Riverbanks Adventure Forum » Mountain Biking

Florida Trail: Withlacoochee State Forest – Croom A Loop provides a nice challenge for hikers!

Adventurous Barbara — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:54:41 +0000

Pine Forest of Croom A Loop

The Croom A loop is one of three stacked hiking loops in the Withlacoochee State Forest – Croom Tract that creates over 20 miles of continuous hiking/backpacking trails. This 8 mile trail begins at the Tucker Hill Trailhead and takes you down a fairly steep trail through a hardwood forest into pine forest. Here there is a primitive campsite for camping/backpacking. However, if you need water the Tuckerhill Trailhead has water and restroom facilities but is approximately one mile from the camp. From the primitive camp trek up and down several hilly pine ridges and enjoy the scenic view as you catch your breath from the tops of these sandy vistas. At approximately 4 miles the trail leads you into a temperate hardwood forest with a nice shade canopy. This can be a welcome break from the hot sun. You will pass several sinks left over from the old mining operations that took place years before this land was owned by the State Forest. Climb out of this welcome shade forest back into a mixed forest of hardwoods and pine. There will be a trail marker designating the adjacent B loop or the return portion of the A Loop. Make a hard right and follow the trail back 3 miles to an intersection just south of the primitive camp.
This 8 mile trail makes for a nice challenging day-hike and overnighter as well. Whitetail Deer, raccoons, possum and pileated woodpecker are common sights in this forest. The Withlacoochee State Forest is also home to the endangered Eastern Indigo snake.

Croom A Loop google map by B A Bowen Photography

The Croom A, B, and C trails are maintained by the Florida Trail Association, SunCoast Chapter. The Croom A loop is also part of the Trailwalker program to encourage new hikers to explore the outdoors in Florida State Forests.

The hiking trails also crosses 32 miles of Mountain Biking Trails and several miles of Horse Trails. For paddlers and boaters there is also access to the Withlacoochee River at the nearby Silver Lake Recreation area. There is something for everyone in the Withlacoochee State Forest!

Click here to view more photos of the Croom A Loop Trail on Flickr.

Mountain Bike Croom on a Hardtail, Withlacoochee State Forest, FL

Adventurous Barbara — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:59:20 +0000

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:

Clay Pit

Ups and overs on Yellow Trail

Pretty day on the blue trail

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.

Garmin Edge 705 would be GREAT with TOPO Maps!

Adventurous Barbara — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:03:20 +0000

Garmin Edge 705 GPS

While “surfing” the net I stumbled upon this review for the Garmin Edge 705:
http://www.mtbtrailreview.com/blog/reviews/gear/garmin-edge-705-cycling-computer-and-gps-review-unit/

This idea is GREAT for roadbikers. It has it all! When Garmin decides to offer this model with TOPO maps, I will be the first in line to purchase it. I love biking in the woods. Each time I try a new trail there is always the chance that I will get lost. Lets face it. In the great outdoors things are constantly changing. Well marked trails can lose an important mark in the latest thunderstorm.
I currently have the Garmin Edge 205 and it has help me keep my bearings and make it back to my truck, but I still need a topo map to really figure out a new trail. For security, I even take this little gem on hiking and kayaking adventures. It gives me the courage to explore those little nooks off the beaten path and know that I will be able to find my way back. Garmin Edge 705 meets Garmin Oregon 400t. Now THAT would be the Ultimate Cyclocomputer! [polldaddy poll=1531309]

About the Author: Barbara is the owner of an online 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.