Chicago Area Mountain Bikers

Palos Meltdown Mountain Bike Race Becomes Part of Illinois Homegrown Race Series

CAMBr Joins 5 Other Illinois Off-road Cycling Clubs to Form New Series of 9 Mountain Bike Races

            As CAMBr continues to explore new and exciting locations to ride in the area, we are proud to announce that the Palos chapter is now known as the CAMBr South chapter. The South chapter will continue to focus on making sure the Palos trails are the best in the Midwest, but will also focus on building new trails elsewhere in the southern Chicago Land area.

            The original Palos chapter focused on maintaining and building the trails at Palos Forest Preserve. As we are now exploring other riding options beyond Palos, it has become apparent that keeping the Palos name no longer reflected the true mission and focus of the chapter. So we are proud to announce that CAMBr South means that you can count on new trails and new opportunities for top-notch riding in the near future.

            To help make this happen, come out to the next trail workday to improve our trails and make way for new ones. Check out the Workday section of the site to find out the particulars, and feel free to come out to the next CAMBr South Board meeting to find out what’s in store for your trails.

Dear Trail User:

As trail users we all share the trails with other groups. Since these trails are everyone's resource we all need to take care of them. In Cook County we enjoy two types of multiple use trails. The wide gravel covered "multitrack" trails can be used in any weather condition wet or dry. But the narrow dirt surface "single-track" trails can only be used when dry or frozen.

Single-track trails have a natural dirt surface and are easily damaged in wet weather, so for that reason it is important that you stay off of them when they are wet. As you enter a single-track you will see a new black and yellow sign that says "Open when dry, closed when wet". In an effort to protect these trails, it is important that you follow this warning or you may be ticketed and will have to appear in court.

When using single-track trails a good rule of thumb is you should leave no trace. If your horse hoof, foot, or bike tire leaves an imprint, turn around. That trail should not be used at that time. If you are on an otherwise dry trail and happen upon a wet area, do not ride around it. Instead you should either turn around or go through the middle of it. Going around it makes the trail wider until it is no longer a single-track. Mountain bikers prize single-track trails above all other trails. Just as equestrians travel the country looking for the next great trail experience, mountain bikers do the same as they look for that next great single-track trail experience. We have precious few miles of single-track in Cook County and it is very important that we all follow the rules and protect what we have.

As the seasons change and we get into "mud season" it is the hope of the Equestrian Community, Chicago Area Mountain Bikers and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County that all trail users will follow the rules and protect our trail resources. A lot is at stake here. We can either improve the trail system or lose parts of it from misuse.


We all share the trails with other users. Hikers and horses can be intimidated by silent fast moving bikes. It is important therefore, that we treat other trail users with respect. As the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) recommends, bikes should yield to hikers and horses.

As mountain bikers approach horses head on, stop and get all bikes on one side of the trail. Talk with the riders. Your voice will put the horses at ease. Then ask if you can ride past.

As you approach a horse from behind, whistle or let the rider know you are there. Talk with the riders. The sound will let the horse know someone is behind them. Spooking a horse can put both you and the rider at risk.

As mountain bikers approach hikers, slow down to their speed. Announce your presence and slow down as you approach them from behind. Yelling out "on your left or on your right" does not always work. They will hear left or right and go there, so slowing down to gauge their reaction is the key.