Home Loop Full Trail – 13.4 km – Easy-Intermediate
Home Loop without Rooney’s – 11.7 km – Easy-Intermediate
Home Loop IMBA Short Course – 7.5 km – Easy-Intermediate
Direction of Travel – Counter Clockwise
This is by far our most popular trail, and in all iterations, it begins the same way Demo Loop does but then splits off to the right at the Demo Loop crossing.
Home Loop then winds its way through our central property in a delightful series of berms roots and bridges, before reaching the IMBA Short Course crossing. At this point, those wishing to take the shorter loop keep left, then left again to join Home Loop’s 2nd half, mid-way through its transit back north.
Continuing on, you will find more berms, bridges, roots and whoops before you reach the first of four Old School options on the loop that breaks off to the right, then meets back up further down the trail. These Old School options provide a glimpse of what Home Loop was in its early days, beautifully rooty. Next is the Beaver Pond, and the first of two cabins. These screened-in cabins are a great place to take a break and not be eaten alive. Crossing the dam on a farm road, you will reach the start of Rooney’s Loop, and the last option to shorten Home Loop.
Keep right to ride the whole thing, or take the small section of singletrack directly opposite (to the left), that runs parallel to the farm road, before crossing over. This is Frederica’s Trail, named after a dearly departed partridge who once lived there. On Rooney’s Loop, named after the gracious landowner who hosts this section of trail, you’ll find more blissful berms, bridges and bumps that lead to the end of Home Loop’s first half, at an unassumed road, where if you turn right, you will reach the trail that leads into Route 66 (Advanced) and The Ridge (Intermediate-Advanced), and if you turn left, you’ll cross Little Cataraqui Creek, where if or continue straight you’ll eventually reach Pete’s Loop (Intermediate-Advanced), or take the first left, you will flow into Home Loop’s second half.
Home Loop’s second half is much like the first, but longer. Here, shortly after the flow brings you to the second screened-in cabin, you will find the second of our Old School options splitting off to the right, then the third and fourth to the left. These are all more difficult than the main trail, but worth riding for those not in search of a Strava PR.
Home Loop’s second half also contains many wooden features built by our dedicated volunteers, with wood supplied by our dedicated beavers. These features offer a low-risk place to practise your skills. Be sure to give them a shot!
Home Loop rejoins Demo Loop shortly after another section of fantastic flow, then splits off to the right at the bottom of the Beer Me climb. What follows is a steep climb that takes you to a section of trail that runs behind our under/over bridge, called Kim’s corner, after one of our esteemed former board members had an unfortunate incident involving too much speed and too little grip. You will then find another steep, technical climb, then a false flat that brings you to the top of the main property. Here, the trail splits for one last time, with the left option being our seasonal Corn Maze, think speedway, not maze, and the right option taking you out to the driveway, past several skinny features. With all of this, it’s easy to see why Home Loop is so popular with so many; This is quintessential MTB Kingston.