3 Rivers MTB Trails

About 3 Rivers MTB Trails

Where: Thornhill, Jeffreys Bay
Level: technical, but not difficult; beginners welcome (kids under 12 get in for free)
Type of route: three trails; 14 km – 60 km, 70 km of single track
Best: any time of year; though trails are closed during wet weather

Two local farmers and a friend collaborated with J-Bay Bike Park, Sunnyvale Trails, Bluegum farm and Crossways Trails to bring mountain bike fans a 200 km network of trails. Called 3 Rivers, it is considered the largest trail network in the Eastern Cape.

Choose your distance by combining trails to suit your need - 65 km of single track, as well as children's courses, mean the whole family can get involved.

CROSSWAYS

Yellow Monkey – a 14 km easy, gravel road with jeep track and single track, some technical bits but suitable for beginners.

Green Apple – 30 km moderate route linking Woodridge, Crossways, and Jbay Bike Park along a mix of tar, gravel, jeep track and single track with some technical elements, suitable for intermediate riders.

Black Mamba – 6 km but a difficult route (the name gives it away); technical single track, steep downhills and uphills, rocks, sand and roots; suitable for advanced riders.

Red Holstein – 27 km difficult route suitable for advanced riders, along tar, gravel road, jeep track and single track; steep downhills, uphills, rock, sand and roots. You need a Longmore State Forest Permit to do the route.

JBAY BIKE PARK

Yellow Cat – 15 km, moderate route, suitable for intermediate riders as it is fairly technical; switchbacks, bridges, steep uphill.

Jbay Bike Park – 25 km of single tracks with technical sections; steep downhills, uphills, bridges.

Black Porcupine – 65 km; the toughest route, perfect training route for major races with almost 2 000 metres of climbing. You need a Longmore State Forest Permit to do the route (which gives you added access to the forestry gravel roads and jeep tracks).

WOODRIDGE SCHOOL

Woodridge – 20 km suitable for advanced riders; tar, gravel road, jeep track, single track, technical sections, steep downhills and uphills.

Register and buy a daily permit at Crossways Country Kitchen or on the 3 River Trails website.