Jabberwocky Trail
The Jabberwocky Trail is a newly rebuilt 2 mile “mountain bike downhill only” piece of the Ashland Watershed Trail System.
Driving – A 5 minute drive from Ashland Plaza takes you to the Bandersnatch trail head. Take Winburn Way along Lithia Park upstream. It will join Granite Street and then become a dirt road. You will see the swimming hole to your left, and you will drive around the swimming hole – above the swimming hole – and there will be 2 dirt parking areas. Commonly referred to as The Bandersnatch Trail Head.
Parking – On the right there is a parking area with room for 9 organized, head-in cars maybe, and further on the left, there’s a big wad of dirt parking where people park more sloppily. More trailers and pull-off parking.
The Trail – Granted, most people use The Jabberwocky Trail as just one of many trails they hit coming down from Mount Ashland or Four Corners, but for now… let’s assume we’re making a 5 mile loop.
From the Bandersnatch parking lot continue biking along the dirt road and look for a sharp right turn uphill Yes it’s steep. Don’t worry, this is the steepest chunk.
In 400 yards you’ll hit pavement again at the Terrace Street intersection and you’ll continue uphill (Don’t worry, less steep!) for almost a mile – still on Ashland Loop Road. Keep going uphill and Ashland Loop Road turns into dirt. (Oh yes, uphill dirt.) So another mile on that and you reach the White Rabbit Trailhead and you just keep going. Past the yellow gate and another 1/4 mile (still uphill. Wait for it…) and then there’s a cacophony of intersecting trails. Caterpillar, Lizard, Jabberwocky & Ashland Loop. When I say cacophony, it’s a fire-road/ bikes & hikers/ Ashland cacophony not an I-75/ trucks & Toyotas/ Atlanta cacophony.
So look to the right for your Jabberwocky sign and then (Are you ready…?) 2 miles downhill. I hope you know what you’re doing because there are turns and speed right off the bat. And some jumps, and hills, and moguls and then – caution, some rocks – and then… done. Slow down at the end because you’ll be sharing the trail with ‘the slows.’ Hikers, runners, and grandmas. Hey look, there’s your car!