Black Rock Mountain Bike Area

Driving to Falls City, OR, I was excited to check out a small town diner for a hearty breakfast to start the day. I had left an hour earlier from a family vacation on the Oregon coast to have half a day to myself riding Black Rock Mountain Bike area, a system of 4 trails descending over 1000 feet intermingling man-made features with the natural beauty of the Oregon forrest.

Upon arrival in Falls City, I soon found out I should've stopped 8 miles prior in Dallas, OR for that hearty breakfast, as there was not a restaurant to be found. I soon found my way to the Black Rock parking area, unloaded my gear and started out on a great day of riding. I thought I had done due diligence about Black Rock including its trail difficulty and beauty. The thing I did not read about was the 3 mile 1000 foot climb that had to be made to get to the top. I was gassed by the time I got there, but glad I did as the single track opened up to three well marked trails welcoming my tread: Bonzai Downhill (green), Sickter Gnar (blue) and Granny's Kitchen (Black).

I started with Bonzai Downhill and was excited to see it was fast, flow and used many of the wooden features I was drooling over on my way up. Bonzai is broken in to 5 sections and consistently did not disappoint as I rode down the mountain. Sickter Gnar trail was calling my name next and welcomed me with a different style of riding, more downhill and rock garden oriented while still not being over the top. Finally, I decided to try Granny's Kitchen, (I will preface this by saying I consider myself an advanced rider) where the first features were true to the black diamond grading and only got progressively harder as I went. (many turned to hike-a-bike).

Overall, Black Rock met my expectations and exceeded my fun meter. I was not expecting all the climbing, but the downhill and length of trails made up for it. One word of advice, scout all features before riding. Even after doing so, I cracked a rib and punctured a lung 200 feet before the end of my riding day. Have fun.