Gales creek + Browns camp loop (2022 update)

99% single track really good flow and well maintained. 100% recommended. Can take from 2.5-4.5h depending on your skill and form.

Start at gales creek campground. Usually there's day use parking available, no permit required. I have been doing this ride for years and never had a parking problem even on busy summer days. If you can't park, a good alternative is park at summit trailhead and start riding from km22 (13.6mi). I really recommend doing gales creek counter clockwise and browns camp clockwise.

Ride starts with a quick 1km warmup, slight descent and you'll face the hardest part of the ride. The first climb starts after turning left at the second bridge towards Storey Burn trailhead. This climb is ride-able but has around 4-5 all-out ramps that will test your riding skills and stamina.

Storey Burn starts with a slight climb with some up and downs before the first descent really starts. Watch out for some big roots that break the trail, there's a drop that requires expert downhill skills, after the descent at the end of Storey burn take a right towards university falls but quickly turn left towards rogers camp trailhead. If you head straight towards rogers there's a wall that is quite hard to ride, taking the slight detour will let you keep riding (is not easy but you'll have better odds).

From rogers camp trailhead you'll get into neils-rogers trail which starts mildly up, after you cross the dirt bike tracks it will treat you with some other all-out segments. Not as difficult as the ones in Gales Creek but you'll have less fuel, push hard!

The descent is partially trough the forest and through a recently planted area, after crossing the road there are a couple of challenging U turns and you'll get on the road again but just to cross devil's lake fork. Turn left, cross the river and immediately turn left again to get back onto the neils-rogers trail. After the next road crossing, you get into the historic wilson river wagon road trail which starts the last climb. Probably you'll hear the gunshots from a nearby shooting range quarry. Being afraid of getting shot will help you climb faster, there are lots roots and technical uphill but is doable. In the wet season it's much more challenging, muddy, a creek runs through the trail, you have to be mindful of your tire grip.

After crossing a dirt road for the 3rd time, you'll be next to University falls. At the intersection keep going towards rogers camp, you can take a 2Km (1.2mi) out-and-back detour to have a look at the falls and come back. After some more descent with 1 or 2 technical slopes with roots, keep going towards rogers camp. This is the last uphill and you're done, cross HW6 and enjoy your 4km downhill to the car.