Reviewed by: campy , from peoria IL

Summary:
came down to siu and rode this for my first time. it was awesome. very underrated, i agree. i love the trails here in central illinois, but it was a nice change to actually ride on rock. if you follow the route in the description you cant get lost. it was technical, but well laid out and in great condition for this time of year. i definatly recomend this trail to the southerners of this state.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
cedar

Reviewed by: Brendan , from Carbondale

Summary:
An update for the trail-- it's been worked and is still being worked on. Now, when you ride from the dam, you'll find a short spur trail just past the double-track road. Turn right on that trail and head down the hill for a cliff jump and a refreshing swim! Still the best trail in the Carbondale/Murphysboro area!

Recommended Route:
Since this is pretty much a review of the trail as ridden from the dam, I'll leave it at that.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Try riding from either the Buttermilk Trailhead (off of rt. 3) or Johnson Creek, which is a bit further west/north Of course, there's also Cedar Lake...

Reviewed by: Ben , from Carbondale

Summary:
This is a very challenging trail that has a lot of potential. This trail has some good dips and some technical climbs. The view and picnic tables at the end of the trail (for now) are a great reward for this demanding ride. This trail is constantly being improved and there is a lot more trail to be made. Enough cool part about this trail is the spillway near where you park, an awesome place to practice your bike handling skills at.

Recommended Route:
like the review below me states...

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Cedar Lake

Reviewed by: Brendan , from Carbondale, IL

Summary:
Ignore the previous reviewers' claims about the trail being unrideable. I've put in countless hours of work on this trail, and we lead a lot of trail work days out there as well. In the past year the trail has gone from an overgrown jungle filled with deadfall to the best trail in the immediate Carbondale/Murphysboro area. Though the trail doesn't have the big climbs and descents that Cedar Lake has, it doesn't have the erosion problems that come with them, either. The trail is full of quick, twisty rollercoaster ride hills, with plenty of roots and rocks to test your technical skills. About 4 miles into the ride you'll come to a dirt road-- turn right and you'll find a pretty little picnic area to take a break. The trail continues beyond the dirt road but we haven't done much work in this section as of yet. We hope to get this done in the not too distant future.

Recommended Route:
The most under-rated trail around!!! Kinkaid has at least five sections of great trail, with the Buttermilk hill section (spillway) being the most popular. To ride Buttermilk, park at the spillway and start at the top of the dam. The trail is an out-and-back, with a nice picnic area on the lake about 3 1/2(?) miles into the ride.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Cedar Lake (not just the 127 side-- ride the less popular Rt 51 side too), Little Cedar, Johnson Creek, Fountain Bluff, and any one of the many sections on Kinkaid.