Haw is Raw

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Unknown

A quick look at the map shows that there are a million ways to put together a ride at Haw. This is just one route for getting most of the best action with minimal hike-a-bike, minimal repetitions, and optimizing trails that ride better in a particular direction.

Highlights include Mike's Trail, East Edge, Silo, Rainbow, Washing Machine, Saddle, and West Shore. Route finding can be somewhat difficult at Haw, so bring a map or the MTB Project mobile app to supplement the occasional trail signs and trail maps.

Route finding can be somewhat difficult at Haw so bring a map/phone with GPS to supplement the occasional trail signs and trail maps.

From the main Haw Ridge parking lot, start on the greenway for a few hundred yards before taking a soft right onto the Lake Road just before you get to the powerlines. Take the second left onto Soccer (Old Soccer turns left about 25 ft. earlier). When Old Soccer returns, stay left without switching back sharply.

You're on the right path if the trail turns gravelly and descends shortly to a small pond. Turn right up the doubletrack for a brief climb with a few rocky steps, then turn left on the doubletrack at the bottom of Saddle. Turn right on Edgemoor Trail just before running into the greenway. Turn right onto Mike's Trail for some nice singletrack on the way to crossing Kaboom. This intersection is a little complicated, but when Mike's Trail emerges onto the doubletrack, turn down hill, taking the right fork, then look for a sharp right turn back onto singletrack about 100 ft. later.

When East Edge makes a sharp turn away from the lake, stay right onto East Ridge for a nice climb up to a left on Kaboom, then take a left turn onto Skinny D for a nice downhill back to East Ridge. Turn left at the bottom of the hill and ride to the intersection and turn right to start onto East Shore. Note: You can cut the climbing up East Ridge and descending on Skinny D by staying down by the lake.

East Shore gradually opens up to a brief section of old doubletrack. Turn left when you get out to the powerlines. After a short steep hill in the powerline cut, head left back into the woods, quickly coming to a four-way intersection at Rainbow (again). Head straight to stay on East Shore.

East Shore again turns to doubletrack, which is the sign to look for Silo heading up the hill to the right. Turn left when you pop out onto the Powerline trail. Head left onto the doubletrack of Silo Connector. When you get back down by the lake, turn right onto Pond Connector. Note: You can cut out the climbing on Silo by staying straight on East Shore until you reach Pond.

Once on Pond Connector, look for a right turn to stay on Pond (if it's dry, you can go straight onto Isthmus but it drains poorly), then stay left at the intersection with Pond Connector. Turn right to stay on Pond when Isthmus reconverges. Next, stay to the left at all intersections to stay down by the lake, which will always be the most heavily used trail.

One of the low lying sections has large concrete landscaping blocks to reinforce the surface for a few hundred feet. Shortly after this section, Red Hill (Upper) will fork off to the right, then cross Lake Road and a short steep climb back into the woods. Turn right when you hit Fox then continue on to a left turn onto Middle Road.

Cruise down Middle Road to the first right onto Low Gap, then stay right onto Roller Coaster. When you get back to the Middle Road, turn left and head straight across Powerline onto Rainbow. Head straight through the four-way intersection and down the steep hill, going straight across the doubletrack. Stay left to head up the hill on Rainbow. Stay on the ridge on Powerline before taking a left up a brief climb onto Ridge Trail (East). Turn right up the switchbacks of Upper Washing Machine. Note: To skip the downhill of Washing Machine just stay on Ridge Trail (East) (which is also fantastic riding) and turn left when you get to Saddle to rejoin the route.

At the bottom of Lower Washing Machine, turn left onto Edgemoor Trail then left onto Saddle for a climb and descent of the main ridge. At the bottom, turn left onto the Middle Road then merge to the right onto Lake Road. Take a left onto West Shore for a beautiful and technical finale (bail via West Shore Connector if you're done with technical). When you hit Lake Road again, turn left, then take the next left onto West Entrance. When you hit the greenway, turn left and roll back to the parking lot.