By Ada Mahood, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team
Peninsula is a trail that is perfect for beginners and intermediates riding in Woodstock. The scenery is quite amazing, especially in the fall. It starts up a short hill, then over some roots and up a short technical part before ending in the mossy lands of the Peninsula Trail. Even some experts claim that this trail can be challenging with some tricky lines.
It has a little for every skill level and a unique sense of being transported into a Tolkien story.
The Aqueduct Trail network, home to the Peninsula Trail and Loop, can be accessed by heading west on Route 4 through Woodstock. Once you get about 500 feet past the Woodstock Union High School, there is a road called Cox District Road. Follow that road about 1 mile until you come to a gravel driveway on the right. There, you’ll find a small parking lot and beyond that parking lot, the hidden treasures of Woodstock; a Class 4 road that gives you access to all the goods of the Aqueduct Trails (to the right). You can ride up the Class 4 road until you reach the aqueduct on your left or you can opt in for some classic side trails such as Rum Street and TNT. Get your tires dirty on these two trails and know that they pop you back out onto the main Class 4 road where you can continue up for access to more trails.
Once you make it to the Aqueduct water source, stop and enjoy the view. In the fall, the colors here are worth a few pictures — it’s a great choice for a water brake.
At the end of the uphill, you’ll find the Peninsula Loop. The Peninsula loop is an older trail in the Aqueduct and much more rooty than many of the other trails in the trail network.
Nevertheless the trail is incredibly stunning and picturesque. It is a winding trail that meanders through the hills of the Aqueduct trail. The trail is very rooty and has a few ups and downs to it, but is relatively flat.
The descents are rocky, but a beginner would be able to navigate with no problem with some dedication. Some of the small punchy ascents are a little bumpy, but again with the right gear and a tough mindset, it’s the perfect trail for beginners to test their skills.
Once you get about halfway into the trail, you come up on the most beautiful scenery in the network. It feels as if you’ve been transported back to a fairyland or a scene from The Hobbit. Moss covers the ground and the trees have grown so tall.
As you ride through this picturesque landscape you can’t help but feel that you have been transported to a magical land. This is one of my favorite spots in the Aqueduct trails.
After this magical adventure through the moss, there is a trail to the left called the Peninsula Loop, this is a quick loop back around the Peninsula. If you want to see some more beautiful views of the Aqueduct and especially in the fall this loop can be extremely rewarding. If you’re looking for a short less than a mile add-on, I would highly recommend the loop!
The beautiful scenery and almost magical sense of this trail makes it worth it for people of all abilities and ages to check out next time you’re in Woodstock.
