South Mountain Emmaus

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

This is a very hilly and rocky set of singletrack trails. There are a few stream crossings and it can be muddy at the bottom of the hill after some rain. The higher trails drain well, but watch for slippery rocks. There are many log overs, several of which are high (more than a foot). Lots of foot traffic on the trail so watch out for hikers.

The most current map is here South Mt Trails Map

From the Alpine St parking lot, there are 2 main ways into the trails. The most popular entrance seems to be by the playground. The other entrance continues after Alpine St dead ends. The borders of the property are well marked. Please make sure you abide by the no trespassing signs. The trails are fairly well marked by tags on the trees.

Start this ride on Alpine Trail (Orange). The entrance and exit to the trail are shown as Orange blazes on the trees. This trail makes for a nice warmup for the rest of the trails. It starts out easy, then climbs, then there are some rocks. At the top of the climb, look for a left turn onto Uplands Trail (Blue).

The lower portions of this trail are steep and rocky, making for a very difficult climb. The upper portions of the trail that form a loop are not as difficult to climb. Look for a junction with Mountain Top Trail (Yellow) and turn left onto it.

This trail feels more like a freeride area than a trail. Without the well marked trail route you'd likely have difficulty finding a navigable route through the extensive rock gardens in this part of the preserve.

The rocky terrain provides less soil for the trees and underbrush to take hold, thus this trail has a very open feel for this part of the country. The rock garden sections can last up to 100 yards so be mentally prepared. The good news is that this trail is mostly downhill when you start from the top of the Uplands (Blue Trail).

At the end of the trail, turn right onto Uplands Trail (Blue) and follow it in the opposite direction to Trout Run Trail (Red).

Descend briefly on trout run and turn left onto Bug Trail (Black). Have fun descending Bug Trail and look for another junction with Trout Run Trail (Red). Turn left. Follow Trout Run Trail (Red) to Alpine Trail (Orange) and turn left again. Descend on Alpine all the way back to the start for the ride.