Mountain Biking
Alafia State Park
Lithia (near Tampa), Florida
You say Florida is flat and boring for mountain biking? You haven't been to Alafia State Park yet!
by Dana Farnsworth, Outdoor Travels
How can a state that is barely above sea level seem appealing to mountain bikers? You gotta go subterranean baby! It's actually quite simple. Phosphate miners in the 1940's pushed a lot of dirt around in the area that is now Alafia State Park. To get to the phosphate, miners created huge mounds of dirt ranging in size from sizable rolling hills to dump truck sized mounds. The miners would have never guessed that they were creating a wonderful mountain biking landscape.
After the miners left, the forest took over and performed it's magic. What is left is terrain very unique to Florida. Did I mention that this unique terrain makes for some top notch mountain biking? How good are the trails at Alafia you ask? Well, consider these facts: Alafia was earmarked to be the sight of the 2012 Olympic mountain biking competition had Tampa been selected to host the games. The International Mountain Biking Association actually had a hand in designing the trails in the park, along with the members of SWAMP, the local mountain biking club. The International Mountain Bike Association wrote in their summer newsletter publication that the mountain bike trails at Alafia River SP "will be recognized as among the best in the state". In fact it was designated an IMBA Epic Ride in 2002 - an honor given to only a select few trails internationally.
The trails at Alafia have been expertly, carefully and thoughtfully designed as to offer a challenge to any level of rider from budding off-roader to full-fledged pro. The beginner level trails (Sand Pine and River Loop) offer up long and twisty rides through palmetto and pine forests. You'll find the toughest part of these trails to be the myriad of roots that can crisscross the trail like railroad ties.
Intermediate level trails like Bridges and Rock Garden are generally found to be more challenging than other intermediate trails that you may be accustomed to riding. One visiting rider remarked: "The drops and climbs on the advanced trails are larger and there are more of them, but the intermediate trails have their share of tough technical sections. I think the biggest difference is the intermediate trails seem to give the rider the option of riding through or around the tough stuff."
The tough stuff starts at Roller Coaster. A single black diamond designation indicates that it is the "easiest" of the advanced trails here. But don't let that fool you. Roller Coaster is a fine example of what "flow" means in terms of mountain biking. It's a smooth running trail with at least two or three steep decents to keep things interesting. Stepping up a notch to double black diamond trails, you have the very technical Moonscape and awe inspiring Gator Back (a.k.a Dangerous). Moonscape is a "longish" trail that has many tight maneuvers, freakish high ridge trails, big drops and plenty of obstructions. Gator Back, new in December 2003, continues to be one of the most difficult and adrenaline pumping trails in Florida, if not the United States. Big drop ins with steep outs, sandy climbs, rooted and steep ascents that require an insane amount of inertia to scale (see the wall of roots video above) and tight maneuvering all describe this seat of your pants thrill ride!
With great new facilities and miles of well marked trail choices from mild to wild, you won't go wrong choosing Alafia State Park. In fact, I'm sure that once you visit, you'll come back for more!
Note: The trails are marked with traditional ski marks: Black diamond for expert, blue squares for intermediate and green circles for beginner.
Featured log
Everything Dana said it would be and a bag of chips!
6/28-29/03: by Christopher Burk, Outdoor Travels
When you tell someone you're going to Florida to go mountain biking, it produces about the same reaction as telling them you're going scuba diving in West Virginia. It just doesn't seem natural. Yes, there are better places to go but if time is short, or your travel budget is empty, anything is possible. Besides, some of the best locations are in the most unlikely of places.
It's always good to get a second opinion. In this case, it will be a third opinion on mountain biking in Alafia State Park. Jeff rode it last December and now it was my turn. Alafia is Dana's favorite place to ride and in a land of sand, sun and swamps, I can see why.
Alafia is very different from what I am use to riding. There is a greater premium placed on riding ability and being able to shift your weight quickly than stamina. There are very few sustained climbs. It is mostly ridge trails, short drops and climbs. If you can carry your speed riding down, the climb back out is fairly easy.
I had a chance to ride two days at Alafia on two different bikes and enjoyed them both, the days and the bikes. We rode the area somewhat in reverse since we rode the advanced trails the first day and the more intermediate trails the second. Although I have to admit there isn't much difference between the two types of trails. The drops and climbs on the advanced trails are larger and there are more of them, but the intermediate trails have their share of tough technical sections. I think the biggest difference is the intermediate trails seem to give the rider the option of riding through or around the tough stuff. On the advanced trails it's "Do or Die," or as Chuck proved with a spectacular endo, it's "Do and almost die."
Overall I did well riding in Alafia and had a blast. Yes, I walked some sections but I also rode some that Dana didn't think I would. I had a couple of spectacular wipeouts along with one nasty one that tweaked my groin - but I survived. And although I constantly cursed the platform pedals I was riding with the first day, I have to admit it wasn't pedals as much as my inability to ride with the pedals, especially when I needed to blast through the terrain.
Trail Snapshot
Trail(s): Over 15 miles of single track. Surfaces range from flat and rooted to steep and rocky.
Difficulty: A little bit of everything: beginner (green circle), intermediate (blue square) and some that's deservidly expert (black diamond).
Outdoor Travels Rating:
5 bikes out of 5 bikes. This can be one intense ride! But there is always something to ride for most everyone.
Thumbs Up
- Great facilities make hanging out after a ride fun!
- Centrally located trail head works out wonderfully for taking breaks, fixing your bike or whatever, between trail rides.
- Something great for every level rider.
- Scenery is nice
- Great trail design from the beginner's trails to the advanced
- Speaking of the advanced trails.... The advanced trails all have different personalities, making for a very memorable and diverse ride experience.
- Trails are well marked
Thumbs Down
I honestly can't see any constructive negatives at all with Alafia. It's not my favorite ride spot for nothing!
Nuts & Bolts
Location: Lithia, Florida - 25 miles south of Tampa
Directions: From the north on I-75 or the west, take I-4 east to Plant City exit and head south on SR 39 13 miles past Plant City. The main entrance is on your left.
Facilities: Trail head has picnic shelters with grills, a real restroom, information kiosk and a bike wash. The campground is open now and is currently more suitable for RVs than tent camping. The Reserve America system will be used for Alafia. Call 1-800-326-3521 to make reservations. If you can't reserved at the 800 number, call the Park at (813) 672-5132. Alafia also has several nice lakes available for canoeing.
Activities: Outdoor activities include: picnic areas, overnight camping area, mountain biking, equestrian, canoe and kayaking.
Admission: Currently there is a per car entrance fee around $5.
Maps & Stuff
from www,swampclub.org
area information
Do you like all the details? Then see who crashed, and what happened on a few select past rides!
Lots of great photos to give you a good idea of what riding here is like!
Alafia Video
