Allegrippis Trails (Raystown Lake)

Owen here. Allegrippis is the closest thing the mid-Atlantic has to a purpose-built XC playground, and it's the trail system I send east-coast riders to when they want flow without having to earn it on rocky chunder. Built by IMBA on Army Corps land above Raystown Lake, the network rides like one long, rolling ribbon stitched through hardwood forest. Linking the full system gives you about 58 km with around 800 m of climbing — call it five hours of moving time if you're stopping for water and photos of the lake.

The trail

This is bench-cut, machine-built singletrack — buff, consistent, and almost entirely free of the baby-heads and roots you'd expect from Pennsylvania. The grade is gentle, the corners are bermed, and most climbs are pedaled rather than punched. Linking the outer loops in a counterclockwise direction gives you the cleanest flow and saves the lake-view sections (Ray's Revenge, Sidewinder) for the back half. Expect long, swooping descents into hollows followed by mellow grinds back up the ridge — the kind of riding where you settle into a rhythm and forget to look at your computer.

Trail surface is hardpack with some loose-over-hard sections after dry spells. Sightlines are generally good, but blind crests and rollers are everywhere, and the system is two-way, so stay right and listen for hubs.

When to go

Prime season runs late April through early November. Spring is fast and tacky once the trails dry out, but the system closes after heavy rain — Raystown takes mud closures seriously and you should too. Summer brings humidity, ticks, and a real mosquito presence in the lower hollows; early starts help. Fall is the window most riders aim for: cool air, leaf cover not yet hiding the tread, and the lake views opening up through the canopy. Winter rides happen, but freeze-thaw and snow shut things down on and off.

Crowds peak on summer weekends and during the Dirt Rag Dirt Fest in spring. Midweek you'll mostly have it to yourself.

What to know before you go

• Trailheads: Most riders start from the Susquehannock Campground lot or the Baker's Hollow trailhead. No permit or fee for day use, but lots fill on event weekends.
• Conditions: Check the Friends of Raystown Lake trail status before you drive. Riding wet trails here will get the system closed, and the local crew has earned the right to be protective.
• Water: There are no reliable on-trail water sources. Carry everything you need — a 58 km day in PA humidity drinks more than you think.
• Navigation: Junctions are signed and numbered, but the network is dense and the signs assume you have a map. Download the GPX or run Trailforks offline; cell coverage is spotty in the hollows.
• Wildlife and hunting: Black bears are around but rarely a problem. Rifle season (late November into December) overlaps with rideable weather — wear blaze orange if you go then.

What to bring

A hardtail or short-travel full-suspension XC bike is the right tool — anything more is overkill and you'll be pedaling it for five hours. Tubeless tires in the 2.2–2.4 range, run a touch firmer than your local rocky stuff. Bring a full multi-tool, plug kit, spare tube, and a pump; the nearest shop is a drive away. Hydration pack over bottles for a full-system day, plus real food, not just gels — five hours is lunch territory. Sunglasses for the leaf-flicker, and a light shell if storms are forecast (ridge exposure is short but real).

Variations

• Half day (~25–30 km): Ride the inner loops out of Susquehannock — Hydro, Sidewinder, and Old Logger's give you the signature flow without committing to the full system.
• Lake-view focus: String together Ray's Revenge and the lakeside sections of Sidewinder for the best water views; this works well as a shorter out-and-back from Baker's Hollow.
• Big day add-on: Repeat the descents you liked. The trails are short enough and the climbs mellow enough that doubling up favorites is more satisfying here than on most systems.