We just rode the race course at Jungle Habitat. Let me tell you, it was a mix of singletrack, some old paved walkways, and some fireroad. It was a great ride, definitely will be going back to do it again and again, tons of fun.
First, the trail is flowing singletrack, a few rocks, large ones that is, and lots of switchbacks that works its way up to the top of the first hill. The switchbacks did not exactly loop back onto where you just came, but made the climb very rideable and you had no idea of where it was heading next. This trail was just under 1 mile long. The next trail, we had to cross the parking lot, about 200 yards, and then the fun began. Tight twisty singletrack, looping, flowing, rolling, a few rock bridges, some dips, narrow tree passages, etc... This trail was probably just under 4 miles of this as it went around the perimeter of the large parking lot. This one will disorient your sense of direction, so just follow the trail. A few spots it looks as if it will end into the parking lot, but then a sharp turn and back into the woods for more and more of this. Eventually, it ends onto an old paved walkway. This then heads through the old park that has an old pool, an old kids electric car track (concrete track with a metal rail in the middle for power). This then continues up and down through the old park roads with the fencing leftover to keep the wild animals in, the baboons, the lions, etc... Eventually, this climbed up to the eastern most side of the park. There were a few spots that the trail was not marked to well and there were a few choices to go, but we did pick the right ones. This then goes back through the fence and has some steep downhill singletrack, some fun drops and twists. This then switches between the old paved roads and trails and comes back out at the start.
It took us about an hour to do this, with a few stops to talk with a few guys and to regroup. I believe that the total distance was about 7.5 miles or so, probably about 4.5 to 5 are singletrack.
We then decided to cut back into the park, not on the race course, to head to the end of the second singletrack trail, to do that and the first trail backwards. We now needed our lights since it is dark. This was one of the best trails to ride in the dark, it was as if you were completely alone, yet just little bit in back (or in front) was another rider. We made it back to the beginning of the trail in 45 minutes in this direction. It seems to be more of a downhill grade going this direction, an absolutely perfect why to end the ride.
These trails are soft, loamy, quiet, and fun to ride, very similar to Blue Mountain, minus the huge boulders, and very similar to some of the trails up in Kingdom Trails in Vermont. Doing this at night was a blast, I am not sure what would be more fun, in the daylight, or at night.
😀