Mountain Biking
Laurel Creek Trail
Monongahela NF, West Virginia
What Goes Up Must Come Down!
Jeff Cobb, Outdoor Travels
Located within the Monongahela National Forest, the Rimel Wildlife Management Area encompasses 67,251 acres and includes several trails, among them Laurel Creek Trail and Middle Mountain Trail. Laurel Creek Trail traverses along the side of Lockridge Mountain, a 3,220-foot peak in southeaster Pocahontas County. The trailhead can be found at the Rimel Picnic Area.
West Virginia's National Forests are managed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. Each contains interspersed private land within its boundary. Monongahela National Forest has many opportunities to explore its backcountry on over 800 miles of hiking and biking trails. The "Mon" contains much of the rugged terrain of the Appalachians that gives West Virginia its nickname "The Mountain State."
The Monongahela National Forest was established following passage of the 1911 Weeks Act. This act authorized the purchase of land for long-term watershed protection and natural resource management following massive cutting of the Eastern forests in the late 1800's and at the turn of the century. The area is composed of mountainous terrain covered by oak, hickory, pine and northern hardwood forests. Turkey, bear, deer, squirrel, grouse and rabbit are the principal game species.
Trail Review
I now have a new favorite local trail! Of the three Outdoor Travels contributors: Christopher has Mountwood, Dana has Alafia, and now I have Laurel Creek. Well, local might be pushing it since the trailhead is a 90-minute round trip from my house. I won't be doing much midweek riding there, but I certainly have a new favorite weekend biking destination.
I found the trailhead in the Rimel Picnic Area, a surprisingly well kept roadside park complete with a cul-de-sac parking area, picnic tables, bathroom facilities, and comprehensive area trail map. As is the case more often than not, I was the only person there. West Virginia really is the great undiscovered gem in the world of mountain biking!
I had read that the 8.1 mile loop should be ridden counter clockwise. There's usually a very good reason for trail recommendations, so I heeded the advice and set off to my right. I immediately crossed a bridge and briefly ran parallel to Rt. 39. The loop traverses a ridge around Lockridge Mountain and utilizes the flatter terrain along Laurel Creek and Lockridge Run Creek as well. I soon crossed a gravel access road and re-entered the woods. At this point, it was on.
What followed can best be described by a string of adjectives: heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, white knuckle, and rip roaring come to mind. In any event, I was on a wild descent, skirting along a narrow single track trail with some really cool bridge crossings, hairpin switchbacks, and some log crossings thrown in for good measure. There was one really sharp switchback to the right, followed by an immediate climb out to the left and onto a bridge crossing. Armed with my new toe clips, I slowed around the turn, dug into the climb and popped up over the bridge. I was really enjoying this.
Eventually the descent bottomed out into what amounted to a railroad grade. The trail, however, was overgrown on either side, so it remained single track. There are several creek crossings and narrow sections along this portion of the trail which follows the two creeks that meander their way through this area of woodlands. After a few minutes, I began to climb back up the hill away from the creek. This began the most tedious section of the trail: a sustained, steady climb back up the side of Lockridge Mountain.
The elevation change from the lowest point on the trail to the highest point is only 600 feet, so it wasn't a humongous climb. It was not especially steep, either, but it left me winded and I had to push the bike for a brief section after a log slowed me down. It did give me a chance to catch my breath. Of course, it didn't help that a bug flew directly into my eye as I tried to cross the log. I had to splash some water on my face to wash the little suicidal sucker out. The consequences of leaving my sunglasses behind in the car!
I finally reached the summit of my short but intense climb and began a flatter section of the trail that wound its way through thickets of Rhododendron and hardwood forest. It was at this point that the vegetation became thicker and closed in, giving the rider a more tunnel-like experience with limbs, leaves, and tree trunks close by on either elbow. I passed a primitive camping shelter and broke into another downhill section.
This descent was even more fun than the opening downhill. There were lots of banked turns, whoopty-doos, and no room for error. A couple of times, I came very close to catching my handlebar on a tree trunk, which would have led to a rather nasty wipeout over the side of the hill. I kept a good grip on the rear brake but my hand began to ache so I eased off. I was going so fast that I just sat back in my seat, held on, and prayed that I didn't encounter an unexpected obstacle around a turn or hidden amongst the weeds. Any foreign object would probably have taken me out. The landscape was zooming by in my peripheral vision and several times I heard deer go thundering through the brush, spooked by this helmeted goon crashing through the woods on a red bike.
