Name: Pine Mountain Overlook Loop
Rating: 4.1

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E-Bikes Unknown

Bikes are only allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and only on the the East Loop and the Summit Overlook Trail that's accessed from the East Loop. The West Loop is foot traffic only, no bikes allowed.

Overview

A Wednesday or Saturday only tour on some of the steepest trails near Atlanta that lead to a great view from the Summit Overlook. Although steep, this route is fairly short which makes it a great a cardio challenge without committing for a full day.

Need to Know

Wednesday: go counter-clockwise (CCW) or "to the right."
Saturday: go clockwise (CW) or "to the left."
Other days: no biker access.

Description

The difficulty rating given is primarily due to the steep climbing and certain switchbacks that most riders will need to dismount for in the uphill direction as mapped.

In the CCW direction, you'll go through a few minor, undulating ups and downs to reach a small rocky creek crossing before beginning the climb to the top. In the CW direction, you'll pretty much just be climbing from the start.

In either direction you'll have the option to go to the Summit Overlook when you near the top. The little extra bit of climbing is well worth the great views! From the overlook, on the clearest of days, you can see some of the Atlanta skyline 35 miles southeast of here (as the crow flies).

It seems that the trail was originally designed for hiking, so it has some very tight and rather technical switchbacks on the way up, and these makes for some brake-grabbing on the way down. But in between the switchbacks and turns, you can build some serious downhill speed.

It's a great, relatively quick workout that's lap-able. You can also combine it with the Pine Mountain Connector Trail and ride down to the Cooper's Furnace Trail area for some variety and extra mileage.