Description
Chestnut ridge is one of only two places to mountain bike in Central Ohio. The nine-mile trail is almost entirely singletrack, and it consists of two stacked loops. The first loop is designated as easy, the second is designated as moderate, and each section is of roughly similar length. The stacked loop design allows for the moderate section to be completely avoided if desired. That said, despite the different difficulty ratings, the technical and physical challenges of the two sections are really not that significant.
Although the challenges are similar, the character of the two sections is quite different. The easy trail traverses fields and wooded sections with very young trees and dense vegetation. The trail is very rooty, and there are lots of short up and downs. The moderate section goes through more mature forrest, and the vegetation is much less dense. The trail is still bumpy, but here it is mostly rocks rather than roots. The hills are also taller, allowing you to briefly forget you’re in Central Ohio. A highlight of the moderate section is a point where the trail reaches the peak of one of the taller hills in the area, the vegetation completely clears out, and there is a spectacular view of the surrounding area.
The trail was built and is maintained by volunteers from the Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization.
This trail is only open to mountain biking. Hiking and running are prohibited.
View the Chestnut Ridge trail map on the Metro Park’s website. Learn more about Central Ohio Trail here.