Forty-five minutes south of D.C., Fountainhead Regional Park offers a trail network made by and dedicated to mountain bikers. The circuit is mostly one-way, but countless bypass trails offer riders the opportunity to tailor their ride longer or shorter than the mapped 6.5-mile route. Trails are well-marked with both red blazes and arrowed signs.
From the parking lot, the trail disappears into the forest, looping counter-clockwise on Andy's Loop. Fountainhead's creatively named climbs—Cardiac Hill, Holy Grail Hill, Salamander Switchback, among others—have real bite, but the real challenge is often in managing a root-strewn, pedal-scraping line on these short, technical uphill sprints.
Less than 2 miles in, you'll arrive at a pair of teeter-totter ramps that offer a balance and handling challenge. The loops on the eastern half of the trail network—Stu’s, Dead-end, REI, and Larry's—feature bypass trails that allow riders to cut off extra mileage or tack on another run.
Returning west, the trail's major crux, Shock-A-Billy Hill, offers the most treacherous test of the day. Two route options, ‘Expert’ and ‘More Difficult,’ are both difficult in their own right, and it's best to exercise caution your first time around.
-Mapped by Matt Silverman
TO TRAILHEAD: From DC, take I-395 S to I-95 S. Go 5.9 miles to exit 163 and make a right at the end of the exit onto Lorton Rd. Continue 1.2 miles and bear right onto Furnace Rd. In 1 mile, turn right onto Ox Rd./VA 123. Go 1.3 miles and turn left onto Hampton Rd. In 3.1 miles, turn left into Fountainhead Regional Park. Continue 0.6 mile to trailhead parking.
