Review Date
June 12, 2007

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: spidron ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
I consider myself a newbie. This is the fourth trail (fourth MTB ride too) I've been to here in NJ. One more trail to check out (Allaire) but I think I found the place where I'll be training/practicing before doing the more technical ones. MCP IMO is the best way to introduce someone to mountain biking. Flat sometimes twisty/sometimes not-so-twisty singletrack. Some muddy sections. Lots of roots and some log obstacles.

It's 40 min from where I live. I'd go back a couple of more times just because I'm still new and would like to get accustomed to my bikes capabilities on an easy trail. After which I'd only go back if I want to bring someone else new.

Recommended Route:
A mile or so after the park entrance (Old Trenton Rd.?), you will see tennis courts to your right. Park there. Look for the red trail behind the courts by the paved path. Follow the trail and it will intersect with the blue trail which I really enjoyed.

Review Date
September 5, 2006

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: late_start ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
This is my default trail when I'm short on time since I live so close. If I lived next to Ringwood or Hartshorne, I would probably only visit Mercer once a year, if at all. That said, I have a lot of fun at Mercer when I ride. The place is fairly large and you can really mix up your ride with different trails and sections of trails so that it is never boring. True, there are literally no climbs or fun descents. But there are a couple maze sections of VERY narrow twisty trails (through which you can barely fit your handle bars) that truly test one's slow-pace technical skills. There are also some fun rolling sections with sharp turns and minor obstacles. I'm still not clear on the legalality of riding the section adjacent to the golf course. There are decent trails leading up to the course on both sides of it. Great place for beginners. One caution: there are a lot of thorns, especially on the narrower, less traveled trails, so come prepared. Just last week my buddy got flats on both tires at the same time!

Recommended Route:
I ride in or park on the north side, near the boat house with all the rowing/crew boats. I like to head east on the trail off of South Post Rd which eventually dumps you out on the powerline clearing. From there, bike a total of .25 miles through the neighborhood, Darvel Dr, right onto Edinburg Rd, and turn right back into the park's East entrance. From here you can access trails that take you back to where you started or the many, many trails on the south side of the lake. I also like the trails down by the damn (west side of the lake).

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Clayton, Sourlands, Six Mile Run are each about 25 minutes away in different directions. Ringwood is the best I've found in New Jersey. I also enjoy Hartshorne, Huber, Allaire, and Chimney Rock, of course.

Review Date
August 14, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 2 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Ridden Once

Reviewed by: BikerDan ,  Weekend Warrior

Summary:
Flat but plenty of fun with the narrow twisting single-track and numerous log jumps. Beginners will find these trails highly doable and intermediates and up will find plenty of fun with the bridge, jumps and log crossings. If you cross the creek below the dam at the wooden bridge, and ride on the west side of the creek, be aware that you will probably get some thorn punctures in your tires.

Recommended Route:
Look at a map in the park and go for it. You can’t really get lost and there are lots of little connector trails if you decide you want to be somewhere else.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Clayton

Review Date
February 27, 2006

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 3 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: downhiller ,  Racer

Summary:
ok this was the first time there and i had a plast and there are dirt jumps if you come in from around the skteing ring if you go along the paved path past the playground you go about a quarter an mile and take a left into a trail or just wait untill there are alot of skinny trees on the left and go in there youll see dirt jumps around just look for em and you might have to clear a few jumps from the branches but its all good and i came from the other side of the lake at the boat place and arounf there are good trails for the original mtn bikers and if you like downhill go to the opposite side of the dirtjumps and you should be happy I loved it there alot

Other recommended trails in the same area:
kinda close not really is woodfield lol umm its in princeton on the old greatroad just go along it and youl see a sign woodfield i bike there alot well i live next to it lol

Review Date
December 2, 2005

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 1 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a year

Reviewed by: MarcD ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Seems like this place gets quite mixed reviews. I live a few miles from mercer park and maybe ride it once a year. And that is usually only if there has been a drought or it has been below freezing for awhile. It is a good begineer place to learn and some of the tight twisty trails can help give you good bike handling skills. The place can be very muddy and its the type of mud that will tear up your brakes/rims in no time- especially standard V-brakes. There are lots of thorns as well. It's a shame, but most of the area is just too swampy. Plus, in some areas there are too many meaningless side trails that either lead to nowhere or loop back 50-100ft down to where you just were. I only go there in the dead of winter when I want a change of pace from some of the other better parks. Then afterwards I wonder why I did- until 12 months later when I forgot about the last episode.

Recommended Route:
I don't know. Maybe a few decent areas behind tennis courts and then again on west side power line/marina parking lot.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Fairmount, Clayton Hartshorne, neshaminy