Jacobsburg State Park

Tread: 
Tread is a mix of hardpack, cindered path and hardened trail. The trail systems generally drain poorly and are multi-use including equestrian use so be aware that the tread may be damaged during wet times. Please use your best judgment in soft conditions and ride responsibly.
Difficulty: 
2/5
Vertical Change: 
100 ft. rolling terrain
Aerobic Level: 
Beginner
City: 
Belfast
State: 
Pennsylvania

Jacobsburg is a cozy state park located just west of Rt. 33 at the Belfast Exit. It hosts more than 18 miles of trail for all users including hikers, bikers and equestrians. Since "The Jake" is a multi user-friendly park; respect and kindness toward other trail users is greatly appreciated. Be alert to trail signage due to some of the trails in the park allowing only hiking or equestrian travel.

The park has a really fun network of trails that intersect often. The system lends itself to the rider to create his or her own loops. The benefit of the trail layout is that if a rider likes a trail and wants to do it again, go for it. Another trail will take you back to the point where you turned around so you don't miss anything. The tread varies greatly from cindered double wide to some mildly technical singletrack with short climbs and downhills. Common obstacles on the trail are the many water bars strategically placed throughout the park to reduce erosion. There are sections of rocks, but they are generally short and sweet.

The experienced rider will get the most out of the singletrack at a quicker pace spent mostly in the second chainring or higher, as well as being singlespeed friendly. Beginner to intermediates will enjoy the beautiful scenery and the technical sections that are just challenging enough to facilitate bike-handling skills and build confidence. Ride times or distances are difficult to predict. The network has many entry/exit points and the true ride time/distance depends greatly upon how much riding your mood dictates.

The main parking lot, located off of Belfast Rd., is the best place to start. Trail maps are available at the Northeast corner of the lot, which is also the trailhead. Be careful when crossing streets to continue on the trails. Traffic doesn't have much warning to our presence and moves a pretty fast clip.