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Randy (Allkid) I know you were wanting to check out Brock Creek sometime so I uploaded a video of the Copperhead trail. This is the hardest trail there but it will give you an idea of what the place is like. Of all of the places I have been in Mo\Ar Brock has the best single track. Definitely fun and worth the extra drive. Not the best video but good enough to give you an idea what it is like.
Jim

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOCz1W9NVo4[/youtube]

Well, that video settles it. I HAVE to go there now- that place looks awesome!

Some of you guys know I like the gnarly trails, but I have to say that looks a bit ludicrous. That is a feet down, clutch slipping, fight. I've seen video from other sections of this same trail that are very steep with huge rock ledges to get over. It's definitely for the hard-core. Not sure I want to take this challenge. It looks like a fantastic hiking trail, though. I love the rock features.

I rode barely a 1/2 day at Brock Creek several years ago. At that time, I stayed off the single-track. The trails were really great with lots of challenging spots.

The Copperhead trail is only like 2.5 miles long but the first time I rode it it took a whole hour to complete. Definitely hard on a clutch. It was raining that day so that didn't help. Actually the video isn't even of the hardest parts. There are several steep and long drops into a creek crossing into an immediate long and STEEP hill climb. Definitely not for beginners but like I said the only two times I have been there it was wet which would have made most any trail more challenging.

There is a lot of not so challenging single track as well so don't let this video discourage anyone else from going. Just get plenty of gas and beer BEFORE arriving as it is a haul to the nearest town (and it is probably a dry town anyways). If you ever decide to go Randy let me know as I could probably be talked into driving down as well.
Jim

Wow, that looks wild. It would be great on a Trials bike. Is this in the Ozark National Forest?

Correct... It is in the Ozark National forest near Jeruselum, Ar. I am guessing it is closer to Little Rock than Fayettville.

Here is a link: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/osfnf/re ... 5&actid=63

Jim

stimmer6253472 wrote:Randy (Allkid) I know you were wanting to check out Brock Creek sometime so I uploaded a video of the Copperhead trail. This is the hardest trail there but it will give you an idea of what the place is like. Of all of the places I have been in Mo\Ar Brock has the best single track. Definitely fun and worth the extra drive. Not the best video but good enough to give you an idea what it is like.
Jim

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOCz1W9NVo4[/youtube]

Jim, Thanks for the video! Earlier, I think that you described Brock Creek as, "bad ass". Based on your video I would say that is an appropriate description, especially considering that videos never capture the true difficulty. I always say that I'm going to avoid the hard trails like Copperhead but inevitably find myself in the middle of trails that I thought I would avoid. Funny that Troy thought it looked like a good hiking trail because in the most difficult parts I have no problem letting my son come back and ride my bike through while I hike through.

We have the first two weeks of January off so if the weather should cooperate we would go sometime in that span, otherwise we plan on going the 2nd week in March. Anybody who would like to join us would be welcome.

That looks like fun! January?

I'm with Troy on this one; trails like this are not fun to me. Have I done trails like this sure, but being physically and mentally exhausted by the end of the trail is no longer something that I crave. I tip my cap to those who do.

My son and I are finally heading down to Brock Creek as we are leaving early tomorrow morning. We will be riding with a couple friends from Jonesboro who ride at Brock frequently. They've promised to show us all the trails and put a lot of miles on. I'm not so concerned about the miles as, "all the trails"! It appears we will attempt copperhead....my friend says that it is a half mile trail but can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to make it all the way through. If I can survive we ride for 3 days....forecast is perfect....50's with no chance for rain!

allkidd wrote:My son and I are finally heading down to Brock Creek as we are leaving early tomorrow morning. We will be riding with a couple friends from Jonesboro who ride at Brock frequently. They've promised to show us all the trails and put a lot of miles on. I'm not so concerned about the miles as, "all the trails"! It appears we will attempt copperhead....my friend says that it is a half mile trail but can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to make it all the way through. If I can survive we ride for 3 days....forecast is perfect....50's with no chance for rain!

Copperhead is a full 2 miles of trail. If he says it is only a half of a mile he didn't ride the whole thing. There are a couple of chicken exits but it if you ride the whole thing it is between 2 and 2.5 miles. Have fun. I'm jealous.
Jim

My son and I got back late Sunday evening as I survived 3 days of riding ST at Brock Creek with a bunch of very fast, Hare Scramble racers....and I had a lot of fun. The park is broken up in half with ATV trails on one side and legal, single track on the other side. It is the only public riding place in the midwest with legal single track. (at mill creek you are supposed to get permission from forestry to ride their ST) There are 35 miles of pretty good marked ST. My impressions starting with the negative:
1. It is a long ass haul to get there. From my house in Lees Summit it took us 5 hours and 35 minutes with two quick stops...about 355 miles. We took the longer route to drive interstate all but the last 30 miles.
2. Depending on who you talked to, they had anywhere from 12 to 18 inches of snow on X-Mas evening. The snow was mostly gone but it left the soil under the leaves and rocks very slippery. With the combination of the wet and only the top of the soil thawed, it made from some slippery riding. The locals said that it is normally not this slick.
3. With the combination of leaves on the ground and that the trails don't get ridden much, there were times where it was difficult to determine where the ST trail was.

Positive:

1. It is nice to be able to legally ride all single track and never have to ride the same trail in a day.
2. While there were a few areas that were above my ability, (yeah, I have no pride and had my son ride my bike up a couple hills as I hiked up), 99% of the trails were not that difficult.
3. Didn't have to worry about running into an ATV.
4. Not crowded...on Friday there were only myself, my son and a friend who met us there. On Saturday there were about 10 in the whole park and most of them were friends of my friend from down there.

Overall, we had a really good time and plan on going back. To justify the drive I think 3 days is the minimum. Pasted below is the Brock Creek brochure and map.


http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 042765.pdf

What about a beginner rider, is there enough very easy trails for them to ride?

Sounds like a great ride. Thanks for the report Randy!

Brock has plenty of easy trails but it is probably not the best beginner place. White Rock fits that better and is probably a couple hours closer.
Jim