// May 9th, 2009 // No Comments » // Cyclocomputers, Florida, Mountain Biking
Croom Mtn Bike Trails 1
- Croom Mtn Bike Trails
One of the most Hilly places in Florida is near Brooksville and it makes for some nice Trail riding. The Withlacoochee State Forest is full of hills and trails including hiking, horse riding, and mountain biking. All of the trails are separate and marked accordingly. The local mountain biking club, the Swamp Club, does a great job of maintaining over 55 miles of single track through Hardwood Hammock and Sandy Pine terrains. I always tell myself that if the sand at the bottom of a nice speedy downhill doesn’t take me out one day one of those giant pine cones will!
Taking a break on the Red Trail, Withlacoochee State Forest
Six years ago, I purchased a mountain bike and proceeded to try my first trail at Croom. Well it was fun, exciting, exasperating, until I missed a sign and ended up on a horse trail. Then it was sandy and frustrating and the only bearing I had was I knew the sunny part of the sky is south during afternoon. A 1-1/2 hour bike ride turned into a 3 hour trek. After I found my way out and figured out that trail, I only rode that trail for the next four years for fear of ending up on another horse trail again. Then I stumbled up a Garmin Edge 205 and made that my Christmas gift to myself. That was just what I needed to give me the courage to roam into the unfamiliar terrain. With that I made it my mission to map every foot of trail in Croom.
The yellow, most western trail, begins at the Tucker Hill Trail head and perfect for beginners. It has nice flowing runs with some tight spots and moderate downhills. The red trail is a connector between the yellow and blue trails. The Red trail south of Croom Rital Road takes you by the Clay pit, which is frequented by 4 wheel trucks and jeeps but offers a fun steep downhill into the pit. You will need that momentum to overtake the mound in the middle of the pit and also to get back out.
The Blue trail, the eastern route, is more “technical” but offers easy routes that detour around the difficult areas for the technically challenged. The Blue Trail south of Croom Rital Road is for the beginner-intermediate. The trails are FUN and have nice up and downs with plenty of tight turns to keep you on your toes. But the north Blue trail is for the die hard extremists! There is an old quarry approximately 3 miles in filled with named trails that offers steep-tight-cliff-hanging-downhills and next to impossible uphills to keep one occupied for hours. The area looks like I circled it in red on the map above. The Swamp Club does a great job of marking the trails but I still ended up going in circles once I got to the quarry.
If you are in Florida, this trail is worth experiencing in the winter, spring, and fall months. If you would like to conquer the entire trail, it can done in one weekend. Silver River Campground is within a few miles of the trail.
Below is some trail footage from Youtube:
About the Author: Barbara is the owner of an on-line store Riverbanks Outdoor Store for two years and has frequently engaged in outdoor sports for years including camping, mountain biking, whitewater rating, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking. Barbara also hosts a blog Riverbanks Adventure Forum that focuses on product reviews and adventure vacations.
