Second Best Trails in Connecticut? Mountain Biking Cowles Park in East Granby, CT
Today, we’re riding the trails in Cowles Park in East Granby, Connecticut. According to singletracks.com Cowles is the second highest rated trail system in the state, so of course I couldn’t resist the opportunity to check this place out.
Hey guys.
My buddy Ed gave us what he called the “full tour” which, as you could probably guess, took us to nearly all of the major trails within the park.
Most of what I’m calling the named trails are marked with a sign, but it isn’t clear to me how you would find them without help.
There you go you got it. Awesome! Celebratory wheelie!
As much as I tried I could not find any mountain bike specific maps of Cowles. That means you’ll probably want to find someone who knows the park to show you around. Luckily the local riders we met were super friendly and happily told us about their favorite spots to ride.
But let’s take a look at a few of my favorite spots we rode, starting with Smaug’s Lair and Keg Roller. These two trails were the first of many long, fast descents which in my mind are the staple features for Cowles.
Yeah!
Yeah just popped my chain off.
Come on.
Another surprisingly fantastic trail we rode was Toboggan Run. It’s short, but you can really open up and lean in.
Well I did expect it to be so fast. All of a sudden I'm like alright let's do it!
And before we get to the last of my favorite trails, let’s talk a little bit about the vast network of connector trails. These trails aren’t cool enough to get their own names, but they do criss cross and run along the Metacomet hiking trail which means you best be prepared to work. Keep your eyes peeled because there are hidden gems all over the place that you won’t want to miss.
And finally let’s take a brief look at Inside Job. Inside Job had the most variety out of all the trails we rode, offering fast downhill sections, punchy climbs, and a few technical features along the way.
So what do you think? Is Cowles the second best trail system Connecticut has to offer? And how do you pronounce Cowles; coals or cow-les? Let me know in the comments below.
Before we leave I want to thank Ed for making this ride happen, give shoutout to everyone we met along the way, and of course thank you so much for watching! If you liked this video, consider giving it a thumbs up and maybe even subscribing. Now it’s your turn, get out there and ride!
Strava Ride ⏱ https://is.gd/fCmVIP
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