Paris Mtn. - Mountain Creek Trail + South Carolina Trail Reviews

Paris Mtn. - Mountain Creek Trail +

Average Rating:

(4.5 of 5)

No. of Reviews: 2

The separate Paris Mtn. Lake Trail and Paris Mtn. Firetower Trail listings cover rides in the park that are beyond Buckhorn Gate parking. This listing is intended to cover trails that lead from the park entrance back to Buckhorn Gate. You're there to spend time on the bike...why not park up front and enjoy a longer ride?

ROUTE

IMPORTANT NOTE: Current park policy prohibits trail riding on Saturday. That's OK because all the cool riders pack the trails Sunday.

Enter the park and start your ride at the first picnic shelter parking, just a couple hundred yards on the right after you pass the gate. Cross the high wooden bridge and ride clockwise around the lake edge until you get to where the water is entering the lake. Ride upstream with the water on your left. You will go in front of an amphitheater. Shortly after crossing out the far side you will have passed most of the confusing turns and be on the main ride into the park - Mountain Creek Trail (MCT).

MCT is a 1+ mile twisting romp through a mature forest with plenty of dips and rock outcroppings. The average elevation rises gently as you go deeper into the park - a very nice warmup for the trails ahead, though not a serious CV challenge.

Refer to the overall park map for options beyond the end of MCT.

#1 Continue straight up the Sulphur Springs Loop. The first part of this is more steep and technical, yet still ridable by experienced folks in decent condition. There will be a left switchback/turn signed toward the Rifle Range Parking Lot. Take this and go the rest of the way up to Buckhorn Gate via Hincapie Hill (paved). See if you can beat George's time of 3:03 between start/finish flags painted on the road. You can continue up Sulphur Springs instead of bailing @ Rifle Range, but then maybe you're a better trials rider than me. Very steep and technical; actually a hiking trail.

2. From MCT's end you can also drop down across the main park road and take the left side of the Sulphur Springs Loop until you have to walk some steps at a dam. Go right instead of further up the trail (that is clearly marked hikers only). Ride out to the road and up Hincapie Hill to connect again to Buckhorn Gate.

Enjoy!

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Latitude	34.927442538282904
Longitude	-82.36645460128784
Trail Length	2.5 miles one way
Trail Level	Advanced
Trail Type	Singletrack
City/County	Greenville
State/Territory/Province	SC
Country	US
Web Address	http://www.sctrails.net/trails/ALLTRAILS/Hiking_Mtn%20biking/MountainCreek.html
Information Added By	scarch

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Reviews 1 - 2 (2 Reviews Total)

Review Date May 11, 2010 Overall Rating 4 of 5 Aerobic Difficulty 3 of 5 Technical Difficulty 3 of 5 Ridden Trail: Every few months Rate this review?		Reviewed by: knightclan8 , Downhiller Summary: Paris Mountain has done a good job with providing some awesome trails. They got some stuff for downhillers like the Sulphur Springs downhill trail it's perfect right now, nice berms steep downhill a few jumps GNARLY!. my personal favorite trail is KANUGA(i ride hard tail) and also the trail that goes to the lake. i live in Greenville so this is as good as gets around here. Don't forget Paris Mountain doesn't allow bikers on SATURDAYS. Recommended Route: Go to top( buckhorn gap parking lot) park vehicle take firetower trail UP then Kanuga then right back to parking lot 45 minute ride. do it multiple times if you like the Kanuga trail . or take longer loop-by the lake THE BETTER DOWNHILL SECTION DOWN TO THE LAKE IS GOING UP FIRETOWER TRAIL AND TAKING THE TRAIL ON THE LEFT TO THE LAKE. if you have a group of downhillers you can shuttle on the downhill section of Sulphur Springs. Go as fast as possible Other recommended trails in the same area: Cleveland Park in Greenville Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Review Date December 20, 2006 Overall Rating 5 of 5 Aerobic Difficulty 2 of 5 Technical Difficulty 3 of 5 Ridden Trail: Once a week Rate this review?		Reviewed by: scarch , Weekend Warrior Summary: The Mountain Creek Trail is just plain fun, and a great way to warm up before the steeper and more technical trails ahead. It was laid out and built by Adam Winton (Endless Bikes) and Ben (forgot his last name) specifically to be a nicely flowing ride as well as a good hike. Lots of turns, rises, and dips. Dodging trees and hopping over rock outcroppings. Be watchful for hikers. This is possibly the most heavily hiked trail in the park. Recommended Route: My favorite way to get into the park is #1 in the trail description. I take the Rifle Range bailout, and no - I don't come anywhere near matching George's time. Next favorite is #2. A variation for the return trip if you are dancing with darkness on the way back out to the car is to stay on the asphalt after descending Hincapie Hill. There will be a stop sign where you can turn right into the campground. Go left instead, and almost immediately drop left off the road onto the newly cut Campground Connector Trail, which is a nicely rolling 1/2 mile ride that takes you back to the lake beside which your car is parked. Other recommended trails in the same area: The rest of Paris Mountain State Park Would you like to Comment? Join MTBR for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.