Blankets Creek MTB Park

MTB Trail near Atlanta

Canton, Georgia

Location

~13 miles total/20 km

Distance

~1000 feet/300 m

Elevation

Blankets Creek MTB park is located right by Blankets Creek (duh). There’s a great mix of technical to flowy downhills. The whole place is pretty much singletrack excluding a pump line jump course. I’ve seen a wide variety from gravel bikes, hardtails, and full-suspension. I personally think a hardtail makes it the most challenging yet fun. 

It gets a lil bit dusty here…

How do I get to Blankets Creek MTB Park?

Leave Atlanta using I-75 North. Then, get on I-575 North until Sixes Rd (Exit 11). Go west on Sixes Rd for about 1.8 miles to reach the Trailhead Parking for Blankets Creek trail

In terms of parking, there usually isn’t enough parking during lunch time on weekends. There’s lots of parking but also lots of people! The parking lot is mainly gravel so expect dust. 

What are the Trails like at Blankets Creek MTB Park?

There are three main loops with each being about 4 miles in length. Each of these are rated intermediate to advanced. There is a beginner loop which is about 1 mile in length. Let’s talk about each of these!

Mosquito Trails (Beginner – 1.7 miles)

No worries, I’ve gone in all seasons but never had a mosquito problem. There are two components to the Mosquito Trails. There’s Mosquito Flats and Mosquito Bite. 

Mosquito Flat is flat and smooth singletrack. Easy trail to ride to enjoy nature before the climbing grind!

Mosquito Bite is a little more difficult than Mosquito Flat. There are boardwalks, mini creek crossings, and switchbacks. I enjoy hopping off these features! 

Dwelling Loop (Intermediate – 4.2 miles)

Dwelling Loop is the most popular trail at Blankets Creek. It is the perfect mid-level trail at the park. You will be able to maintain momentum quite well. The trail is a good mix of smooth dirt, rocks, roots, and climbing. Compared to Van Michael or South Loop, there is not much climbing required.  

Dwellings is a trail with many splits to the trail. The trail has a “peak” where there is a drop into a trail as well as a smoother flow trail. The trail also has a “bottom” where you can choose to take a short climb back to the peak or a trail back to the trailhead. There are many splits throughout the trail which will all lead to either the peak or bottom. 

I personally enjoy the Flow Trails located at the peak. They have fast flowing jumps and drops. You can very easily roll them as well.

Van Michael Trail (Intermediate/Advanced – 3.9 miles)

Van Michael is a trail with decent climbs followed by fun flowy descents. The surface is pretty smooth with a few rocky or rooty areas. There are multiple switchbacks and berms all maintained well. You can select various advanced drop/jump lines throughout the trail to fit your needs. 

However, the descents are not one go. You will have to climb in certain areas if you are not very skilled at maintaining speed like myself. 

There is a very technical side trail called the “Kevorkian Pass”. Although it is short, you can gain speed on a rocky cliff edge. Since I’m not very technically skilled, I don’t see the benefit of using energy to ride this side trail. 

The benches at the top of Van Michael climb
South Loop (Intermediate/Advanced – 4.2 miles)

The South Loop in my opinion is the most technically difficult trail. Very rooty and rocky with many ups and downs. Compared to the other trails, there is not a large uphill then flowy downhill. Therefore, this trail feels very long and tiring if you’re like me and not technically skilled. 

However, it’s a very good trail to train your bike maneuver skills as well as endurance. You will have a great view of Blankets Creek during this trail. 

You can see Blankets Creek very well from South Loop!
The Holler (Advanced – 0.25 miles)

The Holler is the free ride flow trail with multiple berms, drops, jumps, and a large wall-ride. The surface is hard-packed so you can ride it without worry. You can see some high jumps in the video at the bottom!

This is a jump line. Do not go on it unless you know are confident. (You can roll it kinda)

All main trails are bi-directional and flip direction every day. Make sure to check trail signs to know which direction to go.

There are multiple side trails and connector trails that exist between these trails. Learn more about the trails from MTB Project!

What should I know about Blankets Creek MTB Park?

Water: no (I think…)

Restrooms: yes

Parking Fee: free

Night Riding: yes

Repair Stand: no

My take of Blankets Creek MTB Park

This place is definitely one of the favorites to go “near” Atlanta. I do wish it was a little closer so I can ride it more often! I think there’s a great mix of difficulty in the trails. However, I don’t think the expert lines here are truly expert level in the big picture. They’re more like intermediate. 

It’s a great location to better your skills and get to know how to mountain bike better. The berms and technical features keep it interesting and just difficult enough! I would definitely recommend if you still have yet to try it out!

Below is a video of when I rode at Blankets Creek MTB Park!

YouTube video from Riding Blankets Creek MTB Park!

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