This is a challenging 18 mile round trip ride. At the Park City end, trail maintenance is non-existent. Loose dangerous gravel, (where there is gravel), and narrow. This trail is not good for youngsters or very novice riders.

First off, this is an awesome trail. It is completely paved and is shaded for roughly about 2/3 of the whole 2.5 mile loop. Incredible scenery, loved the bridges over the creek, and it was full of spectacular nature, plus it was challenging from the rolling and steep inclines and descents within. It was also nice that there was a playground and restrooms with close parking to the trail head. Plus, one might think it’s not long enough, but trust me- it was a workout! However, there are a few concerns one needs to be mindful of. Much of the trail is cracked or buckled from tree roots growing under the pavement which made for a VERY rough ride on some parts. Also mud,debris, and other hazards like fallen tree limbs will likely be encountered, so pay attention. You will want to use a mountain bike or at least a bike with thicker wheels. On the day we were there, I was pulling a toddler trailer with my youngest son in the back. He giggled at first because of the “bumps” but started to not like them eventually. Make sure if you are pulling a trailer that you have descent ground clearance, and no other items except maybe a water bottle because your children will be “bounced” a lot. Plus, you will want hand breaks and the ability to shift gears...some of the hills are very steep and to maintain control you will likely have to “ride the brake” and shift gears frequently. My wife and oldest son ride bikes that are traditional pedal brake bikes which made the trail less fun for them on a few of the slopes and those occasional sharp turns. But they both enjoyed the trail, and just adapted. There was also a section of this trail that was “slanted” or leaning toward a cliff edge. This made me a little nervous as a parent with the trailer and also having my other young child riding his bike there as well because the trail is narrow. But we didn’t have any issues. Also, a significant portion of this trail runs through a golf course. There are “cart crossings”....and greens that are adjacent or connect to the trail....be mindful of this possible hazard if the golf course is busy. At one point a cart was parked next to the bike trial and they were searching for a ball. Minor thing, but with the turns and blind spots, had I been riding fast, there might have been an accident. And of course, having my family with me, made me perhaps a little anxious about the potential reality of someone getting hit by a golf ball. In short, it was a great trail, but it rode more like a mountain bike path than a paved trail. It is family friendly but not family “easy.” So use caution with the above mentioned concerns. Would I take my family there again, sure.....like I said....awesome trail...just be aware of the unique conditions so it is an enjoyable experience for all. FYI....we rode the whole trail twice that day....had a picnic between..... With an additional ride back down to the creek because my oldest son wanted to and my youngest fell asleep in the trailer and napped on the way....even with the bumps...so they can be navigated and not be too cumbersome. In short, pay attention and enjoy this little gem of bike trail at Barren River State park.

this is my favorite kind of trail, being more of a road cyclist. not a super technical mtb challenge, just rolling hills, good compacted gravel surface, lots of trees... all kinds of birds on this trail. saw a gold finch, bluebirds, and one big turkey that took off in front of me on a straightaway and stayed on the path, airborne, leading the way for quite a bit. there was one small tree across the trail today, but it looked very recent and i didn’t need to dismount to go around. the trail does zig zag across the highway a few times, but you have unobstructed views upon approach and traffic was not heavy. there are easily visible caution posts at all these crossings, so nothing jumps up on you. great experience.

great views and seclusion. i saw a deer drinking water just off the trail. the only drawback on this trail is lots of buckling from roots in the asphalt. otherwise, this is a great ride through the woods.

The trail is down hill one way and uphill coming back. Save energy for the ride home. Beautiful scenery and you get some level ground where there are traverses. And the campground is great!

Agree with previous reviews. Probably would have been better with mountain bike. Managed with hybrids. Beautiful and shaded. Rode from Zion Cemetery Rd to visitors center and return. Trail in great shape for most part, some loose gravel and sand made for moments of white knuckle ride.

Wonderful scenic trail. Agree that mountain bikes are best but we had hybrid tires and got along fine. Great experience and glad to add it to our list. A few steep climbs, but most of it is a moderate ride. I do think the trail could be marked better as there are lots of spurs. We had the trail map that kept is on the main route.

Mammoth Cave R.R. Trail:
This trail is 80 percent under a tall tree canopy. Nice and shaded. There was a light rain most of the day. A constant misting. The canopy kept us pretty dry. That same canopy will be very welcome during the hot summer months. The gravel trail width varies from 5’ to 10’. Most areas it is 6’ to 8’ wide. Branches encroach the width every so often and necessitate single file riding. The gravel was very small, similar to d.g.a. (dense gravel aggregate), nicely compacted. Not many washouts and not many sections of loose gravel. The rather small blue background distance markers need new white paint. Branches should also be cut back to improve visibility of these signs. We cycled this trail in mid May and the maintenance crews had probably not cut anything back yet. There are not many mileage markers going the other direction, toward the visitor center. Need to also spray some weed killer at the Southern end. I rated this trail a four because there are no r.r. trestles / bridges nor great vistas. The beautiful hardwood canopy is very pleasant. The trail has minor grades except for at least one of the three marked hills. Most will simply walk their bike the top portion of that grade. It is a great one day ride. There are no available shuttles. If you can’t physically ride the full 20 miles, you can park in one of a couple small parking lots between the two ends of the trail. Head in either direction and bike back to get a few miles in. If you still have the energy and are so inclined, head the other direction and back to complete the entire 20 miles (9-10 miles each way). Some in you party may pass on the entire and bug out after doing the half route.

Big Hollow Trail:
Never got to this one. You must take a ferry across the Green River. This is a steel cable, tethered, single auto at a tim, ferry. The lines were only four cars deep each side, but it would have probably taken 30-40 minutes each direction. We were short on time and took a pass. We contemplated biking across on the next ferry but were informed of the 3 mile long, steep grade, just West of the river, to get to the trail head. One in our party, who had been nursing a cramp, quickly nixed that idea.

KyKevin

Rode most of the trail yesterday. It's still a bit stark since the leaves haven't popped yet. Nice trail but much of it is parallel to the main road and not much into the wilderness.