in
Brown County
State Park
The area’ s natural beauty and central location set the park apart, he said. The woods and hills provide spectacular scenery and the right topography to make for rides that range from easy to very tough. Meanwhile, proximity to major population centers including Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Chicago provide millions of people quick access.
Mike Sanders, of South Bend, recently came to the park with his wife and son. The family had camped at the park a few years ago and learned about the trails. This time, Sanders and his son brought along their mountain bikes.
Sanders chatted during a quick break at a lookout point north of the park office. He and his son had ridden about 20 miles during their visit. He described the trails as fun and occasionally demanding.“ You test your skills here for sure,” Sanders said. He said his favorite trail is Weedpatch, a 2.4-miler for riders with intermediate skills. Sanders said he liked the really long downhill section with tight switchbacks.
Daniel Martinelli participated in a guided ride on a recent Tuesday. He lives in the Detroit area but has come to south central Indiana frequently in the last few months for work in Columbus. When he researched potential activities in the area, he learned about the park and made sure to bring his mountain bike in early spring.
His favorite trail, Bobcat, also features lots of downhill sections, but still proves challenging.“ Beats you up a bit,” he said. Martinelli and other riders in his group whipped around a sharp turn recently, some hooting with delight as their rear wheels kicked up dust.
The guided rides are organized by Brown County Bikes, 185 S. Jefferson St., in Nashville, which sells bikes and related gear and provides lessons for anyone from beginners to professional racers.
Kate Nolan, the shop’ s co-founder, is a professional mountain bike instructor, and also one of 25 instructor trainers in the world who can certify teachers. She also teaches mountain biking at Indiana University.
Nolan said she has coached as far away as Whistler, British Columbia, but said Brown County is a great place to ride for beginners and professionals.
She said she rides in the park multiple times a week.
Mountain biking is a full-body workout, Nolan said, but it also exposes people to beautiful scenery, plant life, wildlife and, depending on the time of day, can offer time for reflective solitude.“ I ride the whole park,” she said.“ I really love it.” Mountain biking access to the trails costs $ 20 per year or $ 5 per day. Nolan and all other riders in this story strongly recommended that people wear helmets. The price of mountain bikes can vary widely, but they cost at least a few hundred dollars at the low end.
For people who aren’ t sure they want to spend that much upfront, Major, the park naturalist, leads a free beginner’ s course— though a $ 20 donation is
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May / June 2023 • Our Brown County 17