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Mahalon Dickerson Park in New Jersey revisited.

© Joseph Pucci

I hadn't ridden at Mahalon Dickerson Park since the fall of 1997. I recall a rider in the parking lot telling us about two accidents that happen in the Park that summer. The rider told us that both riders had suffered fatal head injuries on the trail.

I didn't know if it was true then and I don't know if it's true now but early the next season I heard from someone that another rider was seriously injured and the park was going to be closed to Mountain Biking for the remainder on that year. For that reason we didn't have a group to Mahalon Dickerson Park all of 1998. Our reasoning was that we didn't want to drive all the way to the Lake Hopatcong area just to find out the park was closed. If we had been thinking straight we would have just the parks department and asked if the park was open to Mountain Biking but we didn't. By 1999 we had forgotten that the trails at Mahalon Dickerson Park were great and had many challenging loops. I know, if they were so great how could we forget? Dammed if I know, but we did! Through much 2000 we planned to return never made it. This year, we finally made it back. Now we're all wishing we hadn't got sooner.

Mahalon Dickerson Park has 18 plus miles of trail with some single track, mostly double track but all has the distinct characteristic of being very rocky and having a rolling terrain. It also features a few impressive overlooks. Because of the scale of the park it is highly recommended that a map be taken with you or else you are likely to spend a lot of time saying "weren't we just here".

One of the things that make this park such a challenging place to ride is the lose rocks and the drop offs. This condition is mainly caused by water erosion and it certainly increases the danger factor. In an effort to slow the water erosion and reduce the danger factor, the parks department has filled more than a few sections with gravel. I'm sure this has helped with reducing the rate of water erosion but it can be disheartening to the un-expecting Mountain Biker. As I said earlier, this is a great Mountain Bike location but remember to take care on the trail and always wear a helmet.

To get to the Park take Route 80 in New Jersey to route 15 North to Weldon Road. The parking area is about 3 miles off route 15 and is located at Saffin Pond on the right hand side of the road. The Trails heads are on both sides of the road and a trail map is located at the lot.