Wheel adventure
Get outdoors on mountain biking trails across Kentucky
ONE OF THE WORLD’S youngest sports, mountain biking has been around for just a little over 50 years. What began with risk-taking riders forging trails through the woods has evolved into a thriving outdoor culture with purpose-built trail systems drawing people of all ages across Kentucky.
“People from all walks of life are drawn to mountain biking—engineers, schoolteachers, pilots, dentists. All ages can participate,” says Chip Winger, president of the Southwest Kentucky Mountain Bike Association.
For many riders, mountain biking becomes more than exercise. It offers community, adventure and a chance to disconnect from daily stress.
“You focus so much on maneuvering the trail, it quiets everything around you, and you can just be in the moment,” says Desi Braman, whose Eastern Kentucky organization works with communities to secure funding and build trail systems.
Winger says people are also drawn to mountain biking because it’s a fun exercise: “It works your body and relieves stress from your mind. It becomes a culture.”
From lakeside rides to Appalachian descents, these five Kentucky trail systems offer memorable ways to experience the Bluegrass State.
Steve, left, and Carson Beckett begin their ride at the Canal Loop Trail. Photo: Steve Beckett
Canal Loop Trail, Land Between the Lakes
Riders can spend an entire weekend exploring more than 100 miles of single-track trails throughout Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The 11-mile Canal Loop is especially popular for its scenery, says Jackie Gough, owner of Wood-N-Wave Bicycle and Watersports.
The premier mountain bike trail in Land Between the Lakes, it runs between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley across rocky, sandy and gravelly terrain. Though mostly flat, it includes enough climbs and descents to keep riders engaged.
“As riders begin, they’ll follow bays and have looks toward the dam, views of the lakes and can even stop under the canal bridge to rest in the shade,” says Gough, a Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative consumer-member.
Gough says riders return throughout the year to explore areas unreachable by car. “We like to take our bikes exploring through parts of Land Between the Lakes you can’t drive through,” she says.
Nearby campgrounds make the trail an easy weekend getaway for families.
Capitol View Park in Frankfort offers a 13-mile trail system that is open year-round. Photo: KY NICA
Big Hollow North and South Loops Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park
Located in Mammoth Cave National Park, the Big Hollow North and South Loops Trail was the first mountain bike trail built within a national park. Winger says the trail became possible through volunteer work from local riders.
“We love to ride, so we work to have our trails,” he says. “Now we provide 250 volunteer hours a year maintaining the trail.”
With more than 10 miles of single-track trail, Big Hollow offers “a little bit for everyone,” Winger says. The beginner-friendly, award-winning gateway trail also includes alternate lines for more experienced riders.
“You can get out there and shred, but you still have hills and descents. And in the spring, fall and winter you can see views of the Green River,” he says.
Dense woods, rocky sections and rolling terrain make the trail approachable while still exciting. The International Mountain Bicycling Association named this the Gateway Trail of 2014, so it’s perfect for beginners Daniel Boone National Forest
The Laurel Lake Trail System offers one of Kentucky’s most immersive nature rides. Trails wind through dense forest canopies, past waterfalls and along rocky cliffs deep within the Daniel Boone National Forest. It’s considered by locals one of the best rides in the state.
“Laurel Lake is a gem in the state,” says Denile Hill, executive director of the Kentucky Interscholastic Cycling League. “It is fantastic.”
Hill describes it as a “year-round get down,” meaning the system drains well and stays rideable in nearly every season. Smooth rollers create a fast, approachable ride without steep climbs.
In spring and summer, blooming mountain laurel and rhododendron line the trails, while nearby swimming holes offer a cool reward after humid rides.
Fourteen mountain bikers participate in the Big Hollow Stewardship ride in April 2026. Photo: Chip Winger
England-Idlewild Trails System, Burlington
Near the Northern Kentucky–Cincinnati corridor, the England-Idlewild Trail System blends urban access with wooded escape, and has been described as tight, twisty and flowy. Riders can bike from downtown Cincinnati to breweries, coffee shops and eventually wooded Kentucky trails, says Brian Bozeman, co-founder of Cincitucky Trails.
Opened in 2015 through a partnership between Boone County Parks and Riding Forward, the system includes 11 miles of beginner and intermediate single-track trails. A winding creek divides sections of the heavily wooded trail, offering either a bridge crossing or a splash through shallow water.
Bozeman says his favorite section follows the meandering creek because it’s both “challenging and beautiful.”
“I love the seasonality of riding here,” he adds. “You experience the seasons through what you see. Everything is thick, lush and green in the summer. In the fall, it’s a completely different experience.”
Benny Goat Trails, Hazard
In Eastern Kentucky, Ben and Desi Braman are helping expand mountain biking opportunities throughout Perry County and beyond. The couple, co-owners of Dirt, work with Appalachian communities to secure funding and build trail systems that attract locals and visitors alike.
Located in Perry County Park, Benny Goat Trails features more than 9 miles of advanced single-track trail with technical features, including rock gardens, skinnies, log rollovers and jump lines.
“When you get to the top of the trail, the views open up and you can see the foothills. It’s a giant sea of green in the summer,” Desi Braman says. “In the fall you can see all the beautiful leaf changes.”
Because the trail sits within the Appalachian Mountains, riders can build serious speed on downhill sections. “I feel like I’m flying through the trees on my bike. You can build considerable speed on these trails. It’s exhilarating,” Braman says.
It’s also just minutes from downtown Hazard, so riders can visit local shops and get coffee after a ride.
Easy riders
Whether you’re new to mountain biking or experienced, you can preview bike trails across the state on Kentucky Cycling’s YouTube channel.
Mountain bikers also use Trailforks for maps and trail status, and MTB Project for trail descriptions.
