General statistics: General statistics:
Access: paved road FS 553 from Edwardsville, others rough dirt roads
Description Of The Area
There are thousands of acres on the Northern Section of the Talladega National Forest. Coleman Lake has an excellent campground and an excellent day-use area with picnic tables, swimming, and showers. You can ride from the day-use area. Pine Glen campground and day-use is more primitive. Presently there are no specific Mountain Bike trails. Riding is not allowed on the Pinhoti Trail. There is however some great riding. Many miles of dirt and gravel roads have locked iron gates on them and are closed to motor vehicles, but are open to bicycles, hikers, horses, and such. I have ridden many of these roads and some of them are fun to ride. They vary in length from less than a mile to 5 miles from the gate to the end. The maps which are available to hunters are excellent for finding your way around on the Management Area. I have been hiking and riding here since the 60's. I may have a map here and more trail descriptions soon. Information about this area is available from the US Forest Service, 2309 Hi-way 46, Heflin, AL 36264, Phone (256)463-2273. I will help you if I can. E-mail me for info or with questions.
Some Rides I know Are Good - Talladega
National Forest, Northern Section, blocked and gated Forest
Service (FS) Roads
FS
500K - From hi-way 9 on Rabbittown Road go 8.9 miles to
where Forest Service Road 500 crosses Rabbittown Road. Take FS
500, a dirt road to the left. FS 500K is the first road on the
left. This road is normally closed by a locked gate about 100
yards from the start. It is 4.5 miles from the start of 500K to a
turn around at the end. This road is usually in very good
condition. There are a few side roads to explore, but not many.
Some of this area gets close to the Dugger Mountain Wilderness
Area. Avoid the DMWA on your bicycle
FS 548
- There is a good ride off of FS 548. Where FS 553 joins FS 500,
drive south 3.25 miles to where FS 548 crosses it. FS 553 is
paved and FS 548 dirt. Turn left (East) on FS 548 and drive 0.2
miles to a gated road on the left side of FS 548. This road loops
all the way around to FS 553. There is only one turn to make. At
one point there is a road turning off to the left. Take that
road. The road straight ahead goes a few hundred feet and ends in
a clearing. This ride is downhill all the way around to FS 553.
It is then a moderate to difficult ride up hill on the paved FS
553 back to where FS 548 crossed and back to parking.
FS 529
& FS 536 - Both of these roads are good rides they
connect to each other on the back of Rattle snake Mountain. To
ride the loop start from the Game Checking station near the jct
of FS 500 and FS 553 or from the gate on FS 529. I like to start
from the Checking Station, but will give the description and
miles from the gate on FS 529 because it is easier to explain.
FS 529 is mostly down hill to a large turn around area 3.0 miles from the gate. The road goes up a fairly steep hill for a little over 0.3 miles from the turn-around to a fork in the road. Take the right road at the fork to loop around Rattlesnake Mountain. After a short down hill past the fork the trail goes up again. Form the fork it is 0.4 miles to a great view toward Cottaquilla Mountain across hi-way 9. For over 0.25 miles you will ride with a great vista off your left handle bar grip. The site where Rattlesnake Tower once stood is 5.7 miles from the start of FS 529. After much climbing the ride is mostly down hill for a while. Travel about 1 mile from the tower site and go over the dirt piles which block the road. After you descend the dirt piles you will be at the end of FS 536, often called Rattlesnake Tower Road because it was the access to the remote fire tower which stood for many years on the mountain. Traveling on FS 536 from the parking area at the end to its junction with FS 532 and a gate is 1.9 miles. This will be about 8.6 miles from the gate on FS 529. If you ride to the junction of FS 536 and FS 532 turn right. Travel about one mile to the checking station entrance road on the right. This will be across the road from the Horse Camp. A much better option is to watch for a horse trail on the South side of FS 536. It will be about 1.7 miles from the back end of FS 536 or about 0.2 miles before you will get to the junction with FS 532. It goes off of the right side of FS 536 and is marked with a "Blue Horse Shoe". This trail comes out on the pavement just before the checking station. From the checking station there are several options to return to the start of FS 529. If you decide to start and park at the game checking station this will be the route. One way is to take FS 500 south 1.6 miles to FS 529. Riding this road is difficult and not much fun. Watch for cars. Another and more fun way is to start south on FS 500 and watch for the horse trail on the left. It is about 0.5 miles form the checking station. Take this trail just over a mile watching for a small spur trail to leave the main horse trail on the right. This spur goes to FS 529 and you can see the gate on FS 529 from the start of the spur trail. The spur is only about 50 yards long and the start was marked with a bright yellow flagging ribbon the last time I was there. The total mileage for the loop will be about 11 miles. And it is 11 miles of very hard riding. Carry plenty of water and energy.
FS
531F - Drive South on FS 500 past Pine Glen Campground.
Go 0.9 miles past the campground to the junction with FS 531.
Turn left (East) on FS 531 and travel 2.3 miles to a road on the
left side with an iron gate. This road is FS 531F and is several
miles long with many side roads which can be explored. One road
loops around to the main road and descends to the creek.
There is an old chimney built from stone with mud for mortar on
one side road. The dwelling is long since gone. The chimney may
be (will be) difficult to find. There are several hours of
riding on this road and its spurs.
Last Updated: 4/25/06