Betty Knox Loop (Mountain Biking Part 3)

Total Length around 17 miles. Total elevation gain around 1,000ft (round trip). Trip time maybe 4-5 hours.

Start at 'Betty Knox Park' at the large Dunbar Creek parking lot. Alternately, you can start anywhere up to a mile ahead at the many vehicle pull-offs located along the creek. This provides a good warm-up to the long hill climb (around 2 miles at 800ft elevation gain) immediately at the start. Pass the iron gate and follow the PA State Gameland (SGL 51) maintenance road, parallel to Limestone Run, uphill for about a mile to the large intersection just past the waterfall and wooden bridge. Turn right (south) at the intersection and continue up steeper travel for another mile to a three way intersection at the top of the hill. Turn right (west) and stay on the main road, winding south up an down thru the SGL for several miles, to the intersection with Saylor Road. Stay right (south) on Saylor. Just under a mile, past a large swamp, there is another gated access road to the right. Turn here. From this point on, and for the remaining of the ride, you are traveling the best single track out there. Stay on the main trail, heading northwest. Route-finding will be a little tricky for the first time - there's a few intersections and side-trails to avoid - all eventual dead-ends. The trail stays thru dense woods, with everything fun - mudholes, loghops, rocky climbs and descents - everything but the 'kitchen sink'. You'll drop in, across and up out of the Rock Run watershed (with a tricky drop, off an always wet and slippery rock ledge going in, and a very technical and steep climb out). After Rock Run, the trail eventually ascends to a highpoint at a large, green clover-covered, clearing in the woods - the remnants of an abandoned timbering operation. Cross the field to the north, and follow the single track, dropping down into the Dunbar Creek Valley (*Note: if you take the road to the left/west at the clearing, it will take you out to several alternate trails - all looping to either State Route 40, Deer Lake or back to Saylor Road - all excellent trails in their own right, with a great, long, steep and technical hill-climb traversing an underground pipeline right-of-way). At the bottom of the hill, turn right along Dunbar Creek, following the direction of flow to the northeast, again traveling superb single-track. Wind your way for several miles - up and down - back and forth - along Dunbar Creek and eventually back to the parking lot....

....a little more "wordy" than anticipated - but a highly recommended trip. Probably the best trail out there (and there's a lot) - 5 star for sure. Heres a map:

Again, mainline in red, alternates in blue with markers - each a rockclimbing crag. (*Note: I didn't include these trails - never got around to GPS mapping them, and am not positive, memory-wise, of their exact locations - more fun to explore that way, anyhow).

Here's some photos:

Rob Goodman, Ray Valco approaching the waterfall
along Limestone Run

Flat Rock Run

Split second before a face plant

Rob dropping over the rock ledge toward Rock Run -
the landing is the moss covered flat stone about 3 feet
below the front wheel - site of many good wipeouts 

Rob at the start of the hill climb out of Rock Run -
the exposed tree roots make it all the more difficult

Valco and the climb out of Rock Run

Rob and one of the several Dunbar Creek crossings

With Matt Burnsworth and Ray Valco - near the end
and cooling off - was a 95+ degree day  

All in all, a great ride. Lots of  short, steep and technical riding along the second half (past the second iron gate). The last fifth of a mile along Dunbar Creek is probably the limit of what can be ridden when talking rocks - nothing but creek boulders - been done though many times - with no suspension 'ta boot.