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The Wilds
7 reviews
3.57 of 5
The trails are located on the property of the Wilds (http://www.thewilds.org), a 10,000 acre wildlife conservation center. With 1,900 set aside just for trails.
There are many different facets of a trail represented in The Wilds 14 miles. Rock gardens, a few logs here and there, many off camber roots, and some whoop de doo style ascents and descents. You'll find short, steep uphills and downhills here, and challenges.
Don't head out without a map they are downloadable at the joinomba.org/aoa website. Tails are marked with white poles with #'s that indicate where you are on the map.
The trailhead is located on State Route 146. It is across from the intersection of 146 and Zion Ridge Road (in the field to the north). It is around 6 miles west of Cumberland on the right, and 18 miles east of Zanesville on the left.
Summary: This trail is very, very good. After having ridden it for almost a year now, I'd have to say it is one of the better trails in Southeastern Ohio. There are some good climbs, and some rocky areas. There are also a few jumps spread out throughout the course. For you out-of-towners, get the Wilds map at the AOA website. The trail can get cluttered with trees after a heavy storm, but if you go with a riding buddy, you can usually move the big trees. The West Nile area is more technical, but expect to walk in some areas due to much needed bridge repair...but don't let this worry you, there are many more miles to be enjoyed here.
Recommended Route: As far as the trailhead being hard to find, I'll put that to rest right now. Go East on SR146. Just East of MP (milepost) 31, you will get to the top of a hill. You will see a sign on the right side which says "The Wilds" Here, you will turn left into a rather shabby looking parking lot. Park your car, get your bike, and pedal East, the trail follows SR146 for a short bit. You will cross a bridge which will then take you into the trail. Once you get to the trail, you'll ride an old haul-road, which basically looks like a wide singletrack. This haul-road goes all the way through the property. The trail will turn to the left off of this haul-road...this might be where the other people have gotten lost (me too). Hope this helps.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Dillon
AEP
Conesville (Coshocton County...this trail has a LOT of potential, but I don't see it posted here to be reviewed)
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Summary: Kept hearing all the hype, and was very disapponted in what I found. First, it is impossible to find the trailhead! No signs, poor parking, etc...if this is supposed to be a public trail, then make it so. Second, the trail is as confusing to ride as it is to find! Never found the technical stuff, or the climbs. I did find lots of spiders and spider webs...thousands! Does anybody ride this trail? Or maintain it? No flow what-so-ever to the ride. Wonder if the Wilds realizes that its name is being used on this travesty? On a lighter note, it does beat riding in the backyard. I have ridden Dillon, not too far away, and it is a fine example of what is possible.
Recommended Route: Turn around and go home.
Other recommended trails in the same area: So far, Dillon is about it. The AEP trail is ok, better than the Wilds, but a lot of spiders.
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Summary: I drove down from Akron and if I had not also gotten hit with all the recent storms and such would have been very disppointed with the deplorable condition of the trails.There were trees down everywhere and branches,limbs,etc. It seemed like as if this trail had not been visited in some time also,no tire tracks anywhere,actually hard to follow in spots as the singletrack was buried by debris and such.Aside from all that,this trail definitely has the potential to be one killer ride with enough to offer most skill levels.I searched for the advertised gravity fun but came up short as the downloadable map isn't quite complete/accurate. I'd call ahead or get ahold of someone before visiting to check on recent trail maintenence and if it's up do date,plan a trip.
Recommended Route: Same routes as others have listed.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Mohican Wilderness
Scioto Nat. Forest
West Branch State Park
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Review Date January 9, 2004
Overall Rating 3 of 5
Aerobic Difficulty 3 of 5
Technical Difficulty 4 of 5
Ridden Trail: Every few months
Visitors rate this review 1.00 of 5,
1 votes
Reviewed by: pip style
,
Cross Country Rider
Summary: Basically, this is some of the best overall terrain that Ohio has to offer. It's not the sickest or steepest in any one given area, but is consistently challenging. The trail system at a glance is intermediate to advanced in capability. The "stunt" areas of big rock and log drops are what set this ride apart! There are at leat 6 or 7 "big hits"/drops, a couple of G-Outs, and more than a few rock gardens liberaly dispersed throughout the trail system. It seems like alot of people don't hit them (the stunts) as most tracks go around them, but I highly recomend them if you're up to it! They are a big part of what makes this ride so great. Overall, if you did nothing but comute from the greater Cleveland area to ride this system you would be happy. But, when you take into consideration that the Dillon State Forest trail system is just down the road, and AEP is right around the corner, you really, really can't go wrong!
Recommended Route: From Cleveland area, I-77 South to I-70 West. Take I-70 West to Rt 83 South. Take Rt 83 South to Rt 146. Go West on Rt 146 for abot 15 - 20 minutes and the Wilds Trail System parking lot will be on your right!
Other recommended trails in the same area: Dillon, AEP, Wayne National Forest
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Review Date December 4, 2003
Overall Rating 5 of 5
Aerobic Difficulty 3 of 5
Technical Difficulty 4 of 5
Ridden Trail: Once a month
Reviewed by: Mike
,
Cross Country Rider
Summary: The Wilds is some of the best riding to be had in Ohio. There has been a huge amount of work put into the trail system and it shows. Also, there is a little bit of everything........some steep climbs, fast downhills, rock gardens, and my personal favorites, the big hits! If your not into jumps and drops, there seems to be an alternate route for almost all of them. I would say overall that these trails are fairly technical and demanding. Having said that, the many different routes provide a bunch of options for different skill levels to have a great time! P.S., I've clocked about 13 miles each time I've ridden through, but I know I haven't hit everything.
Recommended Route: Take I-77 South from the Greater Cleveland area all the way to I-70. Head West on I-70 to the State Rt 83 exit. Go South on SR 83 to Rt 146. Head West on 146 for about 3-5 miles. You'll see the parking spot on the right, across from a big sign for The Wilds. It takes me 1 HR 50 MNS from door to trail head from Medina.
Other recommended trails in the same area: Dillon State Park
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3.57 of 5
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