Adventure Around Every Turn
Southeast Ohio, a gateway to Appalachia, is now home to the Baileys Trail System. Here, the rolling hills, lush forests, and abandoned mines combine to create a truly unique terrain for trail riding. This network of trails invites riders of all skill levels to enjoy an experience unlike any other nationwide.
Notice: Fall Prescribed Burns ARE COMPLETE
You may now ride all trails! Please see below for gun hunting and seasonal closures.
Notice: Gun Hunting Season Closures
The Baileys Trail System will be be closed to bikes for deer gun hunting seasons this fall. Closure dates include:
November 18th & 19th (Youth season)
November 27th to December 3rd,
December 16th & 17th.
All foot traffic should use caution, wear bright colors, or avoid the trails all together during this timeframe. We encourage trail users to also use caution during muzzleloader season January 6th - January 9th.
Notice: Seasonal Closure to Mountain Bikes
The Baileys Trail System will close to mountain bikes for the winter. Official dates will be announced soon, check back for updates.
Our Trails
Bear-Corn Plunge
What on earth is a Bear-Corn? Well, keep your eyes open as you ‘plunge’ off of Big Bailey Ridge into the valley below for conopholis americana, a native, non-photosynthesizing parasitic plant. This advanced singletrack trail is built for flow and downhill excitement, featuring technical B-lines and jumps. The recommended direction is starting from Nebo Spirit […]
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Beech Drop
Beech Drop is an intermediate trail that leads you to Nebo Spirit, or brings you downhill to Big Bailey Run Rd. Keep an eye out for the North American Beech, as you “drop” down to the road, as well as the native parasitic plant, beechdrops.
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Blue Devil
Go Blue Devils Go! This fast and flowy black diamond adventure takes the shortcut from the West Bailey Road-area trails over to Big Bailey Run Road. Before Chauncey-Dover united with the Athens City School system in 1964, their mascot was the Blue Devils.
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Bobcat Romp
Bobcat Romp trail delivers ultimate flow as you traverse Big Bailey Ridge to the valley below. We recommend riding this from Nebo Spirit to Starin’ Heron to make the most use of the features. Bobcat Romp features expert-level B-lines with very large drops. Keep an eye out for warning signage, and remember to always look […]
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Breaker Boy
Breaker Boy is an advanced trail that hosts snappy switchbacks and other fun features. Linking into Salameander, this black diamond trail offers opportunities for longer rides. The name “breaker boy” pays homage to the name given to young boys that worked in the coal mines in this region.
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Bullfrog Loop
Bullfrog Loop is an easy trail beginning on the north side of Utah Pond with gently rolling dips and easy turns on a relatively short loop that is perfect for family adventures.
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Chauncey Depot
The Chauncey Depot Trail is a surfaced beginner trail directly accessible from the Chauncey-Dover Trailhead
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Coal Train
Coal Train Trail is a beginner natural surface trail with a few B-lines for the more adventurous soul.
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Corps Tour
Corps Tour is an intermediate trail with entry points from Tipple Top and Knights Labor. Be prepared for some great views as you traverse this trail, whose name recognizes the Appalachian Conservation Corps crews that worked alongside trail builders to construct the Baileys.
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Doanville School
From the Doanville-York Trailhead, Doanville School Trail provides access to the Holler Collar Trail; even though it is relatively short, it is a great workout and rated intermediate for the climb.
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Gob Pile Loop
The Gob Pile Loop is a beginner natural surface trail named for the piles of gob, a legacy of coal mining, that you can see along the trail.
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Gorges Curves
With access from West Bailey Road, The Underground, or Trillium Thrill, Gorges Curves is an intermediate trail that features rolling hills, subtle turns, and skinnies galore. At times hugging hillside edges, this trail’s name pays homage to the Appalachian topography the Baileys was built on.
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Hacksaw
The first advanced (difficult) trail of the Baileys begins toward the bottom of Wild Turkey Trail, north of West Bailey Road. Expect a very narrow trail tread full of roots, short steep pitches, and trees hugging the trail. The trail dumps out on West Bailey Road near the bottom of Knights Labor Trail.
