Places to Go: Beginner-Friendly Mountain Bike Trails
Is your kid curious about mountain biking? While Tulsa certainly has some steep drops and speedy curves that may give a parent pause, these beginner-friendly mountain bike trails are perfect for riders new to the sport. Don’t forget your helmet!
Turkey Mountain: Little Loop
Someone had a lot of fun naming the trails at Turkey Mountain. There’s Tree Hugger, Zingo the Soda Pop Loop…and many others. While some trails are best for experienced riders, very young or beginner riders can start out on the Little Loop, a .25-mile trail designed for riders just learning to pedal. You can even tackle the trail on a Strider bike, says River Parks Authority’s Ryan Howell. The Little Loop features gentle curves and inclines, he says, and is also flat enough to allow for easy pedaling. “It’s wide enough in most places that the parent can easily walk beside or behind,” Howell says.
Little Loop is accessible from the Lower Main parking lot behind the north pavilion.
If you’re ready for more of a challenge but not yet pro-level, Howell recommends sticking to the green-rated trails, as opposed to blue (intermediate) or black (difficult).
“Once you’re comfortable [with Little Loop], head over to the Campaign Trail,” he says. “After you get good at that trail, try Stay Gold. And once you do that, you’ll have a new passion that will get you outdoors a lot more often!”
For moms wanting to get in on the action, Howell recommends a free women’s mountain biking group — Women Empowered Riding Oklahoma (WeRoK) — which hosts monthly group rides and teaches mountain biking basics.
6850 S. Elwood Ave., Tulsa
riverparks.org/experience/turkey-mountain
Claremore Mountain Bike Trail, courtesy Rory Peterson
Claremore Mountain Bike Trails: Sawtooth Trail
Rory Peterson has been active in designing and developing the Claremore Mountain Bike Trails for the past 13 years, so he is quite familiar with the system! Peterson recommends families and new riders start with the Sawtooth trail, a 2-mile loop accessible from the main parking lot.
As your group becomes comfortable with Sawtooth, Peterson suggests moving onto the Cloab trail, which is longer and has a mix of beginner and intermediate features.
“A good beginner trail is 30+ inches wide and has fewer obstacles such as small rocks or steep climbs,” Peterson explains. “Some of the challenges on the beginner trails will be a few small rock gardens, roots and maybe a 6-inch drop.”
As at Turkey Mountain, the Claremore trails are clearly marked green, blue, or black depending on their level of difficulty.
“Riders who are just starting to mountain bike should take it slow and enjoy the adventure,” Peterson advises. “It is totally fine to get off your bike and walk an area you are not comfortable with.” He reminds new riders to bring a helmet, sunscreen and bug spray, and to ride with a more experienced rider if possible.
North Trailhead: 15011 E. 470 Rd., Claremore
facebook.com/claremoremtnbiketrail
Mooser Creek Greenway
Thanks to Bike Club, West Tulsa has about 10 miles of beginning and intermediate mountain bike trails, as part of the Mooser Creek Greenway. The Greenway has three connected yet distinct trail systems, spanning Lubell Park, Mooser Hollow and Bales Park.
While all of the trails in the system are rated for beginners or intermediate riders — and many are adaptive mountain bike-friendly — the Lookout Ridge trail at Bales Park (.4 miles) or Mary’s Loop at Lubell (2.2 miles) are good starting places. Simply park in the main parking lots and start pedaling!
Lubell Park also has a few wooden features near the parking lot if you want to practice some mountain biking skills before hitting the trails.
Helpful signs near the trailheads provide a comprehensive map of the system and remind riders to avoid the trails when they’re wet; stick to the trails; and generally be respectful of both the environment and others using the trail.
Lubell Park: 2910 W. 53rd St., Tulsa
Bales Park: 5801 S. Union Ave.
