Trail Ratings Explained:
Beginner - Firm and stable, grade less than 5%, unavoidable obstacles 2” or less.
Intermediate - Mostly stable with some variability, 10% or less grade, unavoidable obstacles 8” or less, avoidable obstacles may be present, technical trail features 2’ high or less may be present.
Advanced - Stable with variability, 15% or less grade, unavoidable obstacles up to 15”, technical trail features higher than 2’ may be present, may include loose rocks.
The Blankets Creek trail system consists of seven different trails:
Mosquito Flats - 1.0 Miles
Trail Rating - Beginner
Fitness - Beginner
Technical - Beginner
The Mosquito Flats trail is as it sounds, flat. A nice meandering singletrack trail that winds along Blankets Creek and through the woods. There are some small, flat bridges and one little 3-4 foot hill, but it is smooth and is an easy trail to ride.
Mosquito Bite - .7 Miles
Trail Rating - Beginner
Fitness - Beginner
Technical - Intermediate
The Mosquito Bite trail provides the Beginner with a bit more challenge. There is a winding boardwalk, stone armored creek crossings, elevated bridges, a switchback turn and some small, short hills. A few areas of roots and rocks hint at what lies ahead on the other trails at Blankets Creek and give beginners a chance to get comfortable riding over these elements.
Dwelling Loop – 4.2 Miles
Trail Rating - Intermediate with advanced features
Fitness - Intermediate
Technical - Intermediate
The Dwelling Loop trail is our most popular and most ridden trail. A true contour-trail, Dwelling brings in all the elements of singletrack in our area: Rocks, roots and some elevation changes. In general, this is a fast flowing XC trail that allows you to carry consistent momentum as you move from section to section. You’ll find a number of log crossings and tight tree gates add some interest to the loop. For riders who are newer to the sport yet have progressed beyond the challenges of Mosquito Bite, Dwelling has a half loop option that allows riders to have a 2 mile option and yet still continue to develop their skills. Additionally, some of the more difficult areas have an intermediate options that spurs off of the main loop then quickly returns. Dwelling is an excellent place to develop your fitness and to begin to tackle more complex technical combinations like riding over root-ledges during a climb.
The advanced Alt-Line trail on Dwelling has been expanded with two downhill flow options, Rock and Roll and Rhythm and Blues. Rock and Roll has high speed turns, jumps and gully wall rides that connect back to the Dwelling main loop and has a return line (Chutes and Ladders) that will return you to the top on days with a Clockwise direction. Rhythm and Blues has many of the same features but has more significant jumps and 2 drops. It also connects back to the Dwelling main loop and on days with a Counter Clockwise direction there, is a spur that will allow you to quickly return to the top of the Dwelling main loop for repeated runs. These are optional trails and is ridden in the same direction everyday regardless of Dwelling’s daily direction.
South Loop – 4.2 Miles
Trail Rating - Advanced
Fitness - Intermediate
Technical - Advanced
The South Loop trail is our hand-cut, technical trail that brings a real backcountry feel to Blankets Creek. We do as little maintenance as possible to this trail and try to keep it as natural feeling as we can. This is the favored trail of our more experienced riders that like to mix it up with the roots and rocks. Climbs are longer and steeper than those on the Dwelling Loop, but the real story is the rocks. Rock gardens, rock crossings, rocky switchbacks, rock-n-roll! Trail features include switchbacks, creek crossings and a log ride.
Van Michael Trail – 3.9 Miles
Trail Rating - Intermediate with advanced features
Fitness - Intermediate
Technical - Intermediate
The Van Michael Trail brings the amplitude. This machine-cut trail is relatively smooth but sweeps up and down several peaks on the west side of the park. Switchback and berm turns abound and a good speed can be maintained on VMT by the fit rider. Technical features are limited primarily to some rocky sections near the infamous “Kevorkian Pass.” There is also a really nice log ride carved out of a single fallen tree. If you’re from the “you have to go up to get down” school, this is your trail.
The Holler - .25 Miles
Trail Rating - Expert
Fitness - Advanced
Technical - Expert
The Holler is our free ride flow trail, this trail is all downhill on hard-packed, smooth Georgia red clay. Berm, drop, jump, berm, drop, tabletop all the way down to the big finish on the “Wall Ride.” Speed, flow and air-time rule the day on a trail that you’ll want to do over and over. We advise that you scout this trail carefully prior to committing yourself to a full-bore run. While there are lines available that allow you to keep your wheels on the ground for most of the the distance, some of the lines have gap jumps that are deep and long. This is an Expert level trail and we recommend full-face helmets and armor for those that plan to wring out the best from this trail.
Address:
2261 Sixes Rd.
Canton GA
30114
Directions to the trails:
From Atlanta take I-75 North to I-575 North, exit on Sixes Road (Exit 11), turn left (West) off the exit ramp and continue about 1.8 miles. The Blankets Creek trail head is on the left; look for the signs.
SORBA Woodstock is using TRAFx Counters to assess trail usage.
To learn more about TRAFx counters please visit www.trafx.net