Before I knew it, I came down a final little drop and skidded out of the trailhead and emerged into the parking area, chain clinking and gravel flying. To my total surprise, I was surrounded by people! Some time during my ride, a rather large Asian family showed up for a picnic. I think I startled several of them who were seated at a picnic table near the trailhead exit. But soon enough, they went back to their picnic and the kids resumed their game of racing around the cul-de-sac handing each other a twig baton as they engaged in a woodsy relay race.
I got one older gentleman to take my picture then loaded up my stuff and headed for home, happy to have discovered this sweet loop ride. I'll definitely be back.
9/6/03 Visitor's Log
by Dana Farnsworth
“One of the finest trails in the state,” said a man who was taking a break from his road ride in the parking lot of the Laurel Creek trailhead. Being the favorite ride of nearby resident, best buddy, and Outdoor Travels contributor Jeff Cobb, I wasn’t surprised by the roadie’s statement.
Jeff is the only one of the three of us to date who has broken a bone mountain biking (knock on a tree trunk), so it is with the utmost understanding when I say that Jeff tends to enjoy the trails that don’t defy common sense logic or seem too, as Jeff says, “Gonzo”.
My expectations were for a moderately technical ride with an emphasis placed on marginal climbing and nice downhill runs. From what little I could tell, I was right. I say that because at about mile 4 of an 8-mile loop during a stream crossing, my rear derrailuer hanger was ripped from my bike by a flying rock. I ended up pushing and or “scootering” my bike for the remaining 4 miles.
What I did ride and see was some very varied single track in great shape. Moderate climbs, stream crossings and a wicked fast downhill run at the very end (I’m not going to push my bike downhill), provide for a very nice, moderately difficult trail suitable for the advanced beginner rider and up.
Was it “The best trail in West Virginia?” That’s probably not a fair question; if your ability lies somewhere in the moderate skill, you’ll love it. If it’s all out “Gonzo” riding you seek, you’ll be wondering why the trails are in such good shape and are so free of roots and rocks. That is, until you get to scream down the as-fast-as-you-want-to ride-it downhill ridge section at the very end.
P.S. Rather than ruin Christopher and Jeff's ride by waiting for me and my crippled bike, I sent them on ahead. At least they could enjoy the ride. They returned the favor once they got back to the car. Since they weren't sure if I decided to press on or head back, each one set back out in opposite directions armed with beer to help bring me home.
Trail Snapshot:
Trail(s): Laurel Creek Trail. This loop trail is 8.1 miles in length.You can find the trailhead in the Rimel Picnic Area. Single track, hard-packed soil, with logs, bridges, and creek crossings. IMPORTANT: This trail is best ridden counter clockwise.
Difficulty: This is an intermediate level trail with a fair number of obstacles to maneuver through or over. There are two downhill sections. The faster you go, the less margin of error there is and the more technical the trail becomes. A brief but tough uphill section will test your fitness level. Beginners could ride this loop if they did so slowly and under control.
Outdoor Travels Rating: 4 out of 5 bikes
Thumbs Up
- Very nice, well-maintained trailhead parking area.
- Privacy (I encountered no other riders).
- Drier than most area trails.
- Nice hardwood forest scenery.
- Two heart-pounding descents for the price of one!
- Very little climbing for a WV trail.
Thumbs Down
- Large washed out area near the midpoint of the loop.
- First portion of trail parallels Rt. 39 so you get traffic noise.
- Honestly, I'm being very nitpicky to find any thumbs down at all.
Nuts & Bolts
Location: Near Minnehaha Springs, WV
Directions: The Laurel Creek trailhead is accessed at the Rimel Picnic Area on WV State Rt. 39, several miles east of Minnehaha Springs, WV and several miles east of Warm Springs, VA..
Activities: Biking, Hiking, Picknicking, Hunting, Fishing, Bird watching.
Camping: There is a primitive shelter on Laurel Creek Trail, complete with fire ring and picnic table. The nearest campground is Pocahontas Campground a few miles south of the trail access on Rt. 92. This campground includes 9 rustic campsites located in a beautiful grove of white pine trees. Open mid-March to mid-December. Each campsite has a parking spur, picnic table, fire ring with a grill and a lantern hookup. All sites are suitable for tent or trailer camping. Vault (pit) toilets and a hand pump well are located in the campground. There are no hook-ups available. Camping fees are $6.00 per night (honor system). Sites are on a first come, first served basis. Maximum length of stay is 14 days.
Contact: Greenbrier Ranger District, PO Box 67, Bartow, WV 24920
Maps & Stuff:
Trail Map
Trail Photos
Lots of great photos to give you a good idea of what riding here is like!
