Pittsburgh Metro

Pittsburgh is home to quite a unique mountain biking experience such that many people wouldn't necessarily associate it with the area. There is a growing cycling scene in Pittsburgh, with mountain biking growing in popularity in the area. There are enduro-style technical trails, smooth cross-country, skills parks, and everything in between. Each of the different parks has a unique flavor to it, and as such, riders should have a good understanding of what the park has to offer before attempting to ride. Not all parks have good beginner-style trails.

The most popular place to ride in Pittsburgh is at North Park, home to The Dr J Freeride Trail, North Park Freeride Area Skills Park, Denny's Trail, Back 9 Ride, V8 Trail, Rainbow and Pfundstein Red-Blue Trail, among others. North Park has a bike specific cafe (see below). North Park is a great place to take a beginner, especially on the trails near the pool (referred to as the South Ridge).

The best option to ride near the city is at Frick Park. Frick Park Singletrack is unique because of it's close proximity to the city center, yet it's feeling of complete singletrack isolation. The trails at Frick Park are a little more intermediate and advanced level, with off-camber trails, technical features, and short, steep drops. You should definitely try Iron Gate, Roller Coaster, Bradema, and 276 (although, be warned that 276 has a creek crossing and runs parallel to 376). The best approach at Frick is to ride the singletrack down the ridge and then take a fire road climb back to the top.

There are many good places for intermediate riders to get their feet wet. Boyce Park-Soccer Field Trails and many of the other trails at Boyce Park are good places to experience fun singletrack trails in the area. There are trails at Deer Lakes, Hartwood Acres, Hollow Oak Land Trust, Oakmont, among others.

The best places to ride after rain at Riverview Park and Bavington State Park. At Riverview, many people will use the road to climb to the top, and then follow a descent ride like Riverview Descent back down. Take a few laps and have fun! At Bavington (aka Hillman State Park), the Bavington - Five Points Trails are a good warm up for seeing what's at Bavington. The Old Airport Trail is also a good place to ride at Bavington.

Two trail systems that are undergoing a slight revitalization are South Park and Settlers Cabin. At South Park, the Fair Grounds Trail, Warm up Loop, and Buffalo Ridge Trail are great trails to try. South Park has a lot of equestrian use, so be sure to remember your trail etiquette when encountering other trail users.

The most technical trails exist at Moraine State Park. Moraine has lots of available trails, but the red blazed trails, in particular, are some of the rockiest and rootiest trails in the east!

As with all trail systems, you need to keep an eye out on hunting regulations. You are most likely to experience trail closures from September to January. Bavington/Hillman and Moraine State Park are the most likely to have hunting restrictions. Check with the state game commission for more information. Because of the culture in PA, anybody in the woods during hunting season should at least wear bright colors to distinguish themselves from game.

The Allegheny County Parks do not allow parking on the grass. They issue very large fines for violating this.

The only two county parks that allow night riding are North Park and South Park. You must park in appropriate areas.

Pennsylvania and the county of Allegheny have strict open-consumption laws. In Allegheny County parks, an alcohol permit is typically required to consume alcohol.

The trails generally mush out in the winter, although places like Bavington, Riverview, some trails in North Park, and Frick remain rideable in the winter. You can also check out the indoor bike park The Wheel Mill for winter riding ( thewheelmill.com/).

The local shops that support trail building include ProBikes ( probikesllc.com/), Trek/Top Gear ( topgearbicycleshop.com/), Dirty Harry's ( dirtyharrys.net/), and Thick Bikes ( thickbikes.com/).

There isn't a go-to guidebook or map for the area. The best place to get information is here on MTB Project or through Trail Pittsburgh's website ( trailpittsburgh.org/). Pittsburgh is unique in that there are two bicycle themed restaurants in the area. There is a Bicycle Cafe called OTB ( otbbicyclecafe.com/) with locations in the Southside and at the North Park boat house.