Jackson Free Press

Did you bring your bike with you to Jackson but don't know what to do with it? The city and surrounding area have plenty places with beautiful designated biking trails. Only a few roads have bike trails, so be careful when riding in the street. Jackson motorists can be scary.

Jackson has a growing cycling community with opportunities and safe places to ride. Each month, the Jackson Bike Advocates host a free community bike ride. During these rides, people young and old come out. You can visit  http://www.jacksonbikeadvocates.org for dates and times.

Most parks in the area, however, prohibit bicycles, skates and most other things that roll. Several parks in Clinton have shared paths. Robinson Park (205 W. Northside Drive, Clinton) has a quarter-mile shared path for runners and cyclists as well as a multipurpose field and an outdoor basketball court. Brighton Park (530 Brighton) has a half mile shared path. Traceway Park (200 Soccer Row, Clinton) has more than two dozen sports fields as well as a shared path that is three-quarters of a mile long. Learn more about these parks at http://www.clintonms.org/city/parks-recreation/parks.

The Natchez Trace bike trail starts in Ridgeland near Pear Orchard Road. The scenery goes from nature to the community. If you're a beginning cyclist, the trail might seem slightly hard because of its hilly nature. Cyclists sometimes travel the Natchez Trace the entire 400 miles from Natchez to Nashville, Tenn.

In case you plan on traveling, here are biking trails and biking organizations.

Mountain Bike Trails State Parks and Lakes: http://www.mdwfp.com
Butts Park,  4.82-mile trail
7 N. McRaven Road (601) 960-0716.
Trace State Park - 25-mile multi-use trails 662-489-2958
Lake Lowndes - 5-mile biking trail 662-328-2110
Elvis Presley Lake - 9-mile trail 662-840-5172
Clarkco State Park 601-776-6651
Bonita Lakes 601-485-1920

National Forests: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/miss
Homochitto National Forest 601-384-5876
Clear Springs Trail Tombigbee National Forest 662-285-3264
Noxubee Crest Bike Trail Desoto National Forest 601-928-4422
Bethel ATV Trail 601-928-5291 Others

Cycling Clubs and Organizations
Jackson Metro Cyclists: http://www.jmc.clubexpress.com
Jackson Bike Advocates: http://www.jacksonbikeadvocates.org
Natchez Bicycle Club: http://www.natchezbike.org
Hub City Cyclists: http://www.pinebeltpacers.org
Starkville in Motion: http://www.starkvilleinmotion.org
Hernando Bicycle Club: http://www.hernandobike.com
Tri County Mountain Bike Association: http://www.tricountymtb.org
Gulf Coast Bicycle Club: http://www.gulfcoastbicycleclub.com
Cycling Resources
The Bike Rack, 2282 Lakeland Drive, 601-936-2100
Indrian Cycle Fitness and Outdoor, 677 S. Pear Orchard Road, Ridgeland, 601-956-8383

Previous Comments

ID

164533

Comment

Briana, Melody here with the Jackson Bike Advocates, thanks you so much for writing this article! I just wanted to mention that the best place for keeping up with JBA's rides and events is through our facebook page as we update it MUCH more often than our website. The page is: www.facebook.com/jacksonbikeadvocates Also, if anyone needs any additional resources such as routes, trails, bike shops and ways to get involved: You can visit our statewide Bicycle & Pedestrian Advocacy group's page at: www.bikewalkmississippi.org or find us at www.facebook.com/bikewalkms If you are a biker in Jackson, you will find these two orgs to be a great support system for you.

Author

judah

Date

2011-08-16T12:57:26-06:00