Long Lake Adds Mountain Bike Network

I rode all the trails in late October. You can start either at the bottom of the hill or near the pavilion partway up it. I recommend the former. That way, you finish with a downhill run rather than a climb (assuming you plan to do all the trails).

The climbing trail is aptly named Start Me Up. It begins as a gravel path near the tennis courts. Shortly, it transitions to dirt, enters the woods, and climbs in a series of curving switchbacks to the pavilion area, where you access the other trails. Rated intermediate, it’s 0.46 miles long.

Following are descriptions of the other trails in the order I biked them. The mileages come from the leaflet, though they differ a bit from the measurements of my Garmin watch.

Let It Loose. Easy, 0.40 miles. This novice loop begins on the pavilion’s entrance road, across from the end of Start Me Up. Going clockwise, I climbed easily through the woods, crossing a pair of bridges, and came to a gravel road. The trail traversed an open meadow before going into the woods on the other side and following a ravine. On the return, I crossed the meadow again, higher up, and then descended through the woods to the trailhead, crossing two more bridges.

Black and Blue. Intermediate, 0.77 miles. A clever name as this blue trail is used to access the network’s expert trail, Paint It Black. Make that two clever names. This trail begins a hundred feet to the right of Let It Loose. Heading uphill, I soon came to the junction with Paint It Black, which splits off right. Just past here, Black and Blue forks. You can do the loop either way. I went counterclockwise. After crossing the gravel road, the trail descended through the meadow in a series of bermed turns. Partway down I came to another trail on the right, Waiting on a Friend. After doing this short out-and-back trail, I recrossed the meadow and returned through the woods to the start of Paint It Black.

Waiting on a Friend. Easy, 0.18 miles. This short spur follows the ravine to a pool, where there is a small loop for turning around.

Paint It Black. Expert, 0.77 miles. This trail climbs more steeply than the others. As soon you cross the gravel road, the trail forks. Bikers must go left, as the right fork is downhill-only. After traversing the meadow, I entered the woods, crossed a brook on a bridge, and ascended to a junction with a woods road that serves as a trail connecting the hamlet to the Northville-Placid Trail. Turning right, I came to the top of the meadow with wonderful views of the mountains around Long Lake. The downhill featured a number of jumps that expert riders will enjoy (I rolled over them). Upon reaching the fork again, I returned to the pavilion area and then descended Start Me Up back to the car.

In addition, Mount Sabattis has a jump line that runs through the sloping meadow. These jumps are gnarlier, not for rolling over. You’ll cross this downhill-only trail when doing Let It Loose, Black and Blue, or Paint It Black.

The entire network can be done in less than an hour. If you want to bike more, you can do laps (riding loops both ways, for example) or check out one of the many hiking trails in the region suitable for mountain biking. The town’s other leaflet offers a number of suggestions, but I have another idea: a mellow ride through the Cedarlands Boy Scout Reservation coupled with a hike up Mud Pond Mountain.

The Cedarlands

The state owns a conservation easement on this 4,890-acre parcel, located a little west of the hamlet. Most of the parcel is closed to the public between June 23 to August 24. Thus, the trip that follows can be done in spring, late summer, or fall. 

To reach the Cedarlands parking area, drive west on NY 30 from Hoss’s Country Corner to Kickerville Road, about 1.2 miles, and turn right. In 3.1 miles, the paved road changes to dirt. Continue 0.9 miles and turn left into the parking area entrance. This turn comes 0.5 miles after crossing Big Brook.

Now for the ride. Bike back to the dirt road, turn left and pedal 0.30 miles to a four-way intersection. Take the left-most road. Known as the Fish Camp Trail, this road is much rougher but still easy on a mountain bike. Shortly you’ll pass Mud Pond on the left. At 1.25 miles into the ride, you cross the McRorie Lake outlet. In another mile, you reach the start of the Mud Pond Mountain trail. 

The sign says the trail is 0.7 miles, but my watch measured 0.5 miles. In any event, it’s a short but sometimes steep ascent to a spectacular lookout with a 180-degree view. The vista incudes McRorie Lake, Mud Pond, pieces of Long Lake, Kempshall Mountain, Blue Mountain, Santanoni Peak (scarred by a slide), and the Seward Range. The trail is marked by blue disks, and most of the sharp turns are marked by directional signs.

On this outing, you bike 4.5 miles, with 220 feet of ascent, and hike a mile or more. If you want to extend the adventure, continue down Fish Camp Trail about 0.80 miles to a lean-to on McRorie Lake. Look for a sign on the right side of the grassy road. If it’s a hot day, take a swim to make it a three-sport day. The longer outing entails about six miles of biking, with almost 600 feet of ascent.