The Nordic Heritage Center
Mountain Biking
Difficulty:
20% Easy, 70% Moderate, 10% Difficult
Description:
The Nordic Heritage Center (NHC) is a four-season outdoor recreation facility managed and operated by the Nordic Heritage Sport Club. The facility includes a world class cross country ski and biathlon venue with a stadium and lodge, a team wax building, and 20 kilometers of cross country ski trails and over 20 miles of mountain bike trails. The lodge is open to the public from 6 am to 10 pm and includes kitchen facilities, restrooms, and shower rooms. Trail use fee is $8 per day, or free with a membership.
The mountain bike trails at the NHC include over 20 miles of hand made and machine made single track that crosses most of the Maine Winter Sports property and some adjacent properties. Rich Edwards of IMBA's Trail Solutions designed the majority of the trail system. The trails wind through different forest types and vary from smooth and fluid to narrow and technical. Moderate to expert line options such as log skinnies, exposed bedrock outcrops, and natural drops can be found on some of the trails. A skills/terrain park is available for practicing dirt jumps and other technical features such as skinnies, log obstructions, stairs, teeter totters, etc. Other features of interest include "The Enchanted Forest" (don't miss the tree gnomes), and Vacationland, an intermediate/expert loop that circles one of the ridges on the property.
Directions:
The NHC is located along the town boundary of Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield in northern Maine. From Main Street in the City of Presque Isle, take Route 167 (Fort Fairfield Road) northeast toward Fort Fairfield. Stay on Route 167 until you pass the Quoggy Jo Alpine Ski Centre at the top of a hill on your left. The entrance to the NHC is also located on the left about 1,000 feet past Quoggy Jo. The trailhead for Tom's Trail is located beside the main entrance.Local Knowledge:
Two full service bike shops, Bike Board and Ski and Mojo Sports are located in Presque Isle. Bike Board and Ski's phone number is 769-2453 and they are located at 428 Main Street. Mojo Sports' phone number is 760-9500 and they are located at 30 North St. Both shops will hook you up with a local rider and/or a trail map. Group rides are generally on Mondays and Wednesdays with start times varying depending on the season. Call ahead to check on weekday and weekend ride times.