10 Best Mountain Bike Trails in Winter Park Florida

10 Best Mountain Bike Trails in Winter Park Florida

Orlando is a city in the U.S state of Florida. It’s the county seat of Orange County and is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area. 

 

When it comes to mountain biking, there are lots of fun trails close to the city. But if you’re looking for truly awesome trails to shred, you’ll find more just a short drive away. 

 

Mountain Biking Fun in Orlando, Florida

If you’re planning a trip to Orlando and want to see what its mountain biking scene has to offer, this article is for you. Here we wrote down our top 10 best MTB trails in Orlando FL and listed them from the easiest to the toughest. 

 

1. The Hammock: Simply Smile-Inducing

If you’re a beginner rider looking for a fun and easy trail, this one’s for you. The Hammock is 2.7 kilometers of easy-riding singletrack with a max elevation of just 27 meters, an average gradient of 2%, and an 8% max gradient.

 

The trail itself consists purely of singletrack with lots of fast and flowy sections. It’s located at the edge of Markham Woods property, not too far away from the urban area. This beautiful trail is easy enough for the whole family and fun enough to have you grinning from ear to ear.

 

2. Seminole Wekiva Trail: Long and Easy

If The Hammock was too short for your taste, you may want to check out this trail instead. The Seminole Wekiva Trail is another easy trail around the Orlando area. This 29.3-kilometer trail is mostly paved with a max elevation of 35 meters, an average gradient of 1%, and a 2% max gradient.

 

The Seminole Wekiva Trail is family-friendly and leads you through softball fields, tennis, and racquetball courts, as well as a park. This trail is also convenient with lots of available water fountains, restrooms, and other amenities on this trail.

 

3. Mini Destroyer: Intermediate Introduction 

If you’re a beginner rider looking to try the more intermediate-level trails in the area, this trail is the perfect introduction. The Mini Destroyer is just half a kilometer long with a max elevation of 47 meters. The trail itself is 100% singletrack with an average gradient of 4% and a max gradient of 9%.

 

Most intermediate riders use the Mini Destroyer to loop the downhill trail of its big brother, The Gravity Destroyer. That’s not to say that fun can’t be had on this trail by itself. The Mini Destroyer is not only a great trail to introduce you to the trail system, but it’s also a good climb out when you finish your ride.

 

4. Lake Apopka Loop Trail: Best Beginner-Intermediate Trail 

We can’t make a list of the best Orlando MTB trails without mentioning this one. The Lake Apopka Loop Trail is one of the most beautiful you can find in the area. Fresh air, scenic lake views, and the chance to run into some of the local critters simply make this trail a perfect epic ride for the whole family. 

 

The full trail itself is mostly flat, paved, and stretches 58.1 kilometers long. While you can ride the whole trail in one epic go, there are lots of trail options to choose from and nothing is stopping you from calling it a day at any time. Both sides of the trail feature park areas and facilities for your convenience. 

 

5. Soldier’s Creek: Short, Fun, and Close to the City 

If you’re a beginner-intermediate rider looking to do some laps on a short fun trail close to the city, definitely check this one out. The Soldier’s Creek trail is located in Longwood FL, close to Sanford FL. It’s part of the Soldier’s Creek Park so parking is usually ample.

 

The Soldier’s Creek trail is a mostly flat singletrack trail stretching just 2.3 kilometers long. The trail features roots and rocks as well as man-made obstacles like bridges and uphill sections clad in carpet for better traction. 

 

6. Main Loop: Easy Beginner Loop with Intermediate Options 

This next entry is great for beginners looking to test their skills but also offers enough options to entertain intermediate riders. The Main Loop trail is a 3.1-kilometer loop with a max elevation of 47 meters. The trail itself is purely singletrack with an average gradient of 2% and a gradient of 8%. 

 

While the Main Loop is easy enough for beginner riders to do, it does offer several blue and even red options for those looking for a true challenge. The route features very small roots, solid climbs, and speedy downhills. The trailhead also offers facilities like a bike wash, air pump, tools, and more.

 

7. Extra Crispy: Fast & Fun Switchbacks with Almost All Downhill

If you’re an intermediate rider looking for a short yet sweet, mostly downhill, ride then this trail is for you. Extra Crispy is just 0.3 kilometers long with a max elevation of 38 meters. The trail itself is purely singletrack with a 4% average gradient and a 10% max gradient. 

 

Time-wise, Extra Crispy gives you a lot of bang for your buck. This relatively short trail features speedy and fun switchbacks on a mostly downhill route and ends with a nice wooden bank. 

 

8. Gravity Destroyer: Excellent All Downhill Trail 

If you found Extra Crispy fun, then you’ll absolutely adore this trail. Gravity Destroyer is 0.4 kilometers of pure downhill fun. This one-way downhill fully singletrack trail has a max elevation of 47 meters, a 5% average gradient, and a 9% max gradient. 

 

Gravity Destroyer is chocked full of fun switchbacks and some wooden banked turns. The last third of this ride switches surfaces from dirt to pine needles, giving it that extra layer of uniqueness not seen in any other trail around the area. You can also ride this trail several times by climbing back out on the Main Loop.

 

9. Harry Scary: Short and Technical 

If you’re an advanced rider looking for a short but worthwhile trail to squeeze into your trip, you should definitely check out this one. Harry Scary stretches just 0.2 kilometers long with a max elevation of 32 meters. This pure singletrack trail has an average gradient of 1% and a max gradient of 2%.

 

So, what makes this trail difficult?

 

Harry Scary contains some rock and root features. These rock and root features then combine with steep climbs and steep descents into sharp corners making for one heck of a technical route. Keep yourself mindful on this trail, especially during the first 180° turn.

 

10. Pure Adrenaline: The Toughest

If you’re an expert-level rider looking for the toughest of Orlando’s downhills to cross off your list, this is it. Pure Adrenaline is a no-nonsense ride for expert riders who aren’t afraid to commit. 

 

With this trail being just 241 feet long with a -12 foot descent, you can pretty much finish it in an instant. But don’t let its length fool you as it’s rated a double-black diamond for a reason.

 

You can get to this trail from a steep incline

bridge over a fence off of The Big Dipper. From there take a sharp left to an extreme gradient off a wooden ramp that takes you straight downhill.