our cabin close to dark. From are cabin Jakes rocks was about 38 miles, Ellicotville about 40, and the Allegany State Park about 25.
Ah, now to start thinking where we shall we go next year.......
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Great report - thanks!
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They are hosting a mountain bike festival at Jake's Rocks 9/27-29. Several new trails will be open with plenty of rocks!
https://www.facebook.com/trailsatjakesrocks/
https://www.facebook.com/trailsatjakesrocks/
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Great to hear that Elijah is done, plus Bald Eagle! With Bent Run Falls in the works (it is in the works, isn't it?) the trail system is really looking up!
I pulled out the map from waay back with the TAJR proposal trails. To my eye it looks like they've almost caught up with what was on that proposal! The only thing that's lacking is the XC between Longhouse Scenic Highway and the edge of the reservoir, which they showed as connecting all the way south to the end of the Longhouse Highway.
Which makes me think - does that mean the trail system is almost done growing? Or are there more expansion trails in the works?
Anyone out there have any answers or clues??
Steve Z
I pulled out the map from waay back with the TAJR proposal trails. To my eye it looks like they've almost caught up with what was on that proposal! The only thing that's lacking is the XC between Longhouse Scenic Highway and the edge of the reservoir, which they showed as connecting all the way south to the end of the Longhouse Highway.
Which makes me think - does that mean the trail system is almost done growing? Or are there more expansion trails in the works?
Anyone out there have any answers or clues??
Steve Z
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There is a larger USFS plan to upgrade Longhouse Drive. The trail from Kinzua Point along the Kinzua Creek branch of the reservoir is part of that plan. No idea on timing. The plan for next year is to build from Bent Run area by the dam and tie into Tuttletown trail
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Awesome. Can't wait to get back up there.
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Looks awesome! So glad to see PA getting out of the stone ages. Looks like the powers are finally recognizing the benefits those trails can bring to areas that could really use it. Potter county seems ripe for the IMBA treatment. Denton Hill, cough cough.
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Done.
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new map or any map
jpa102 - I have to be up that way in a week. Do you know where i can download the newest map? I been searching and most of the map links don't work or don't show half the new trails. Also, can your recommend good loops and best directions to ride trails (up, down, clock, counter clock). My fitness and ability would be advanced/exp xc. Any info would be much appreciated.
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If you have the Trailforks app for your phone I've loaded all the trails on it. Blacksnake is downhill only. I like to climb up Deerfoot. Kinzua Point is so-so. The Coalknob/Tuttletown loop flows best clockwise but is fast either direction. Longhouse is best south to north. Seneca/Cornplanter is fun either direction. Its definitely worthwhile to go out Elijah and down Bald Eagle. I usually go down Ursus and up Dewdrop but Dewdrop is fun to go down as well. We often head out there late Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon
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