Mountain biking is the latest attraction drawing locals and tourists to Heritage Farm.
By Megan Archer
HQ 118 | SUMMER 2022
Picture this. The wind is blowing through your hair, and the sun is shining on your face as you’re chauffeured up a mountain in a six-seat Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV). When you reach the top, your driver unloads your mountain bikes, points to five different paths and tells you, “We took you up, now you get to choose your adventure down.”
Oftentimes, it can be difficult for the average person to experience the beauty of the Appalachian forest. But now, with Heritage Farm’s Mountain Rim Bike Park, the region’s novice and expert bikers alike can take part in an adventurous experience that Heritage Farm Executive Director Audy Perry describes as “invigorating.”
“Mountain biking is one of the best ways to experience nature, especially in the Appalachian Mountains. The idea to add a mountain bike park to Heritage Farm was inspired during a family trip to Damascus, Virginia. While there, we saw an old rail bed that has been transformed into a beautiful mountain bike trail. When I saw that, I knew we had an opportunity to do something truly special with our own trails.”
And so they did. Perry said his team took advantage of the downturn in business during the height of the pandemic to construct five different trails, all named after a piece of equipment found on the farm. Like at a ski resort, different colors assigned to each trail represent varying difficulty levels: green for easy, blue for intermediate and red or black for the highest difficulty. Perry said he’s tried every trail, but prior to his rides at Mountain Rim Bike Park, he did not consider himself an avid mountain biker.
“It’s amazing what you can learn with repetition. Most places you go down once, and that’s it; you’re done. But at Heritage Farm’s mountain bike park, because of our UTVs, you can go repeatedly, which allows you to build your confidence and your comfort level. So, you may want to explore the forest when going down the first time — slowly,” he said with a laugh. “But when you go again, you’ll know what to expect. You’ll gain confidence with each ride.”
Confidence is key for beginners, which is why the Hay Baler Trail provides a 1-mile practice loop to allow riders to practice their skills while taking turns. Winding back and forth, the Cornhusker Trail is described as a long, slow ride down the mountain. Perry said his personal favorite is the Humdinger Trail, which has a series of five rolls that remind him of “being a kid on the Little Dipper at Camden Park.”
“If the Humdinger is the Little Dipper, then the Hit ‘n’ Miss Trail is the Big Dipper,” he joked. “They are just a lot of fun.”
The fifth and final option for riders is the expert-level Stump Grinder Trail, which Perry said has made him fall victim to one of his mountain biking mottos: “When in doubt, walk it out.”
“As you’re learning and gaining more experience with mountain biking, there’s no shame in hopping off your bike and walking it over those rolls and berms (hills and turns),” Perry said.
Safety is a priority for the Heritage Farm team, which is why staff take care in teaching the ABCs — air, breaks, chains — and assessing each rider’s comfort level while encouraging as many practice loops as they need to be ready to ride. While this slow start is great for novice riders, the more experienced mountain biker will be pleased to learn that a return trail is currently under construction for those who enjoy the intensity of making their way back up the mountain without the assistance of a UTV.
“We want to make our trails accessible to new riders, but we want to keep our more experienced riders in mind, too,” Perry said. “This is why we are building a pump track at the top of the mountain, which will allow for more intense activities that require a higher skill level. We also have immediate plans for three more expert-level trails: the Rock Crusher, the Reeper and the Chainsaw.”
When it’s all said and done, Perry said there will be 10 miles of trails for the mountain biking community to explore.
“Appalachia is simply amazing, and we take it for granted. For years, Heritage Farm has celebrated the amazing Appalachian people and the challenges they overcame to make our life possible. We want our visitors to go make their own challenges and solve their own problems within the mountains,” Perry said. “Not only are the Appalachian people amazing, but so are the mountains, the forest and the wildlife that surround us. We have been very blessed, and we just need to remind ourselves of that more often.”
The cost for all-day mountain biking is $25 for those who bring their own bike, with prices starting at $40 for bike rentals. The price covers full admission to the farm, including access to the museums, the artisans, the animals and the wagon rides. Heritage Farm will be open on Fridays and Saturdays this fall.
