Mountain Biking - Any Good Steel Frame Entry Level Mtn bikes?

I am 5'11" and 290 pounds. Steel or Aluminum frame?

Riding will be 90% paved path and 10% "easy" rated mtn bike trail and dirt trails.
I am a conservative type rider.
I prefer a fork with lockout. I am open to replacing stock fork if needed.
I prefer that it would accept a rear rack and fenders, but I can live without both.

Steel or Aluminum frame?

Bike make/model suggestions?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Redline d-series 1x9 with a 38t front ring.

Are you looking for a mountain bike? A hybrid? A cross bike? For the kind of riding you mention they could all work, but would depend if you intend to do more off road riding down the line or not. Much more choice in entry level bikes with aluminum frames, but that depends what your budget calls entry level....how much do you want to spend?

Are you looking for a mountain bike? A hybrid? A cross bike? For the kind of riding you mention they could all work, but would depend if you intend to do more off road riding down the line or not. Much more choice in entry level bikes with aluminum frames, but that depends what your budget calls entry level....how much do you want to spend?

I would prefer to keep the budget around $500. Since I am overweight and out of shape, I prefer to sit a little more upright. I live a couple of miles from an "easy" rated mtb trail, so I may increase my ride time on that as I get in better shape. I have no problem with aluminum frames.

I was thinking of just doing an entry level mtn bike and switching to slicks when I ride with my younger son on pavement.

I live close to dealers that carry Jamis, Specialized, Trek, Fuji, and a REI.

For your budget/pricepoint I'd say just go ride the offerings local to you and pick the bike that fits best. You can compare specs to a degree, but they'll probably all come with similar equipment for the most part (do some shopping/comparing, though). Worst is usually a suspension fork that won't work well at your weight nor are very adjustable in that regard (in other words a poor value). A hybrid might be a better choice for you, you can probably avoid the cheap suspension fork (with a standard, rigid, fork) and get an upright position and a bike that can do what you're asking. Think of it as a 29er light. Not sure what an "easy" trail is, all depends on your perspective/style/location, but a hybrid can probably handle it fine the 10% of the time you're off pavement.