Revisited: Hillside Trails

If you rode bmx around our area in the early 2000's you most likely heard about a spot called Hillside. Chris Paladino was the head dude down there and they were no doubt the largest trails ever in the tri-state area. The trails were plowed after about a year or two then Pali decided to rebuild "just one" of the sections just to have something to ride... that turned into rebuilding the whole place. It didnt really make sense to rebuild seeing as the city were the ones doing the plowing and eventually they would be back.... but the place went back up and was home to some of the best sessions I have ever had. The trails were intimidating but if you were a local we had the place down pretty good. Visitors had a rough time on some of the sections but in the end might have gotten through a couple times by dusk haha.

Fast forward like 5 years to today... Hillside as we knew it is now home to a whole woods worth of legal mountain bike trails. You have to hand it to whoever convinced the city of new york to allow this.... but they pulled it off. Signs are everywhere telling you whats ahead and where to go and outside on the street near the entrance is a huge map (kinda resembles one youd see at a ski resort) showing you all the trails. It sucks that our spot got plowed but at least the woods are being used now for other two wheeled riders.


I went to check the place out yesterday and I was suprised to find a little track layed out where some of the real big jumps were back in the day. What was once the same coordinates for a 35 foot double is now rollable jumps and berms. I cant lie... it is pretty fun but nothing like the olden days. I even found myself being "that guy" while talking to some young kids... "you wouldnt believe what was here like 8 years ago... lip right here... landing over near that tree... shit was huge!"... yea, at 28 I have officially turned into that older dude that shows up that noone believes.


I will def be popping in the trails every once in a while. Its still a fun spot to putt around.... I just need to get a hold of who's in charge to see if I can get the green light on putting up "just one" small section.