The Pine Torch trail (as well as the blue and orange trails at Bankhead) is a horse trail and it is posted that bicycles are not allowed. My friend and our daughters were riding our horses on the trail and a group on bikes rode up on us. The ponies the girls were riding got spooked and ran the other direction with our girls in tow. Luckily no one was hurt, but PLEASE, PLEASE read the rules of the trail before riding your bikes on horse trails. This could have been a horrible tragedy.

Similar Products Used:

Trails that are marked for bikers.

Went on the recommendations provided. However, the trail was extremely sandy. Portions of it were like riding on the beach depth of sand and many portions were still several inches deep. This caused the ride to be extremely tiring and slow in those sections.

The portions that were not sandy were great, very flowy and fast and fun downhill sections. I would definitely go back if they dealt with the sand issue, but won't go back until then.

Strava reported ~13 miles, 1400 ft of elevation change, which includes the yellow loop and the connector to the parking lot.

Similar Products Used:

Monte Sano Trails

The trail is located in Zone B of the Black Warrior Wildlife Management Area. Recent changes now allow permit hunting in this area on select dates. Check hunting dates for the Black Warrior WMA before making the trip.

Sandy and muddy in spots, but overall, a good ride.

Customer Service

YELLOW - DIFINITELY
BLUE - IF ADVENTUROUS
ORANGE - TOO MUDDY, STAY AWAY

Similar Products Used:

Oak Mountain, Lake Lurleen and Swayback Bridge

Very fun trail, but my brother went this weekend and said they bull dozed it all so i would recomend going there for a while.

Similar Products Used:

Monte Sano

While the mud holes are muddier due to the horses the rest of the trail is in fine shape. Lots of rolly jumps & berms. Creek crossings are passable and I saw more horses than horse crap. Watch out for them, dismount, get out of the way & say hi. All of the equestrians I've encountered on the trail have been very nice so don't muck it up. They are more than willing to share & since the trail was originally created with them in mind I think they're owed the courtesy. It gets pretty sandy on the Brushy Loop & the Key Mill loop (blue & orange flashes) and the terrain gets more technical but nothing out of hand. Good times & good mileage for the area. Bring water. Be prepared for chain suck.

Customer Service

Park at the Pine Torch Trailhead parking lot, go right on the yellow loop (Pine Torch Loop), right on the blue loop (Brushy Loop), cross Owl Creek & take the orange(Key Mill Loop) which exits the clearing on the right. basically stay counterclockwise on the perimeter & you'll get a 25 mile loop. For a little extra mileage go past the first blue turn (yellow & blue share trail for a bit) take the seacond blue right then "figure eight" your way around, you'll end up riding the yellow/blue shared connector twice but I think it would be worth it. Link to map: http://www.lightinside.org/bike/blackwarrior_trailmap.htm

Similar Products Used:

Monte Sano, Cheaha, Oak Mountain....

Great trail for all levels of rider, depending how fast you want to go. We did the 11 mile short loop this trip. I'll be going back soon to do the 16 and 35. The area got a good rain 3 days prior. The trail was fine except a few impassable mud bogs. A few other stream crossings left mud but it was shallow enough to ride through. The mud added some technical difficulty you don't get on some other more maintained trails. Not a lot of roots to deal and the path is mostly sandy, but the berms and rolling hills make up for it. As stated in other reviews, you do have a good bit of horse crap and the trail takes a beating from the animals, but overall it's a great scenic ride. The route .

Customer Service

We did the 11 miler, counterclockwise. Just pack heavier than normal(water some food) as there are no facilities anywhere like you might find in other parks. You'll need $3 per vehicle to park at the trail head.

Trail was very muddy after a 2 to 3 day rain period.Very taxing on the bikes. Lots of chain suck. Other reviews indicate to avoid dry conditions because of the sand. Please be sure to allow 2 to 3 days for trail to dry out somewhat. There are several trees down as well . Overall a very fun ride and physically demanding for the moderately fit. We were going to ride all 3 loops but only did half of each loop due to time constraints. Ended up coming back on the developed roads

Fun, fast, rolling trail. The hills are just enough to give to work you, but won't kill you. Remember to give the horses right away. Hop off your bike and let them pass. This trail is quite sandy, so the best ride is when the trail is damp. Let it rain and then give the trail some time to dry. How long just depends on how much rain there was. If the trail is too wet expect lots a chain suck, the sand just seems to want to coat your chain. When really dry expect lots of sand. The several steams and mud pits will get your chain wet. Both of these = chain suck. Compared to other N. Ala. trails this one can be riden after rain while places like Monte Sano require time to dry out. The Pine Torch/yellow loop is in good shape. The one short hill next to USFS-254 and Brushy Creek is washed out again. Brush Loop/blue loop in decent shape. More sandy than the yellow though. NOTE: watch carefully for turn offs on the blue trail. If going counter clockwise, there is a new reroute from the spur to the Key Mill Loop. When you see a new unblazed uphill on the left, take it, or you have push through a mud fest. After that the trail widens into double track. After a mile or so start looking left for the trail to break off from the double track. If going clock wise, only problem will be the reroute. Old trail goes left, just go straight, and then make almost a u-turn onto the path to the right.

Customer Service

Take spur to Pine Torch Loop and go counter clockwise. This way you avoid the big stream crossing till the end. If you want more miles, make a figure eight of the yellow loop and blue loops. Yellow and blue overlap for a ways, break onto blue and go clockwise. You will come back to where blue first comes into yellow. Repeat this section and just stay on yellow where you took blue the first time.

Similar Products Used:

Bankhead ORV, Monte Sano, Wade Mt.

I had a great time. I want to go back and ride the other trails in the area. This is one of the most beutiful parts of the state.

The trail has no major climbs but does have some pretty good shoots to it.

Customer Service

Either way, it doesn'r matter.