Highland Mountain Bike Park — Local services in Northfield

Downhill mountain biking is an adrenaline-pumping activity that offers a unique and exciting way to explore the natural beauty of the outdoors. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience this thrill with my 14-year-old son at the Highland Mountain Bike Park in New Hampshire. It was an unforgettable experience that we both enjoyed immensely.

As we arrived at the park, we were greeted by a team of friendly staff who helped us get our gear and equipment ready. We rented bikes and helmets, and the staff provided us with a brief overview of the park's trails and safety guidelines. We were both eager to hit the trails and experience the excitement of downhill mountain biking.

The park had a variety of trails ranging from beginner to advanced, and we decided to start with the easier ones to get a feel for the bikes and terrain. The first trail we rode was called "Freedom Trail," aka “ the easiest way down” and it was a gentle, meandering path that wound its way through the woods. It was a great way to warm up and get comfortable on the bikes.

We then moved on to more challenging trails, such as "The Lynx" and "Cat's Paw," which were steeper and more technical. These trails required more skill and concentration, but they also offered a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when we completed them successfully.

One of the things that impressed me about the park was the quality of the trails. They were well-maintained, with smooth surfaces and well-marked features, such as jumps and berms. This made it easier for us to navigate the trails and enjoy the ride without worrying about unexpected obstacles.

The highlight of our day was riding one of the park's signature trail, “Hellion" This trail is a favorite among experienced riders and is known for its jumps, drops, and other features that challenge even the most skilled bikers. We were both nervous but excited as we approached the trail, and we took a deep breath before launching ourselves down the steep descent.

The rush of wind against our faces, the sound of our tires hitting the dirt, and the feeling of weightlessness as we soared over jumps and drops were indescribable. It was an exhilarating and unforgettable experience that we will both cherish forever.

Throughout the day, we took breaks to rest and refuel at the park's cafe, which offered a variety of snacks, drinks, and meals. We also chatted with other riders and exchanged tips and recommendations on the best trails to ride.

As the day drew to a close, we were exhausted but happy. We had pushed ourselves to our limits, conquered new challenges, and bonded over a shared love of adventure and excitement. We both agreed that it was one of the best days we had ever had together.

In conclusion, downhill mountain biking at Highland Mountain Bike Park in New Hampshire was an incredible experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for an exciting and memorable outdoor adventure. The park's well-maintained trails, friendly staff, and variety of trails make it an ideal destination for riders of all skill levels. And most importantly, it's a great way to spend quality time with family and friends, creating lasting memories that will be cherished for...

Warning to intermediate (blue) riders: the blues here are less fun and much more dangerous than at other bike parks like Thunder Mountain and Killington. At those two parks, blue trails are long, fast, and fun. At Highland, the blues are very steep and full of massive breaking bumps, so the ride is so short, rough and steep that it’s over quickly and you’re hard on the brakes the whole time, with occasional unexpected mandatory black-level features. The second section of Cats Paw in particular begins with a mandatory full-on drop over a boulder that immediately goes into a steep left-hand berm, and it sent at least one rider getting carried out on a stretcher the day I was there. (I witnessed a crash in the same spot 90 minutes prior to the stretcher evacuation, so I don’t know if there was one big crash or two at that spot. That drop almost got me and I was just riding with my kids between hitting some blacks elsewhere myself. It’s truly dangerous and you don’t see it coming.) If you’re ready for black tech and big jump lines, Highland’s black trails are great, but if you’re intermediate you should go elsewhere. LINES: they’re long compared to Killington and Thunder, and this place does NOT give a poo about you if you’re not a “park kid”: they disconnected the drinking fountain and hose spigot by the lift line just to hook up a “mist tent” for the lift employees, so 50 people are sweating in line while the water is 10 feet away not even getting used. I asked a couple teenage employees about it, they looked at me like I had a...

WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE!!! So I talked my wife into going to a down hill mountain bike park for our fourth Wedding Anniversary. (Yes you read that right) I knew there was only one choice Highland. So after spending two days of our 5 day vacation at Highland I knew I made the right decision. It was everything I hoped it be. The staff was very nice and helpful. It was laid out very well with lots of conveniences. The food at Pub was reasonably priced and delicious. We were a little worried about how many more advance riders were there since we are beginners , but that went away quickly. Even though the lift line seemed long it flowed smoothly and we were headed up soon enough. The crew helping at the lift bottom and top were great. Before you knew it we where headed down Freedom Trail. The trail was perfectly groomed and so enjoyable. We spent the first day hitting Freedom, Meadow’s End , Lynx , Cat Scratch Fever and Easy Rider. The second day we did the same thing , but when My Wife took a break I was able to go hit Cat’s Paw. Now I have watched dozens of videos of this trail and it was even more AMAZING then I thought it be. Even with some braking holes in it from what I can only assume is a ridiculous amount of use. It was fantastic so many line choices. I was able to hit it a few times and as you can tell I loved it. So in the end one of the best vacation ever and a lot of that had to do with our experience at HIGHLAND. I was ready to go back before we even got home. Thanks Highland for making me Love mountain...