Top Places To Go Mountain Biking In Monmouth County
Here’s a fun fact: I’m a nut for knobby tires. I dig bicycles mixed with mud. I’m a trailblazer, a shredder, and a fat tire frontiersman. I also live a much larger life on my bike in my head than in real life…. lol. But I do love getting out on a fall or winter morning for a few miles with my friends. Here’s a few of the places that are great for mountain biking in Monmouth County.
You might be surprised to learn that there’s plenty of places to get your tires dirty in Monmouth County. Even in eastern Monmouth County on the Jersey Shore there’s places to ride. Between our densely crowded neighborhoods and busy highways there’s trails to be found. In fact, many of the greatest trails in Monmouth County have been made in the woods nearby and overlooking some of our busiest roadways.
Fun Fact: The highest point on the Eastern seaboard is in Monmouth County. Fun Fact #2: The only place in America where you can ride trails with a view of the Atlantic Ocean is in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Newbie riding tips:
- Horses have the right of way. Walkers have the second right of way. Bike riders come third.
- Don’t litter! If you ride in with it, ride out with it.
- Lock your car doors and don’t leave valuables visible.
North East Monmouth County Mountain Biking
Starting the list with a crown jewel of north-east Monmouth County: Hartshorne Woods Park and Huber Woods. Technically, these are two parks that could be ridden separately however most riders I know take them on during the same ride. Neither of these two parks make for a particularly long ride, mile-wise, but put them together and you can get some good miles in. The trails of Hartshorne and Huber have more hills than other Monmouth County mountain biking parks. A few steep climbs and descents make for a great day on the trails.
One great experience you can have while riding the trails of Hartshorne Woods Park is the incredible view from a trail overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the only, if not THE only, place on the east coast to be able to view the Atlantic from a mountain bike trail. The highest place on the eastern seaboard is accessible by mountain bike at Twin Lights State Historic Site.
Park at Huber Woods (link) or Hartshorne (link) parking lots.
Allaire State Park, Wall Township
One fall day about two years ago a guy who looked to be around 77 years old struck up a conversation with me in the Hospital Road parking lot – where a lot of people park to use the trails of Allaire State Park. “Excuse me, do you ride these trails?” “Yes, I do” I answered. “Well, me and my friends started them when we were kids.” And so began a treasured conversation about the beginnings of the park. After all these years the trails have expanded beyond the Allaire State Park boundaries making for an excellent riding experience.
Allaire and the surrounding areas are terrific places to get your mountain bike fix on the Jersey shore. The trails are fun and a great place for kids and beginners. Some experienced riders find them to be a little too simple because there’s less climbs and descents and more open riding. The riding community calls this kind of riding, “cross country” or “XC” riding.
One amazing thing about Allaire State Park is also something that makes it sometimes hard to ride: that thing is sand. After a big rain storm, Allaire dries out quickly. In the winter, the snow melts and the trails dry out much faster than other areas. However, during the dry summer months, the sand seems to rise to the top and the trails get harder to ride in certain spots. More sand can lead to wipe outs and harder riding.
Park at the Hospital Road trailhead parking lot (link). None of the trails at Allaire are “official” in the eyes of the park system. Maintenance after large storms is done by riders and local volunteers.
Perrineville, Millstone Township
While Allaire riding trails seem to be growing another group of riders are enjoying expanding the trails in western Monmouth County in Perrineville. Located in Millstone Township where large tracks of woods are bordered by fields, farms and McMansions, the trails in Perrineville are a growing area with a bright future for local riders.
Strava is a common social network and App used by riders to share rides and experiences with like-minded riders. As you can see, the trails around Perrineville stretch into neighboring Roosevelt, New Jersey.
Park in the Perrineville Lake Park parking lot.
Clayton Park, Upper Freehold
Clayton Park in Imlaystown is a small park that delivers what mountain bike riders commonly call, “good flow”. There’s a few good climbs and a few fun descents to match. There’s two parking lots for riders. Most bikers tend to park on the Emley’s Hill Road but when I rode it recently, I parked at the lot that is closer to Interstate 195 on Davis Station Road. That lot forces you to ride along the sides of a few fields that prop up your total miles for the day.
Most mountain bikers head towards the blue trails at the west end of the park. Those trails have some fun and speedy segments that, while challenging, are not too hard. I really enjoyed the Doctor’s Creek to Old Forge trail combination. That was very much worth going around a few times.
Park in the lot on Emely’s road (link).
Ramenessin Park / Thompson Park, Holmdel and Lincroft
Hidden among some of the priciest homes in the entire county, these two mountain biking areas provide the opportunity to ride from the rolling hills of the middle of the county to the Swimming River Reservoir water front in a single day.
An energetic rider can log twenty miles in the combined areas without repeating trails very much.
On the map above, the top portion represents Ramenessin Park while the lower park is in Thompson Park.
Park at the Ramenessin parking lot (link) or at Thompson Park (link)
