Fort Rock Exeter, New Hampshire – Mountain Bike Trail Review

July 21, 2009 by Ryan Flynn
Filed under Uncategorized

Brief:

Bring you’re A-game, no ifs, ands or buts. This is advanced intermediate – expert riding only. When you roll out to Exeter, you’re going to experience first hand all that stuff they taught you in grade school such as: Why is New Hampshire called the granite state? Why are there so many rock walls in the forests in New England? Can we ride on top of them? And you’ll understand why farmers fled New England for the great frontier known as the Midwest for farming – because they weren’t mountain bikers. Let Iowa grow the corn, and leave us with the most mouth-watering, technical, flowing singletrack completely enshrouded in dense New Hampshire old-growth forest. This trail system is at least 14 miles of flowing singletrack up, over, around, through and screaming down some highly technical rock gardens, some flowing dirt track, and features natural rock drops ranging from 2’ to 4’+, amazing man-made free ride obstacles (gapped ramps, planks…) sponsored by local riders and NEMBA – www.nemba.org and www.snemba.org , some dirt jumps with step-ups… (Side note: we still farm here in New Hampshire, and Exeter is home to fantastic local seacoast farms, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and cornfields, so bring the family, let them do the apple picking/petting zoo dance, and get your ass to the rodeo at Fort Rock.)

Getting There:

From Route 101, take Exit 10 to Rte 85 south, park at the trestle parking lot, about .25 – .5 mile south from the exit – when you see the giant granite trestle, turn right up the hill. Begin your ride by heading up the dirt road past the auto entrance that is blocked off to autos. Continue up the hill a couple hundred yards, and prepare to duck in to either the first or second trail head on the right. It doesn’t matter because you’ll end up riding a loop that is equally fun both ways, and I think it’s best if you discover the loops on the South side both ways to see the drops and down hills available to you. One thing becomes apparent within seconds: this trail network is going to make you work. There are long sections of large stones and boulders on the entrance to the trails, requiring you to muscle through and around the rocks. You’ll hit a little of everything on this side of the network. As you push through the trails – and consult the trail map at www.snemba.org , you’ll find that you can cross under Route 101 and into another section of trails. This section, the North Side offers more of the same, and really helps stretch out the ride.

Review:

What you’ll really enjoy about riding out here is that the trails are nice and stretched out with gentle elevation gains, so you’re not going to be twisted-up on a bunch of switchbacks that coil around on themselves, and you are able to really push the pedals and gain some speed to take advantage of the drops and rock-rolls that you encounter. It makes the trail that much more fun because you can relax without stressing over the next tight corner every 100 feet or the long slog up. You can ride a good 14 miles of rolling terrain with a few spurts of ups and downs. The other bonus is that drops tend to lead into flowing turns and built up rock rolls, the down hills are fast and offer lots of options for people who prefer to stay planted on mostly dirt and rock slabs to people who prefer to float over lots of stones and boulders and spend a little time in the air.

Packing List/Hot Tips:

You are going to be riding a lot of rock. Expect to pop a tube in a pinch flat, or even worse gash a tire – I saw both the last two times I was there. Bring tubes, a small roll of duct tape, a dollar bill, and your pump. If needed, there’s a great shop a couple miles from the trail head called Wheel Power the guys who run this shop are riders, and stock their store accordingly. Meaning you won’t find cheesy 2.0 tires only for your 6” bike. These guys get it, and are down to earth. Find a trail map on their website as well.
Bring a lot of water and a snack. You are going to be riding in a dense forest. It’s like a jungle, so if on hot days it’s 80% humidity (normal in New Hampshire) in the open parking lot, sure enough it’ll be worse in the forest.
A lite-first aid kit. If the rocks are slick, there’s a good chance you or someone you know will dump. Be ready to help out.
This is dog friendly, but you will encounter other bikers and dogs, and occasionally a race, plus you will be passing through some private land (read neighborhood) on the North Side. So, be aware of the privilege of riding with your little buddy, and make sure he/she will stay close by.
Bring you’re A-game. You want to stay on the ball the entire time you’re riding here.
Bring a sense of adventure and time. Don’t make this a ride where you’re limited on time if it’s your first few rides here. There’s a lot of stuff to explore, and it’s not worth doing if you’re pressed for time.
Youtube videos of Fort Rock Exeter. Exeter Woods Mountain Biking is one of a 2 part series, but you’ll get the itch after watching these.