Sugar Glider Loop

Race - Sep 4, 2022

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Allowed

Features Drops/Jumps

A popular cross-country mountain biking loop with varied terrain with typical East coast rocky, rooty terrain. Enter the park off Lee Highway near exit 7 of I-81 in Bristol, VA.

This loop is clearly marked by a green diamond blaze with black arrows. All individual trails are marked and there are orange circle blazes with numbers that serve at GPS position emergency locaters along the entire loop. Several exit signs are placed along the loop for your convenience and safety.

Lots of good food spots are nearby including the Mellow Mushroom which can be accessed by bike within a 5-minute ride of the parking lot of the park.

To ride the loop clockwise start at the trailhead behind the dam at the small parking lot. Cross Beaver Creek and start on the gravel service road. Follow the green diamonds with black arrows up to Red Fox. This will put you on the 6-mile plus left side of the loop. The last mile is a downhill roller coaster and a blast thanks to trail builders Steve and Gil. You'll then exit into the picnic area and again follow the arrows and cross the road bridge over Beaver Creek. Take an immediate left on Ben's Branch and follow the arrows. This is the flowy right side of the loop which travels 3 plus miles and brings you back to the trailhead.

To ride counter-clockwise from the trailhead, cross the paved road and look for Raccoon Run on the left and begin there. This counter-clockwise ride will bring you back to the same trailhead. You may ride the left or right sides separately if desired. The loop is clearly marked in either direction and covers 14 of the 19 trails in the park without backtracking.

***Trail intel provided by local volunteer David Hayden***

The property was once a plantation in the 1800s. Resting Tree Burial Ground is preserved by the city at the west end of the trail system that memorializes the slaves that toiled on the grounds. Many of the trails are legacy trails and trails built by Eagle Scouts, Ben's Kids, SORBA Tri-Cities volunteers, and folks that just love the "Holler"!