The Mountain MX

The Mountain MX is a 100-acre off-road facility in the foothills of the Tellico Mountains at Madisonville, Tennessee, and one of the region's great comeback stories in progress. In its prime the property ran a 1.8-mile red-clay main track credited to former AMA Motocross Champion Mark Barnett, with big flowing elevation changes and challenging but rideable jumps, plus a 6.5-mile enduro loop through the wooded acres that kept trail riders separated from the motocross line, and a dedicated peewee track for the little ones. The infrastructure matched the ambition: grandstands with a full view of the entire main track, a creek-fed automated sprinkler system, restrooms and concessions buildings, RV hookups and primitive camping along a spring-fed creek, and a 3-bedroom bunkhouse that sleeps more than 10.

After sitting vacant and closed for several years, the property has new owners and a community-backed rebuilding effort called Project Mountain MX, with a volunteer crew of local riders clearing brush, reshaping the old jumps, and repairing the clay base to reopen the venue safely. The track is CLOSED while the restoration is underway; follow the Facebook page for work-day announcements and reopening news.