The Pineries Mountain Biking Trail Report
The Pineries trail in Black Forest is a newer county trail system that offers 8.5 miles of hiking and biking trails on just over 1,000 acres. Only 20 minutes north of Colorado Springs and full of trees, rolling hills and great views, the Pineries is a great area for all levels of hikers and mountain bikers!
The parking lot is spacious and clean and marked with a nice trailhead sign. The trail is a big loop and you can choose to start from either direction, adding some challenge for those that return regularly.
I took my Salsa Spearfish 29er starting on the right for a counter-clockwise loop and it was fantastic! Being out of mountain bike conditioning, it was just the right amount of challenge, but plenty of groomed, flowy sections. The trail is well-groomed and doesn't have hardly any rock sections, so if gnarly is your jam, you might prefer other areas.
I've never seen the remnants from the Black Forest Fire from that close and it was a somber reminder of the forest vulnerability. The air wasn't as clear as I would have liked, so views were challenging. But on a clear day, there are several open meadow-like spots that would provide great views to the south.
I'm excited to go back here with my teenager and to try the trail going in a clockwise direction!