Review Date
March 20, 2009

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: dubdryver ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Trails are always expanding, probably now around 13mi. in total. There is plenty of variety that include novice, intermediate, and expert sections that offer a great makeup of mtb riding. These are mountain bike trails and chances are your bmx or beach cruiser will be inadequite for the trails other than novice. The best part about Oleta is the mtb community that it attracts. Show up any weekend or on a race weekend and be amazed of how many people share the same interest! I have to hand it to the volunteer maintenance crews, though some of us may not always agree with the new additions, They do a good job considering the sheer numbers that ride the trails on a weekly basis. Currently as of this post, 20 MAR 09 the trails are pretty soft and eroding due to the lack of rain. Tread Lightly to preserve them! If you are interested in taking part in volunteer trail maintenance, you can sign up and help others nearly every sunday.

There is a bike wash and plenty of parking in the park, it is truely an "All in One" park, and there is something for everyone there!

Recommended Route:
I have been riding the trails for many years and I still don't remember the names or pay attention to them. I hit up the back 15% of Rocky Mile as a warm-up and wrap into the first set of trails at the trailhead leading back to the trails following the maintenance road breaking out to Giligan's Island and then backtracking to Gatorbank and following the whole route again, finishing up with Rocky Mile. This adds a few extra miles into the same ride.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
If you find Oleta a little bland and novice'ish, hit up Markham Park in Sunrise. There you will find a shorter trail set with more demanding singletrack and expert technical sections. Currently Markham is suffering similar trail effects from the dry weather, so tread lightly. The trail make up is a bit less roots and rocks but makes up by adding technical difficulty.

There is also Amelia Earhart Park. It is definately less travelled than Oleta or Markham, and does not receive the same trail maintanance as the other two. It does offer the a mix of both Oleta and Markham though. I personally have not rode the park in the last 6 months but I am considering it the couple weeks to see where it's status is. I will review the park post ride.

All-in-All, The trail riding in SFL is second to none in terms of what there is to work with and definately more than anyone would expect to be in the region. Hands down, the MTB community and the Organizations that fuel the sport really deserve a lot of credit for it! It is a diamond in the rough, and the people associated with it need to be proud. Great Job Guys!

Review Date
October 20, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: taco666 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
very trick trail more when wet lots of roots but guy are filling in park is getting better fast track and techincal.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
markam park

Review Date
January 16, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: Iriemon ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Oleta is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon biking. The trails range from paved to challenging techincal single tack paths, with a nice mix of difficulty that will provide a challenging yet manageable ride to most everybody. Unlike Markham (next best in SoFla IMO) there are a number of begginer/moderate single track trails that provide a challenge to beginners that are a step up from flat doubletrack.
The approximately 10+ miles trails are well maintained, and importantly in SoFla, nicely shaded for the most part. They wind along creeks and the intercoastal waterway, providing a nice scenic experience. If you want to take a break from riding there is a sanding beach to go swimming or you can rent a canoe or kayak and paddle among the mangroves.
Well worth the visit.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Amelia Earhart (Miami)
Markum Park (Ft. Lauderdale)

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Review Date
June 18, 2007

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: bammako226 ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE MOUNTAIN BIKING PARK. IN SOUTH FLORIDA WE ARE LIMITED TO THE 3 MAJOR PARKS WHICH IS OLETA RIVER PARK, MARKAHM PARK & AMELIA EARHEART PARK. I'VE RIDDEN ALL THESE PARKS & OLETA IS THE BEST OVERALL. ALL THE TRAILS ARE WELL MAINTAINED, ALL THE TRAILS ARE MARKED WITH THEIR DIFFICULTY LEVEL. THERE IS TRAIL FOR ALL LEVELS FROM ADVANCED TO BEGINNER. SOME 1 MORE PROFESSIONAL MIGHT HAVE A BETTER TIME AT MARKHAM PARK BUT FOR A BEGINNER/INTERMIDATE THIS IS IT. LOTS OF TABLES ON THE TRAILS SO YOU CAN STOP & REST, BIKE WASH, SHOP, YOU CAN EVEN PARK THE BIKE & GO SWIMMING AT THE BEACH OR FISHING FROM THE PIER OR KAYAKING

Recommended Route:
CHRISTMAS TREE, PEAKS & ROBINSON'S RIDGE BACK TO BACK WILL WEAR YOU OUT, GATOR BANK IS INSANE, STRANGLER'S FIG HAS A GREAT LADDER OBSTACLE, GILIGAN'S ISLAND WHILE NOT AS ADVANCED AS WHAT YOU'LL FIND AT MARKHAM IS A GOOD START FOR AN INTERMEDIATE WHO WANTS TO PUSH THEIR SKILLS,

Other recommended trails in the same area:
MARKHAM & AMELIA EARHART

Review Date
February 14, 2007

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: tbissett ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Oleta has a lot of technical, twisty, rooty single track, with lots of switchbacks as they have to fit a lot of trail in a little space. While there are no mountains in South Florida, the trails are still pretty good for developing mountain biking skills.
For the most part, I was a complete beginner when I first started riding these trails. They provided enough obstacles and flow to be challenging, yet were also forgiving enough that mistakes (usually) didn't result in disaster.
The trails are very well kept, with tree roots being the only minor annoyance. Most of the blues are very entertaining and require quick-thinking in choosing the proper line. There are even a couple of 'hills' to practice short, quick, climbs. Overall, they are just plain fun. In addition, the trails are also pretty aesthetically pleasing as most of them border several inlets to the Bay of Biscayne.
As I mentioned earlier, I pretty much learned how to ride on these trails and the experience gained here came in handy on a recent trip to Winter Park, CO. I had no problems riding any of the blues or even blue-black marked trails at Winter Park following my experiences at Oleta.
I am now riding more often at Markham Park (closer to my home), but still come back to Oleta regularly for added variety. Oleta doesn't have the toughest trails out there, but they sure are fun!

Recommended Route:
There are tons of different variations you can take around the park... I happen to like Gator Bank to Dragon Gate to Dragon Tail to Christmas Tree for a pretty good single run.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Markham Park in Broward County also has some good trails, but is more technically challenging.