Review Date
July 11, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year

Reviewed by: zod ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
I am in Missouri once or twice a year and usually just ride at a private trail that is the best in the state but my father just moved very near Matson Hill so I decided to try it out. I was not expecting much as the trail is only 3 to 3.5 miles long but man was I ever suprised! Matson Hill as the name states is built completely on a hill-side....a very steep one at that. This is the kind of layout a lot of trail builders would pass on but I am very glad GORC decided to give this land a go. The builders smartly decided to make Matson Hill one big downhill followed up by one big climb back to the top.

I did it in both directions and found clockwise to be the best b/c it made for the longest downhill and the steeper (albeit shorter) climb. The downhill in this direction is on tight/twisty yet very fast beautifully benched singletrack. I was flying down the hill and the dense vegitation slapping my legs added to the sensation of speed. On more than one occasion I caught myself on the edge of going too fast! Throw in a couple rocky highspeed dry creekbed crossings and one nice tiny rock drop and I was grinning all the way to the bottom! This downhill can be as technical as the rider wants to make it b/c staying iff the brakes will lead to some crazy top speeds. The thickness of the forest makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere in some jungle! Makes for a real cool vibe. The climb out is a little tough...granted I was on a 38lbs all-mountain full suspension rig. On the negative I found the trailwork on the climb out (clockwise) to be a lot less professional than the work done on the 1st half of the trail. There was a real lack on benching, following contours, etc. It looks like this side of the trail was done by a whole different group of people as it is off par with the work done on the first half of the trail. It will lead to erosion issues eventually and those will have to be addressed but all in all the trail still rocks for what it is.....the most kick butt 3 miles trail system you could ask for. From what I have ridden in Missouri it is definitely more technical and fun than most of the boring XC singletrack/doubletrack in the state.

I did a 2nd lap counter-clockwise as well but did not like it near as much. The downhill in that direction is over fast and doesn't flow and the climb out is a long boring gut-buster. I won't both riding it counter-clockwise ever again instead I'll 2 laps clockwise! I'll be back to Matson Hill next time I am in Missouri!

Recommended Route:
Clockwise seems the best direction to me. As others have stated starting at the Matson Hill parking for the KATY trail and then riding up the long gravel road will add some milage, a nice climb, and one hell of a fast descent back to the car!

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Klodike
Lost Valley
KATY Trail

Review Date
June 19, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Every few months

Reviewed by: jeriCurl ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
A fast fun ride deep in the woods. Riding this trails feels like you are riding in a jungle there is that much vegatation around you. The trail is currently only 3 miles long, but it is a very hard 3 miles of constantly going up and down and it feels totally different riding it the opposite direction. For more information and a detailed trail map go to:

http://www.gorctrails.com/trails/mmatsonhill.asp

Recommended Route:
Start on the Katy Trail and ride up Matson Road (the gravel road that starts behind the the buildings facing the Matson Station). Then ride a clockwise lap, followed by a counter-clockwise lap. Bomb back down the gravel road and ride back to your car.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Technical: Chubb, Klondike, Greensfelder
Fast & fun: Lost Valley, Castlewood, Quail Ridge
Epic: Berryman, Council Bluff

Review Date
November 10, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: dewman ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
This trail has become one of my favorites after just one ride. Maybe it's because it was 70 degrees today in the middle of November, or because it was freshly maintained a few days ago. Whatever the reason, this trail is excellent.

The trail has a nice flow to it, blending with the topography to help you enjoy the ride, not have a heart attack going straight up every ridge. There's no monster climbs, the freshly maintained creek crossings are all on solid rock slabs, and the downhills seem to last forever.

As noted before, at 3 miles the ride ends much too soon, so riding it in both directions is nice.

Recommended Route:
Both ways.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Lost Valley, Klondike, Hamburg, Quail Ridge

Review Date
March 22, 2004

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: Lynux ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
WARNING: Do not try to ride this trail after it rains. wait a few days to a week.
This trail is a good single track with creek crossings. The trail drops down into a valley and snakes around with some difficult climbs. Alot of fun. Only drawback is its short so ride it twice.

Recommended Route:
Both ways

Review Date
September 18, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 4 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once