As a new rider, I want to be respectful of the trails while also maximizing the small windows of opportunity our current weather pattern is allowing.

Is there a general rule of thumb for how long after rain it's ok to ride the beginner trails like North Meck and Harrisburg Half?

I did google this topic quite a bit this morning and the general consensus was "ask the people in your area".  So, I'm asking the people in my area.   

Thanks for any advice you have to offer.

The general rule is allow atleast 24 hours.  Problem is we have had so much rain in the past 5 months that the ground is saturated. Between that and cold temperatures it is taking a long time after a rain for conditions to dry out.

Check the homepage for trail status. If it's not listed then you will have to use best judgment.  If you do ride and come a cross sections of trail where your tires sink down into the trail it's so soft, then it's still to wet and your damaging the trail.

Trail conditions are only updated when changed. If it has not been updated in weeks it means they have not been open in weeks. That is how bad its been.

The 24 hour rule that we all mention works really well in the summer here.  Sometimes trails are good to go in even less time.

Our winters tend to be wet, the clay based soil drains poorly, and cold temperatures slow the drainage and evaporation even more.  Some trails will still be saturated a week after the rain.

Trails like Rocky River Trail tend to open up much quicker because of the terrain and soil compositition.