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Holler Collar
Beginning where Tipple Top Trail ends, this easy trail features rolling dips and climbing turns packed full of fun. Counterclockwise, this trail connects with Bullfrog Loop at Utah Pond; to continue on Holler Collar, cross Utah Ridge Road and hug the top of the Doanville holler before intersecting with Doanville School Trail. Continue left on […]
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Kidwell
Kidwell can take you to Oak Rush, Till Hill, and Nebo Spirit Trails. Kidwell Trail is named after nearby Kidwell Covered Bridge, built in 1880 to span Sunday Creek in Dover Township, Athens County, Ohio. The bridge was part of the pioneer town of Truetown, and was named after the Kidwell family that operated a […]
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Knights Labor
Knights Labor is an intermediate trail that features a fun downhill ride from its access at Tipple Top toward West Bailey Road. Going downhill in this direction, make a loop back toward Tipple Top via Corps Tour, or continue on Knights Labor all the way down to its access point on West Bailey Road. If […]
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Lost Marbles
Lost Marbles Trail is an intermediate natural surface trail that connects Salt Works and Wild Turkey Trails.
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Nebo Spirit
Nebo Spirit trail offers berms, jumps and exposure to the steep hillside. The fun factor is high. It’s name comes from Mount Nebo, the highest point in Athens County. The Koons family lived here in the 1800s, where they became spiritualists. People traveled from all over the country to visit their spirit room for a […]
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Oak Rush
Oak Rush is a long and winding trail that highlights the depth of the hardwood forests that blankets Southeast Ohio. Whether you like jumps, technical turns, or flowy segments, this trail delivers. As you carve through this deciduous hardwood forest, keep an eye out for trees like Black Walnut, Black Cherry and White Oak.
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Salameander
Curving with the natural topography, Salameander trail “meanders” deep into the woods. Along this trail are intermediate level features that add a little spice to this singletrack trail. Keep an eye out for forest friends including the Red-backed and Marbled Salamanders.
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Salt Works
Salt Works Trail is a beginner natural surface trail accessed from Coal Train Trail.
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Star Brick
Adding a new route option to the Doanville Trailhead Area, Star Brick Trail connects the Doanville School Trail to trails near Utah Ridge Pond. The trail name plays homage to the role brickmaking played in southeast Ohio’s history. Even today, you can find Nelsonville’s famous “Star Brick” across the state and country.
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Starin’ Heron
Starin’ Heron is the longest downhill flow trail in the Big Bailey Ridge Area, bringing you from the heights of Nebo Spirit down to the Big Bailey Run wetland. Keep an eye out for the Great Blue Heron as you catch a glimpse of the water below. Starin’ Heron features expert-level B-lines with very large […]
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Tanager Twist
Tanager Twist is a key connector for optimizing your trip to the Big Bailey Run Ridge flow area. This trail was designed to allow visitors to have a more gradual climb back up to Nebo Spirit from Big Bailey Run Road. Using this trail allows you to access advanced downhill flow trails such as Oak […]
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The Underground
The Underground is an intermediate trail with access from Bullfrog Loop, Thrillium, or Gorges Curves. An immediate rock jump leading onto The Underground from Bullfrog Loop gives riders a preview of the many fun features and B-lines this trail has to offer. Expect short climbs and descents on this trail whose name pays respect to […]
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Thrillium
Thrillium is an intermediate trail that offers gorgeous scenic vistas, rolling humps, and scattered rock jumps. This trail pays homage to the native flowering trillium plant, one of the first harbingers of spring in Appalachia.
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Till Hill
Drop in fast on Till Hill as it weaves around exposed rocks and through technical turns framed by trees. This trail guides you to the bottom of Oak Rush, which spits you out to Big Bailey Run Road. Named for glacial “till”, or sediment deposited by a moving glacier, Till Hill shows how the local […]
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Tipple Top
Tipple Top Trail is an intermediate natural surface trail that is accessed from Salt Works Trail and Wild Turkey Trail.
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Truetown
Truetown is a thrill-packed trail that rockets down to Big Bailey Run Road. This trail name comes from Truetown, a town located near Millfield. Truetown was named after Josiah and Almira True, early settlers in the area. Filled with berms and jumps, Truetown will test one’s skills on the ground and in the air.
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Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey Trail is an intermediate natural surface trail that is accessed by Tipple Top or Lost Marbles Trail, and intersects with West Bailey Road.
View DetailsREMINDER: Per Forest Service Standards, motorized vehicles of any kind--including electric bicycles--are not currently permitted on the Baileys Trail System. Thanks for your cooperation.
Regional Impact
The Baileys Trail System does more than just connect you to natural beauty. It connects you to the eclectic communities that make up the region. From Athens to Nelsonville to Buchtel to Chauncey—the trail system is designed to bring people together, revitalize communities, and cultivate a sense of place.
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