This route is brought to you by Abigail Snyder, a pro mountain bike racer and gravel enthusiast from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Photo Credits: Abigail Snyder
This route has an impressive flow and variety with a nice mix of approximately 75% gravel and 25% pavement, many punchy and challenging climbs with fast descents and even a creek crossing!!
It starts in the Brown County State Park and goes through the Yellowwood State Forest as well - both of which make for beautiful, lush, green scenery in the summer months.
Brown County, Indiana is nicknamed the “Little Smokies” because of the area’s resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains and encompasses nearly 16,000 acres of rugged hills, tree-lined ridges and fog-shrouded ravines.
Even though it looks like you pass through several named areas, there is nowhere to stop for additional food/water directly on this route.
Do this ride if you're not afraid of a little climbing, some fast gravel descents, and want to see the best of north Brown County gravel.
We started this ride at the Brown County State Park's Raccoon Ridge Campground where there is water, supplies and public restrooms available.
There are no services/resupply available on course, so plan ahead and take enough water and calories for 65 miles with 5,000ft of elevation gain.
Brown County Sate Park, Indiana’s largest park, is a traditional fall color hot spot, with nearly 20 miles of tree-lined roads and many scenic vistas overlooking miles of uninterrupted forestland.
Guest: Abigail Snyder
Abigail Snyder currently, lives in Fort Wayne, IN, but she's moving to Roanoke, VA shortly. She races mountain bikes (and gravel bikes, occasionally) for Team Neighborlink, Ronin Velosport, and the 2021 Eliel Factory Team. She is also a 6th grade English teacher at Maple Creek Middle School in Fort Wayne, Indiana in addition to working part-time as an Assistant Sales Manager and Marketing Content Creator at Summit City Bicycles & Fitness.
"Competing as a pro athlete while maintaining a full-time career as a middle school teacher requires a tremendous amount of dedication, passion, and focus. My unique position as an athlete and a teacher allows me to connect with a broad audience, sharing lessons between the trail and the classroom. Each school year, I enjoy the chance to engage my middle school students in exercises that teach the principles of having a growth mindset, while sharing with them my own failures and lessons in developing a growth mindset as a mountain biker."
